LAKE COUNTY
SLIDE MOUNTAIN
Fremont National Forest
33S-17E-29
33S-17E-29
September 1925: "The Slide Mtn. telephone line was completed on August 20, and a phone installed. The completion of these two lines with the erection of a lookout tower on Slide Mtn. gives the Fremont a better fire detection and communication system. (Badly needed) (Six Twenty-Six)
1929: It was announced in August that $800.00 will be spent to construct a steel lookout, although the sum will not complete the work
1929: A 47-foot all steel Aermotor model LX-25 lookout tower with a steel 7x7 cab erected at a total cost of $1,022.09.
December 1929: "A recent trip to Slides Mountain Lookout where a new steel lookout tower is nearing completion under the direction of Ranger Langfield, discloses a new wrinkle in steel erection. Karl had been warned by Ranger Young, who erected a tower on Bald Mountain last year, that he might experience some trouble in making the bolt holes in the braces and frame work coincide. He gravely informed Supervisor Brown and myself that he had carefully thought over this difficulty and after much deep cogitation had arrived at a solution. Placing Al Cheney, who is famed as a rifle shot, on the ground about 50 yards from the tower, armed with a 30-30 rifle, he proceeded rapidly to erect the tower. When trouble was experienced because a bolt hole did not quite match its counterpart, he would mark the place where the bolt hole should be and then calmly signal to Al., who would promptly shoot a new hole through the steel at Karl's mark. The work moved along beautifully, for Al and MacDonald, the other member of the construction crew. We approved of Langfield's unique method of boring holes, although a twinkle in his eye as he gravely elaborated on details gave us a qualm or two of doubt as to his absolute veracity. He anticipates considerable delight in crowing over Young at their next meeting.
The boys did an excellent job at erection. The new tower takes Slides from the category of secondary to that of primary lookout. Every other primary lookout on the Forest is now visible from Slides as well as Yainax and Walker Mountain. H.T. Phelps" (Six Twenty-Six)
1930: A one-room 14' by 16' cabin built for living quarters.
1932: Lightning protection installed on the lookout cabin.
1933: A 16' by 18' garage built. At a later date it was dismantled and moved to Paisley.
1942: A memo from the District Ranger to the Forest Supervisor shows that the tower is 48 feet tall. The guy cables are 7-strand 3/8 inch . The tower attachment is made at the 40-foot mark on the tower from the ground. The maximum cable sag is one inch.
July 13, 1943: "John Strang, Jr., who has been serving as look-out on Slide mountain for the forest service, is here for a week's visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Strang." (The Bend Bulletin)
1956: All improvements at Slide Mountain have been removed except for the tower which has no shutters. It would be a difficult job to paint the numbers on top of this 7x7 steel cupola. Possibly we could arrange some rocks on the ground in the form of F-9 and paint them, if this seems necessary.
September 16, 1963: " Attached is the 1300-4 Project Work Plan for construction of guard rails around landings and stairway at Slide Mountain Lookout tower.
Work on this job has been completed and actual costs shown for investment records. However as labor was contributed the only additional costs were material and labor, which was $171.85 for the job." (Memo from the Paisley District Ranger to the Forest Supervisor)
May 13, 1968: A letter to the Regional office from the Fremont National Forest.
"Slide Mountain and Shoestring are both steel towers which were offered to the Army last fall. Since we are now advised they will not be taken, we plan to push them over and unbolt the steel members this summer. We will attempt to sell the scrap metal, although it is doubtful if we can get bidders to haul from the remote locations."
October 23, 1968: A memorandum from the Forest Engineer to the Regional Forester.
"We have sold Shoestring and Slide Mountain steel Lookout towers for scrap. The towers have not yet been removed."
Removed
DESIGNATION - SLIDE MTN
PID - NY0838
STATE/COUNTY- OR/LAKE
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - SLIDE MTN (1980)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1948 (MTP)
STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF PAISLEY, NEAR THE CENTER
OF THE FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT TOWER, ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF
SLIDE MOUNTAIN, A ROUND-TOPPED, HEAVILY WOODED MOUNTAIN AT THE
SOUTH END OF SUMMER LAKE.
STATION IS MARKED BY A STANDARD DISK SET IN A SQUARE CONCRETE
POST PROJECTING 5 INCHES ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT IS
STAMPED SLIDE MTN 1948.
REFERENCE MARK NO. 1 IS A STANDARD DISK SET FLUSH IN A SMALL
BOULDER PROJECTING 2 INCHES ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE FOOT PATH
LEADING TO THE GARAGE. IT IS 6 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEAST
CORNER OF THE GARAGE, AND IS STAMPED SLIDE MTN NO 1 1948.
A USFS BRONZE TABLET SET IN A 1 FOOT SQUARE BOULDER PROJECTING
18 INCHES ABOVE THE SURFACE, MIDWAY BETWEEN, AND IN LINE WITH THE
SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST LEGS OF THE TOWER, WAS OBSERVED AS THE
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE MARK. IT IS STAMPED SLIDE LOT 1935.
TO REACH STATION SLIDE MTN FROM THE POST OFFICE IN PAISLEY PROCEED
AS PER SPEEDOMETER MILEAGES AS FOLLOWS--
0.00 MILES, POST OFFICE IN PAISLEY AT THE INTERSECTION OF STATE
HIGHWAY 31 AND RIVER ROAD, GO WEST ON RIVER ROAD PER SIGN BLY,
DAIRY CREEK.
2.6 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE RIGHT FORK, NORTH, PER SIGNS
CAMPBELLS LAKE 19, INGRAM STA. 15
6.8 MILES, T-INTERSECTION AND SIGN HANAN SPR., CONTINUE STRAIGHT
AHEAD.
8.6 MILES, PASS MILE POST 6
8.7 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE RIGHT FORK PER SIGN SLIDE MTN LO 7
10.2 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE LEFT FORK PER SIGN SLIDE MTN L O 5
11.6 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE RIGHT FORK.
11.7 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE RIGHT FORK PAST A TRIANGLE
BLAZE AND ARROW ON TREE.
15.3 MILES, Y-INTERSECTION, TAKE RIGHT FORK PER SIGN SLIDE MTN LO
1/4.
15.5 MILES, STEEL LOOKOUT TOWER AND SITE OF STATION.