SERAFIN POINT
Columbia County - Oregon Department of Forestry - 5N-2W-19
July 17, 1921: "To the west of St. Helens and extending from Deer Island to the Multnomah county line is a magnificent body of timber which contains millions of feet. To guard against forest fires, the timber owners, in conjunction with the county court, maintain forest patrols.
Dale Perry has charge of what is known as the Trenholm district and his camp is on the divide between Milton creek and the Little Clatskanie river. The elevation is 1200 feet above sea level. Almost at the top of the divide is a giant fir tree which is about 250 feet in height and Perry has made this his lookout. From his lookout station, which is 235 feet above the ground, the forest of the Deer Island, Scappoose, Bunker Hill, Nehalem divide sections can be seen and any forest fire detected.
During spare hours, Perry built a ladder on the body of the tree. The crosspieces were hewn from cedar logs and are two feet long and four inches thick and four 8-inch spikes secure the crosspieces to the tree trunk.
In the photograph Perry is shown on one of his daily observation trips and is about 185 feet from the ground and about 50 feet from his observation platform which is among the branches of the tree. The correspondent of The Oregonian went up about one-third this far and thought it best to come down if the story were to be written. Perry says there is a gentle swaying of the tree which is very noticeable when in the observation nest and he would advise persons subject to seasickness not to try the experience." (Morning Oregonian)
Dale Perry has charge of what is known as the Trenholm district and his camp is on the divide between Milton creek and the Little Clatskanie river. The elevation is 1200 feet above sea level. Almost at the top of the divide is a giant fir tree which is about 250 feet in height and Perry has made this his lookout. From his lookout station, which is 235 feet above the ground, the forest of the Deer Island, Scappoose, Bunker Hill, Nehalem divide sections can be seen and any forest fire detected.
During spare hours, Perry built a ladder on the body of the tree. The crosspieces were hewn from cedar logs and are two feet long and four inches thick and four 8-inch spikes secure the crosspieces to the tree trunk.
In the photograph Perry is shown on one of his daily observation trips and is about 185 feet from the ground and about 50 feet from his observation platform which is among the branches of the tree. The correspondent of The Oregonian went up about one-third this far and thought it best to come down if the story were to be written. Perry says there is a gentle swaying of the tree which is very noticeable when in the observation nest and he would advise persons subject to seasickness not to try the experience." (Morning Oregonian)
August 1943: "A new lookout has been recently completed in the Northwest Oregon unit on a prominent ridge about a mile north of the Wilark camp, the work being carried out under the direction of A.E. McDonald. This new station has been constructed in a fir tree that has been topped at a height of 60 feet.
It is an important development in the detection service since it covers the Columbia State forest on the Clatskanie river as well as a large part of the Columbia River slope. The latter area was turned over to the association for protection early this spring. The lookout is to be manned by members of the Wilark emergency crew." (The Forest Log)
It is an important development in the detection service since it covers the Columbia State forest on the Clatskanie river as well as a large part of the Columbia River slope. The latter area was turned over to the association for protection early this spring. The lookout is to be manned by members of the Wilark emergency crew." (The Forest Log)
Removed