JOSEPHINE COUNTY
STEVE PEAK
Rogue River National Forest
40S-5W-23
40S-5W-23
May 13, 1913: "District No. 9., (Button) - Lack of telephone communication is one of the drawbacks to the protection of this district. During the coming season it is planned to build a spur line to the top of Windy Peak and another one to the top of Steve's Peak, thereby affording two lookouts which will fairly well cover the district. For the coming season it is planned to have a lookoutman stationed on Steve's Peak, one on Windy Peak, and a patrolman in the vicinity of Yellow Jacket, another one in the Steamboat watershed, and if possible, another man in the vicinity of Whiskey Peak. Trails are not numerous, but well distributed in this district. There are some regions quite inaccessible. Transportation, therefore, is a problem that will retard the proper protection of this district for some years." (District Fire, Fire Plan -- History of the Rogue River National Forest, Volume 1 - 1893-1932 -- Carroll E. Brown)
1916: "On Steve Peak a call bell was established at the observer's camp. In case of emergency the observer could be called to the 'phone at any time when he was not on top. The Steve Peak observer was called to his phone and upon arrival was unable to learn who had called him. The cause of this false alarm was crossed wires and the ringing of a number on another line was mistaken by the observer for his ring.
It might be possible to require the observer to live on top and carry water from the spring for his needs; but to utilize all his time he should not be required to do this work, but be provided with a tank filled from the melting snow.
The lookout was furnished with a pocket box compass with a two inch needle. Far from being very accurate at any distance." (The Fire Lookout System on the Crater National Forest, Harold Foster, 1916)
August 31, 1918: "A fresh forest fire on Steve's fork of Carberry creek near Steamboat in the Applegate district, which had been burning for several days, and which now covers 1,000 acres, was fanned by a high wind which arose yesterday into a swift spreading and traveling conflagration. So fast did the fire travel that Dr. Barker, the retired physician of Jacksonville who is the lookout at the forest lookout station on Steve's peak, had barely time to escape with his life. He saw the flames coming up the mountain at some distance away and seizing a few personal effects ran with all his might for a mile or more to safety. The flames reached the lookout station a moment after his departure and destroyed it and all its contents. As yet this forest fire has gotten into heavy timber." (Medford Mail Tribune)
September 5, 1918: "The big forest fire that started in brush in the Carberry creek - Stevens Peak section several days ago, has now spread into huge proportions and reached into heavy timber. It has spread in length as far as Swans valley which is 8 or 10 miles west of Stevens Peak. The lookout at the peak, who was forced to flee when the fire started and spread so fast, and who returned to the station later, telephoned today that the peak was surrounded on all sides by fire and that he could not get away if he wanted. He has supplies and of course is now in no danger because of the fire in its rush having burned over everything in the vicinity of the peak." (Medford Mail Tribune)
September 12, 1933: "The Camp Applegate CCC's started work on the Steve's Peak lookout." (Medford Mail Tribune)
Removed