DOUGLAS COUNTY
FERN TOP
Siuslaw National Forest
21S-9W-29
21S-9W-29
May 19, 1925: "Mr. Shelley said that a good lookout point has been found on Fern Top, a high mountain on the ridge between the Umpqua and Smith rivers and that a lookout will be stationed there this summer to watch for fires. This point on the route of a new trail that is now being built between Scottsburg and Smith river, said Mr. Shelley. The crew put to work on this project a short time ago has completed a mile of the fourteen miles to be built this summer." (Morning Register)
July 22, 1927: "This is somewhat similar to the station at Wells Creek where Lot 16, Sec. 7, T.22S., R.9W. was set aside for administrative use, except, of course, that no power withdrawal is involved. We would like to have a withdrawal which would protect the area against other disposal. This tract is essential for tower and lookout purposes. You will note that it is outside the Forest boundary but it overlooks a large body of O. & C. land which we are protecting, we well as other private lands and some National Forest lands. There is no suitable tract on National Forest land for this purpose and it is the most suitable tract available in that vicinity." (Letter to District Forester from Supervisor, Siuslaw N.F.)
September 15, 1927: "In the protection from fire of surrounding forested lands, the Forest Service is using an area described as Section 29, T.21S., R.9W. W.M. as a lookout point. This area, which is part of the revested Oregon and California railroad grant, overlooks a large body of Oregon and California revested grant lands, as well as some private and National Forest lands which the Forest Service is protecting in cooperation with your Department and with the State of Oregon. A 42-foot lookout tower and a small cabin have been erected there for use of the patrolman.
In order to prevent the alienation of the area and the resultant interference with the use, it is requested that the area be withdrawn from disposition under provisions of the Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 847) and reserved for use as a lookout station as long as it may be actually needed for this purpose." (Letter to The Secretary of the Interior)
October 4, 1927: "Arnold Johnson, forest lookout in the Siuslaw area who has been stationed during the summer at Fern Top and Wallace creek, has completed his work for the year." (The Eugene Guard)
August 1928: "On July 8, 1928, Ranger M.H. Durbin of the Gardner District killed a young cougar which measured 6'4" from tip to tip. Durbin had been working on the lookout tower at Fern Top Mountain and had noted fresh tracks in the trail near the lookout. He phoned Lewis Seymour of Gardner, who has two well-trained dogs. Consequently Mr. Seymour lost no time in leaving for the lookout; but being rather fat and soft made it only part way up the mountain that evening. Next morning he had traveled only a short distance up the trail when his dogs picked up the fresh track and had gone a short distance, treeing the cougar near the lookout. Ranger Durbin, hearing the dogs at bay, was soon there and shot the animal from near the top of a large hemlock tree." (Six Twenty-Six)
June 29, 1929: "One of the deadliest enemies of the deer brought an example of his work in the vicinity of the Fern Top lookout station during the past week, according to the statement of Ranger Durbin, who returned from an inspection trip of the Smith River territory. While going to the lookout station, Mr. Durbin observed a fresh cougar track in the trail. Returning later with Arnie Johnson, lookout man, the two discovered the carcass of a deer, which had been killed and hid by the cougar.
The kill had been made within 300 yards of the station and the carcass hid by dragging it to a depression and covering it with leaves and brush. It is the contention of Ranger Durbin that cougars are the deadliest enemies of the deer." (Roseburg News-Review)
The kill had been made within 300 yards of the station and the carcass hid by dragging it to a depression and covering it with leaves and brush. It is the contention of Ranger Durbin that cougars are the deadliest enemies of the deer." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 16, 1933: "The lookout on Fern Top met a huge black bear in the trail one morning last week. Both insisted on using the trail, but with a stick and a few rocks Mr. Foss finally persuaded bruin to give in and he stood aside a few feet while Mr. Foss passed." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 22, 1934: "The recent rain caused the most of the lookout men to be discontinued at their stations. Cecil Thompson who has been stationed at Fern Top ridge lookout, and wife came home this week. They are moving to the Abbie Williams home of this place, where they will be at home to their friends after this week. The young couple were married a few days before going on duty at the lookout station." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
1951: The lookout was destroyed in a forest fire.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY US FOREST SERVICE 1936
THIS OCCUPIED STATION IS THE CENTER OF U.S. FOREST SERVICE FERN
TOP LOOKOUT TOWER, SITUATED ON HIGHEST POINT OF MOUNTAIN, ABOUT
5 MILES A LITTLE E OF N FROM SCOTTSBURG.
STATION MARKED BY DISK IN BOULDER 10 INCHES BELOW SURFACE OF
GROUND DIRECTLY UNDER CENTER OF TOWER.
REACHED FROM SCOTTSBURG BY DRIVING E ALONG UMPQUA HIGHWAY 3
MILES TO WELLS CREEK, FROM WHICH POINT A SECONDARY ROAD LEADS N
ALONG E BANK OF CREEK. FOLLOW THIS ROAD ABOUT 1 MILE N TO END,
THEN TAKE FOREST TRAIL ABOUT 3.5 MILES TO STATION.