GREEN PEAK
Benton County - Western Lane Forest Protective Association, ODF - 14S-6W-7
1938: Western Lane FPA noted on their 1938 Annual Report that a lookout structure was needed at this point.
March 1942: "District Warden Ray Oglesby, of the Western Lane County Fire Patrol Association, reports that considerable improvement work is being carried out since his organization secured a new International TD9 tractor, equipped with bulldozer and winch. The first job was the completion of two and one-half miles of road to the Green Peak lookout which is located six miles west of Monroe. Oglesby reports that he will build a temporary 30-foot tower on the site immediately in order that it can be placed in commission during the coming fire season. Since this station is also centrally located it is probable that an emergency fire crew will also be located there." (The Forest Log)
August 1942: "Construction of a cabin has also been completed on Green Peak lookout west of Monroe. The cabin which is 18 x 28 feet, was constructed of shakes and split boards worked out at the Veneta headquarters. It is sufficiently large to accommodate the five man emergency crew which is stationed at the peak." (The Forest Log)
1942: A shed was constructed at a cost of $150.44.
May 16, 1947: "Summary of fires and work accomplished on the newly created Polk-Benton district during the 1946 season was released today by the office of the district warden at Dallas.
Four lookouts and four guard stations were repaired and painted two or more coats.
Major jobs of remodeling and repair were accomplished at Green Peak lookout in Benton county and at Camp Arboretum on two residences and the sub-headquarters office." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
August 15, 1947: "Green Peak State Forestry Lookout short wave radio was stolen Sunday night from the lookout tower while Anthony Kelly, lookout, slept in the cabin some 300 yards away. The vandals gained entrance to the tower through a window.
State police and state forestry officials investigating the crime found sufficient finger prints, tire tracks and other clues which may lead to an early arrest.
Loss of the two-way radio, the only means of communication with the lookout, has seriously jeopardized the surrounding area for lookout coverage and fire reports.
The small portable radio is plainly marked by the state forestry department and is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. Misuse and tampering with such radios becomes a federal offense with heavy penalties in federal courts.
Should the radio be abandoned by the thieves, or any information regarding it, report should be made immediately to the state forestry office, Dallas 222, collect, or the state police." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
December 1948: "A modified form of lookout tower that combines the lookout, garage and living quarters for a small maintenance crew has been designed by L.A. Amort, engineer for the state forestry department, at the suggestion of Lee Port, of the protection department.
The structure is being designed for Green Mountain, a lookout in the southern end of the Polk-Benton State unit. There are no facilities available in that part of the district for housing the spring maintenance crews or similar crews when working away from the Dallas station.
The building is to be 14 feet square with a combined garage and woodshed on the ground floor and a six-foot extension is to be made on this part to provide sufficient room for the car and storage. The second floor provides sleeping quarters for a crew of three men if single bunks are used and six if double bunks are installed. The lookout house goes on the top. It is a 14 by 14 structure with catwalk.
The garage and sleeping quarters will be of lumber construction and covered with aluminum sheeting. Its is planned to change the roof somewhat from the standard lookout with eaves extending about three feet beyond the building. This is for the purpose of protection from storms. The roof is to be covered with aluminum." (The Forest Log)
April 12, 1950: "Plans for construction of a new forest fire lookout on Green Peak, west of Dawson in southern Benton county were announced today by W.M. Curtis, district warden for the Polk-Benton district.
Construction of the road leading to the structure began Monday and it is expected work on the lookout itself will start the last part of this month.
The new permanent lookout will replace a temporary structure which has been maintained there.
The lookout will be of a new type, with the garage on the ground floor, crew quarters on the second floor and a third floor consisting of a 14 by 14 foot glass-enclosed lookout." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
Construction of the road leading to the structure began Monday and it is expected work on the lookout itself will start the last part of this month.
The new permanent lookout will replace a temporary structure which has been maintained there.
The lookout will be of a new type, with the garage on the ground floor, crew quarters on the second floor and a third floor consisting of a 14 by 14 foot glass-enclosed lookout." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
April 26, 1950: "Something new in forestry lookouts is under construction on Green Peak, northwest of Monroe, in the Polk-Benton district, according to W.M. Curtis, forest warden.
The lookout will be 40 feet high and will have three levels. On the bottom will be a garage. Second floor will provide quarters for a small road crew or other forestrymen. At the top will be a 14 x 14 ft. glass cupola as the lookout vantage point and living quarters.
The entire structure will be sheeted with a non-glare aluminum. Curtis states that the lookout is an experiment in this type of new construction and is expected to eliminate some problems encountered previously at lookouts.
