LINN COUNTY G
SNOW PEAK
Linn County Fire Patrol
11S-2E-5
11S-2E-5
August 4, 1912: "Since May 1 the association has constructed about 40 miles of telephone lines and many miles of trails connecting lookout stations with the local lines and roads." One of three lookout stations is Cleveland Rock, east of Lacomb. (Morning Oregonian)
April 15, 1913: "A line from Lacomb, in an indirect route through the timber to Mill City. This line runs over Cleveland rock, the big bare space in the mountains plainly visible directly east of this city, W.L. Burton, of Lacomb, is the lookout stationed on the rock." (Albany Democrat)
September 4, 1918: "The party made the trip to Clark's mill by auto and from there had to pack seven miles to Cleveland Rock. While there Mrs. Borney called Lebanon friends by telephone, as this rock is a lookout station for the fire warden." (The Lebanon Express)
1923: A lookout house was constructed.
August 20, 1924: "Auidie Ayers, lookout at Snow Peak station, was down from the mountains Sunday." (Albany Evening Herald)
July 27, 1927: "Mrs. Albert Simons came down from the lookout station on Cleveland Rock Monday to can and do up some fruit. She will return there in the near future." (The Lebanon Express)
June 11, 1928: "Mr. and Mrs. Albert Simons left Saturday for the lookout station on Cleveland rock, where Mr. Simons is again stationed as fire warden for the summer." (The Lebanon Express)
August 29, 1928: "Mrs. J.H. Gambal and daughter Necia and Mrs. Czernie Crandall spent last week end at Cleveland Rock fire lookout. They traveled the 7 1/2 miles from above Island Inn on horseback. This mode of travel for those who are not seasoned to it seems to them not so good. The view from the peak was obscured by the clouds at the time of their visit." (The Lebanon Express)
June 26, 1929: "Albert Simons has taken the job of building a small house for the lookout on top of Cleveland Rock, the mountain peak northeast of Lacomb. Lumber for the house is being taken up on horseback, and the house will have to be bolted down on to the rock to keep it from being blown away." (The Lebanon Express)
July 22, 1929: "Cleveland Rock, for years the mecca for college and high school outing parties, has been designated as a forest fire observation point by the Linn County Forest Protective association. An observation station is being constructed on top of the solid rock, which will be manned by an observer as soon as it is completed.
The Cleveland Rock station will be painted white." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
July 9, 1930: "Albert V. Simons left last week to spend the summer as lookout warden on Snow Peak." (The Lebanon Express)
September 3, 1931: "Mrs. Carl Stewart went to Portland Tuesday morning. Mrs. Stewart has been with her husband on Snow Peak lookout all summer. Mr. Stewart remains on the lookout until the close of the fire season." (The Lebanon Express)
July 4, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. Albert Simons are leaving tomorrow for Snow Peak (Cleveland Rock) where Mr. Simons will serve as lookout for the forestry service." (The Lebanon Express)
June 23, 1938: "Fire hazards, which sent forest lookouts to their stations unusually early this year, were materially lessened in the Cascade forests by the snow fall on high peaks and the general rain experienced throughout the area last Thursday evening, it was reported by Albert Simons, who is stationed at Snow Peak. Intermittent showers fell in the region for several days.
Simons, a veteran forest lookout, came to his home in Lebanon Friday morning and left for Green Peter Sunday where he is spending the week instructing a new lookout stationed there. At the end of the week he will return to Snow Peak to remain until the end of the summer season." (The Lebanon Express)
September 8, 1938: "Albert Simons who is stationed on Snow Peak lookout will be out Friday as his school starts the 12th. Carp Ewards will take Mr. Simon's position for the rest of the fire season." (The Lebanon Express)
1938: "Mr. Simons the Snow Peak Lookout acts as scoutmaster and receives earnest cooperation from the scouts as a result. Also Mr. Simons conducted telephone training for the lookouts." (Linn County Fire Patrol Report of Inspection)
August 10, 1939: "Albert Simons, local grade school principal who spends summers atop high Snow Peak as fire lookout, was delivered his week's supply of periodicals in a new form last Saturday.
Instead of their arriving as customary via pack burro or shank's mare, this time the newspapers, including the Lebanon Express, and magazines came by way of the air. And mighty handy it was too, Simons would tell you.
Three planes which are with Tex Rankin's air circus made the flight from Albany airport to the remote station. In one of them Bryan Sanders was a passenger, and he made a bulls-eye when he dropped the package. It landed squarely at the base of the rock about five feet from the trail, only a few steps from the lookout cabin. And for once, Simons had opportunity to read the news as it came hot off the griddle." (The Lebanon Express)
September 7, 1939: "Albert Simons this week-end left his position at Snow Peak lookout to prepare for school opening Monday. Bryon Sanders is taking his place for the balance of the fire season." (The Lebanon Express)
September 16, 1948: "All summer long John Reuland faithfully performed his duty as lookout at Snow Peak. His eagle eye scanned vast areas of timberland for signs of smoke or fire.
On Tuesday, his last day on the job. John was cleaning up the place prior to returning to his studies at the University of Oregon. Some trash had been dumped into the stove and burned and even the water bucket had been emptied. He was about to leave when suddenly he discovered that the lookout roof was on fire.
Rushing down the mountain to a spring he got water, returned and put out the fire, but not until a large hole had been burned in the roof and the heat had broken the windows.
All summer John Reuland had been looking for fires and on his last day on the job he found one and faithfully reported it in to the local Linn County Fire Patrol station." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
September 17, 1948: "John Reuland, forest lookout at Snow Peak, spent the entire summer without sighting a fire anywhere.
This week, the job over, he packed up; cleaned the lookout station; emptied the water bucket; and prepared to return to his studies at the University of Oregon.
He was just walking out of the door when the lookout station roof burst into flame." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
October 12, 1962: The lookout suffered damage from the high winds of the Columbus Day storm.
1964: In the fall work started on the new lookout house.
1965: "A new 14 x 14 lookout building was constructed on Snow Peak with $1061.91 for materials and $2437.90 for LCFPA personnel labor and transportation costs, giving a total cost of $3499.83 for the project." (Linn District Annual Report)
1978: "All windows and casings were destroyed and a hole burned in the cabin floor. Graffiti on the remaining walls gave mute testimony of disrespect." (Linn District Annual Report)
April 1980: The lookout dismantled