LANE COUNTY
HARDESTY MOUNTAIN
Willamette National Forest
20S-1E-27
20S-1E-27
1912: An Alidade established for locating fires.
August 30, 1916: "John Cain returned to his lookout on Hardesty last week." (Morning Register)
September 25, 1920: "Nell Southworth, of Dalles, a student of the University of Oregon, returned to Eugene today from her post as fire lookout on Mt. Hardesty, near the western boundary of the Cascade national forest reserve." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
May 11, 1921: "To confer with local forestry officials and other men interested in the protection of timber, W.F. Ramsdell, supervisor of the Umpqua national forest, of Roseburg, Assistant State Forester Eberley of Salem, and Fire Warden Brown of Roseburg are in the city today.
With H. W. Skinner of the Booth-Kelly Lumber company, who is affiliated with the fire patrol association, they discussed the means of patrolling southeast Lane county. Ramsdell and N.F. Macduff, of the Cascade forest, also talked of co-operative measures in combating fires in that part of both forests that are near the boundary line. It was decided that the lookout on Hardesty mountain should also watch guard over the Umpqua forest, as it is near the border, and to enable him to do this Mr. Ramsdell is building a telephone to that mountain from his office. The Hardesty look-out is maintained by the Cascade office." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
June 26, 1921: "Mr. and Mrs. Allan left for Mt. Hardesty to do forest reserve work for the summer. Mrs. Allan will have charge of a lookout station. In the Fall they will return to continue their college work. Mrs. Allan at the University here and Mr. Allan at O.A.C." (Morning Register)
August 1, 1921: "A ready-cut lookout house has been shipped from Portland to Reserve, where it will be packed up Hardesty mountain and erected. Notice of shipment was received today by N. F. Macduff, supervisor of the Cascade national forest." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
August 9, 1921: "Ranger McFarland is this week packing a lookout house from Reserve to the top of Hardesty mountain where it will be installed. The lookout house was cut in Portland and shipped to Reserve where pack horses are carrying it up the mountain." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
August 10, 1921: "A 'ready-made' building, cut out in Portland and designed for a lookout station, is being packed on the backs of horses from Reserve to the site on Hardesty mountain. Ranger McFarland is in charge of the job." (Morning Register)
August 27, 1921: "On his return from Oakridge, Mr. MacDuff visited Hardesty lookout, where Ranger C.B. McFarland is erecting a lookout house. The house is a standard type which is purchased ready-cut, and is hauled and packed to the lookout. In spite of the difficulties of packing some four tons of lumber, ranging up to 12 feet long on mule back up a 25 to 30 per cent trail grade, Mr. McFarland is progressing very satisfactorily and it is hoped that the building will be completed within a day or two. In hauling the lookout house from the railroad to Hardesty, Mr. McFarland must have borrowed the renowned Paul Bunyon's mule team, since he succeeded in hauling by wagon two or three miles up the mountain side until stalled by a high center on a hogback ridge, from which point he was compelled to pack on mule back, said the supervisor. Mrs. Walter Allan, formerly Nell Southworth, is the lookout on Hardesty." (Morning Register)
July 29, 1923: "J. N. Smithson came down from his lookout on Mount Hardesty, where he is employed by the forest service during the fire season to look after his property at Eula and on his return he met a big black bear on the trail. Neither he or the bear saw each other until they were less than 10 feet apart. Mr. Smithson said he did not know which was the more scared, he or the bruin. The bear beat a hasty retreat through the bushes and allowed Mr. Smithson to continue his journey peaceably to the lookout house." (Morning Register)
August 21, 1923: "Mat, Barnes and Bogart were visitors Monday with J.N. Smithson, who is keeping the lookout on Mount Hardesty." (Morning Register)
June 27, 1924: "James Smithson, fire lookout on Hardesty mountain, left today for Reserve station, where he will assume his position of lookout for the remainder of the summer." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
June 28, 1924: "James Smithson, fire lookout on Hardesty mountain, left today for Reserve station, where he will assume his position of lookout for the remainder of the summer." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
July 8, 1924: "A case of good work on the part of one of the Cascade national forest lookouts was reported yesterday by Nelson F. Macduff, supervisor.
Mr. Macduff was at Reserve Saturday and stayed all night there. At 6 o'clock Sunday morning he received a call from Lookout Jim Smithson on Hardesty mountain, who reported that he saw smoke of a new fire, eight miles away and gave the approximate location determined by his range finder.
Mr. Macduff hurried to the indicated spot in a car and found that the smoke was from a small fire built by four or five transient railroad laborers who were found huddled around it trying to keep warm.
The smoke had risen straight into the air in a tiny spiral but the lookout was able to discern it eight miles away." (Morning Register)
September 23, 1924: "J. M. Smithson, lookout on top of Hardesty mountain, near Reserve, is here for a few days, resting up from his summer's duties. C. A. Logan, lookout on Little Cowhorn, is also here." (Morning Register)
March 28, 1925: "J.M. Smithson of Eula, who has been lookout for the government on Hardesty mountain for the past three summers, was in the city yesterday, returning home during the day." (Morning Register)
June 18, 1926: "J. N. Smithson, who has been forest fire lookout on top of Hardesty mountain for the past three years and will again serve in that capacity this season, was in the city yesterday." (Morning Register)
July 2, 1927: "Bert Logan of Fall Creek, attended the forest meeting here this week. He is stationed this year on Hardesty mountain lookout." (Morning Register)
August 30, 1929: "The Hardesty mountain fire, one of the more recent ones, was combated under extremely bad conditions. The water supply of the Hardesty mountain lookout had been dried up. Water was carried three miles by packhorse." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
July 6, 1930: "J.N. Smithson left Thursday for Hardesty mountain, where he will be employed through the summer." (Eugene Register)
June 28, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Sheridan left Sunday to spend the balance of the summer at Hardesty Lookout station." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
September 26, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Sheridan recently returned to their home after spending the summer at the Hardesty lookout station." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
1939: A 14x14 L-4 model 1936 lookout ground cabin constructed by the CCC.
1968: The lookout removed.