A crew has built a road to the new site and materials are being moved in." (The Capital Journal)
May 1950: "Construction has started on a new lookout on Green peak in southern Benton county and it will be completed in time for use during the coming fire season. The structure is the new type which was designed by L.W. Amort, department engineer, a few years ago. The garage will be on the ground floor with the second story given over to quarters which can house maintenance or fire crews. On the third floor will be the 14 by 14, glassed-in lookout." (The Forest Log)
July 26, 1950: "The newly constructed tower on Green Peak is of aluminum and will not require the annual painting needed by towers made of wood. Polk-Benton District Warden William Curtis and Lookout Anthony Kelly are shown on the catwalk. A garage is on ground floor, a storage room on second, and the lookout room on top." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
1950: "An aluminum type lookout house was completed on Green Peak early in the season." (Agency Newsletter No. 14)
February 28, 1951: "Vandals have done serious damage to the Green Peak lookout station west of Bellfountain and a $50 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals, W.M. Curtis, district warden of the Polk-Benton fire district, said today.
The damage was discovered on a routine inspection trip to the lookout, he said.
The damage consisted of stealing the lid to the 500-gallon spring box, and turning the water back into the box. The lid was made of heavy tongue and grove three inch material and painted with red lead.
A window had been smashed out of the lookout, the doors left open, permitting rats to get into the building and rain and snow to sweep through. They also used newspapers for torches and left them burning on the floor. 'It is a wonder the place did not burn down.' Curtis stated.
The station was built last year at a cost of several thousand dollars to give better fire protection to the surrounding area. It should last for years, Curtis said, but if the practice of breaking into the lookout and leaving it open continues, the station will not last for more than five years without considerable repair.
Curtis pointed out that there had been a great amount of damage done in the past by the public. Road signs are torn down annually, fire prevention posters are destroyed and section line cards are shot full of holes. Two years ago the radio was stolen off of Green Peak, he said.
He called on the public to cooperate in providing information on vandalism or destruction of state property.
Anyone having information on the vandalism at Green Peak that will bring the arrest and conviction of the vandals can get the reward by contacting Curtis at the district headquarters at Dallas or by telephoning Dallas 2326. All information will be kept confidential, Curtis promised." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
August 18, 1964: "Priscilla Dawkins and her husband Russ have manned the Green Peak station for nine years now and they know almost every nook and gully in the district. They are second in height only to Mary's Peak lookout.
This job was a real help to the couple as Russ was partially paralyzed in a mill accident several years ago, ending his services as a laborer. A job as lookout helped solve their financial problems.
Truly, to get away from it all and yet feel as if you're in contact with the whole valley, there's no place like a lookout. Yet, this may be the last summer for the Dawkinses and all other lookouts. The Forest Service is turning more and more to planes for its fire patrolling -- far less glamorous, but it has pros and cons.
Meanwhile, if there is a lookout next year on Green Peak, the Dawkinses will be there, surveying the South Benton area from their 2,600 vantage." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
1966: This station turned in four first discoveries during the fire season.
1974: The lookout was removed.
DESIGNATION - GREEN PEAK
PID - QE2277
STATE/COUNTY- OR/BENTON
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - GLENBROOK (1984)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1984
THE STATION DISK HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY VANDALS. THE SHANK REMAINED.
REFERENCE MARK 1 WAS RECOVERED. REFERENCE MARK 2 WAS SEARCHED FOR BUT
WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE AZIMUTH MARK WAS SEARCHED FOR BUT NOT FOUND.
A NEW SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND MARK WAS ESTABLISHED AT THIS TIME.
REFERENCE MARK 3 WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED AT THIS TIME. THERE WAS NO
SUITABLE PLACE FOR AN AZIMUTH MARK. THE STATION IS LOCATED ON THE
HIGHEST PART OF GREEN PEAK ABOUT 27 KILOMETERS (16.75 MI) SOUTHWEST
OF CORVALLIS AND ABOUT 10 KM (6.20 MI) WEST OF BELLFOUNTAIN. TO REACH
THE STATION FROM THE CROSS ROAD IN BELLFOUNTAIN GO WEST FOR 4.8 KM
(3.00 MI) TO A MILL OFFICE CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR 0.5 KM (0.30
MI) TO A ROAD FORK TAKE RIGHT FORK AND GO 2.9 KM (1.80 MI) TO A ROAD
FORK. TURN RIGHT AND GO 0.3 KM (0.20 MI) TO A ROAD FORK, TURN RIGHT
ON ROAD 14-6-7.1 AND GO 1.8 KM (1.10 MI) TO A ROAD FORK, TURN LEFT AND
GO 0.6 KM (0.35 MI) TO A ROAD FORK TURN RIGHT AND GO 0.9 KM (0.55 MI)
TO A TRACK ROAD LEFT TURN LEFT AND GO 0.2 KM (0.10 MI) TO TOP OF HILL
AND STATION.
THE STATION IS A STANDARD NGS DISK STAMPED--GREEN PEAK 2 USE 1945
1984---, SET INTO THE TOP OF AN IRREGULAR MASS OF CONCRETE, 35 CM IN
DIAMETER, RECESSED 3 CM BELOW THE GROUND. THE STATION IS LOCATED 17.7
METERS (58.1 FT) SOUTH-SOUTHEAST FROM THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE
FOUNDATION OF AN OLD LO HOUSE 0.6 METERS (2.0 FT) SOUTH FROM A
WITNESS POST.