DOUGLAS COUNTY
ILLAHEE ROCK
Umpqua National Forest
25 1/2S-2E-34
25 1/2S-2E-34
May 11, 1925: "Fred Assam, ranger of North Umpqua District will build a standard lookout house on Illahee Rock. It will be built square and have a cupola on top which will be surrounded by windows so that a view will be had from all sides." (Roseburg News-Review)
August 19, 1926: "That snow was falling with the rain early yesterday morning at Illahee Rock was stated by George Churchill, who talked over telephone with his mother yesterday. Mr. Churchill is stationed at Illahee Rock as lookout during the summer. He stated that he was taking advantage of the rainfall to get water as the nearest place of drawing water was two miles distant from the lookout station." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 18, 1926: "On the way out they were joined by George Churchill, who has been in the employ of the forest service as lookout at Illahee during the summer." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 13, 1930: "This station was found literally anchored to the rocks at an elevation of nearly 5500 feet. This station is of the type that Supervisor Harpham hopes to get the government to build at all lookouts. It is a 12x12 structure, glass on all four sides, with a cupola above the main room, and in the upper section is an instrument board for locating fires. In the lower room the telephone is handy, while the table, oil stove, and bed occupy space in this 12x12. This station is reached after a sharp climb over a trail through lava rock that is very steep, even dangerous, as a horse might lose his footing in the moving mass and rider go headlong over the cliff." (Roseburg News-Review)
October 27, 1943: "The lookouts who have manned the forest service stations during the summer months are all being moved out. Mrs. Perry Wright stayed on the Illahee lookout all summer and only made one trip to her home for a few hours. Most lookout personnel take time off several times during the season." (Roseburg News-Review)
July 27, 1944: "Miss Louise Boise will be stationed at the forest service lookout at Illahee rock." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 20, 1944: "Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Boise and daughter, Miss Louise, of Glide were in Roseburg Tuesday attending to business. The latter has been spending the summer in charge of the Caps Illahee lookout station." (Roseburg News-Review)
August 22, 1956: "The personnel of the Roseburg office of the Umpqua National Forest, were confronted with the problem of building a new lookout tower on Illahee Rock at an elevation of 5,588 ft. The present lookout tower was not only too small for two fire watchers, but was beyond repair. The one room was 12 x 12 feet, and entrance to the observation tower was by ladder from the room.
The plans for the new building called for a house, 14 x 14 feet, built on top of a 20 foot tower. To transport the building materials by trail to the location would have been extremely difficult. The trail, 6 miles long, has many switch-backs. The creosoted timbers weigh 100 pounds each. The present lookout tower was built of short lengths of lumber.
Bob Trimble and his chopper arrived one morning last week at the Illahee forest guard station, 13 miles east of the Steamboat ranger station. After a reconnaissance flight to locate a landing spot on the rock, testing up and down drafts over the deep ravines.
The round trip of seven air miles was made in 11 to 12 minutes, including loading and unloading, according to Jack Rothacher. By 12:30 the next day the operation was completed. Thirteen tons of building materials had been transported to the top of Illahee Rock. The landing spot on the rock was barely big enough for the helicopter. The front runners were just at the edge.
Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Lewis of Klamath Falls are lookouts at Illahee tower. This is their second summer at this station. Supplies and mail are brought to them once a month by pack train. It takes the packer with his horses and mules, an entire day to make the round trip to their mountain home." (The News-Review)
1956: "One lookout house on a 20-foot tower was constructed on Illahee Rock Lookout." "It is noteworthy that for the first time the Umpqua used helicopter transportation for moving in the twelve tons of lookout house and tower materials to Illahee Rock, preparatory to construction." (1956 Annual Report)
August 8, 1957: "An 18-year-old Michigan State university freshman is in a Roseburg hospital after a 12-hour wait for rescue after being pinned in the wreckage of a helicopter Tuesday evening.
The pilot of the craft was killed when it struck a rock out-cropping and fell.
Michael D. Moore, Lansing, Mich., suffered a broken ankle and is suffering from shock. He was brought to a Roseburg hospital Wednesday.
The pilot was James Bruce Forster, 29, Berkley, Cal. He is survived by his widow and two children.
The crash happened about 7 p.m. Tuesday when Forster attempted to land atop 5392-foot Illahe rock, in a wild area of the cascade mountains, about 55 miles east of here.
The helicopter struck the edge of the rock, and fell away to a hillside about a quarter mile away.
Dave Paterson, a lookout stationed at the rock, said he thought at first the craft had made a crash landing. But he started to search through the heavy timber when the men didn't appear at the lookout tower.
He was drawn to the wreckage about 10 p.m. By Moore's cries.
About 40 forest service employes arrived there during the night after Patterson radioed for help." (The Oregonian)
1958: The annual fiscal report shows that the old cupola structure would be condemned and converted to a tool shed.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1953 (CTH)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF STEAMBOAT AND 4
MILES NORTH OF THE NORTH UMPQUA RIVER ON A ROCKY PEAK KNOWN AS
ILLAHE ROCK. THERE IS A U.S. FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT HOUSE
LOCATED ON THE PEAK.
INQUIRE FROM THE FOREST SERVICE THE BEST ROUTE TO STATION AS
NEW ROADS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED IN THE AREA.
THE STATION MARK IS STAMPED ILLAHEE 1953. IT IS A STANDARD DISK
CEMENTED IN A DEPRESSION IN BEDROCK ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE
PEAK.
REFERENCE MARK 1 IS STAMPED ILLAHEE NO 1 1953. IT IS A
STANDARD DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK 5 FEET LOWER
THAN THE STATION MARK.
REFERENCE MARK 2 IS STAMPED ILLAHEE NO 2 1953. IT IS A STANDARD
DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK 3 FEET LOWER THAN THE
STATION MARK.
ILLAHE (USGS) IS A U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BENCH MARK STAMPED
ILLAHE 1934. IT IS CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK 14 FEET
NORTH OF THE NORTH CORNER OF THE LOOKOUT HOUSE.