WALKER MOUNTAIN
Klamath County - Deschutes National Forest; 26S-8E-24
June 4, 1913: " Tom Bracken went to work Monday morning on the telephone construction work. The forestry service is putting in a line from the main office here at Crescent to Walker Mountain, where they will have a man stationed during the summer." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 21, 1915: " On June 15 Supervisor Merritt and Ranger South made a trip to the summit of Walker Mountain to look over a site for the construction of the lookout cabin. They also located a reported spring about one mile from the summit, from which it is proposed to secure water for the use of the lookout men this season." (The Deschutes Ranger)
July 21, 1915: " It has been decided to construct a stone cabin 12x18 feet at the summit of Walker Mountain. Most of the necessary material has already been taken to the peak and guard Steevens is now busy getting out the necessary rock." (The Deschutes Ranger)
September 29, 1915: " Deputy Supervisor Harpham is at present assisting in the construction of a stone cabin on Walker Mountain." (The Deschutes Ranger)
November 10, 1915: " The stone cabin on Walker Mountain, which was reported as having been under construction last month, is now entirely enclosed although not quite finished. Work has been suspended for the winter, it being planned to complete the cabin next year after the Walker Mountain lookout man goes on duty." (The Deschutes Ranger)
November 1915: "Forty-five years ago this month a stone cabin was erected by foresters on Walker Mountain, a landmark in the southern woods. Work on the cabin was not entirely finished that month. Final details were left for the ranger who would go on duty the following summer." (The Bend Bulletin - 'Bend Yesterdays' November 26, 1960)
August 27, 1917: " Two heliograph instruments are being sent to the Crescent district, one to be located on Walker Mountain and the other in the vicinity of Beaver Marsh. Heliograph signals will penetrate even the thick clouds of smoke now blanketing the mountains." (The Bend Bulletin)
June 19, 1919: " To construct a lookout tower on the top of Walker Mountain in the Crescent section, H. E. Vincent of the Deschutes national forest office will leave tomorrow morning and will be gone from Bend for several days. The tower to be built will be 40 feet in height, with a small cabin on top.
Walker Mountain is one of the most important lookout stations within the limits of the national forest, having an elevation of 7000 feet." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 13, 1921: " Rain was general yesterday in the country about Walker Mountain, it was reported by the fire lookout at that point to national forest headquarters here. The rain was accompanied by lightning, but will go far in reducing fire hazard in the southern part of the forest, where the day before a heavy electrical storm, without precipitation, is thought to have started numerous blazes." (Bend Bulletin)
June 11, 1925: " The first forest lookout for the 1925 season in the Deschutes national forest went on duty today (June 11) at the Walker Mountain station. This is more than a month later than the first lookout sent out in 1924, according to H.L. Plumb, supervisor of the forest.
Unusually heavy snow during the last winter has reduced the fire hazard especially in the higher regions this season so that a lookout might not be required at the Walker mountain station even now except for the unusual railroad and highway construction work being done in that vicinity just now, Plumb says." (Klamath Falls Evening Herald)
October 1926: " As of October this station had reported three false alarms this season." (The Six Twenty-Six)
May 12, 1928: " The first forest lookout was sent out today when Paul Berg was stationed on Walker Mountain. Lightning was reported from the Crescent district yesterday and the flats in the forest are getting very dry." (Bend Bulletin)
May 16, 1928: " A forest fire in the Bear Flat country of the Fremont forest was spotted just before noon today by Paul Berg. The fire was said to be small and was reported to Fremont headquarters through the Fort Rock Ranger Station." (Bend Bulletin)
May 13, 1931: " A display of lightning was reported late yesterday afternoon from the Crescent district of the Deschutes national forest, but, so far as known no fires were started in the rapidly drying woods. However, Paul Berg, lookout, was placed on duty today on Walker mountain, to pick up “sleeper” fires. This will be Berg’s ninth season on Walker Mountain, a high peak which overlooks the southern part of the Deschutes forest." (Bend Bulletin)
September 11, 1931: " Construction of a new lookout tower is planned for this fall or next spring. Ranger Charles Overbay of the Crescent district is supervising the preparation of the timbers for the tower.
The tower to be 35 feet high will replace a tower which has been in use for 15 years." (Bend Bulletin)
June 3, 1932: "Protective construction outlined under the $10,000 allotment to the Deschutes forest calls for the erection of a steel tower, topped with a wooden house, on Walker mountain, in the south end of the forest." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 13, 1932: " Walker Mountain is the only primary lookout point to receive a new lookout house. The Walker Mountain lookout house will be erected on a 35-foot steel tower. Steel for this tower is now here, but work on the 7,000 foot peak will not be started until a road is built up a ridge from the south. The Walker Mountain tower will replace an old tower, in use for many years." (Bend Bulletin)
September 3, 1932: "By tonight, if work now under way is completed on schedule, it will be possible to drive to a point in the Deschutes National Forest which is 7000 feet above sea level. The road to this point, Walker Mountain, in the south end of the Deschutes woods, will be one of the highest, if not the highest, in the state. The road, 11 miles long, is being constructed from the south, over a long ridge leading to the top of the exposed peak.
Purpose of the high road is to provide a motor way to one of the Deschutes National Forest’s primary lookout stations. Next week end or immediately following Labor Day work will be started on a lookout tower. Material for this tower and the house which is to be perched on top will be hauled in over the new road." (Bend Bulletin)
September 23, 1932: "F.W. Wells has gone to Walker mountain where he will work on the new lookout tower." (The Bend Bulletin)
1933: In this year the lookout cabin, a 14x14 L-4 Model 1931 on a steel tower completed, being started the year before. Also the standard outhouse constructed.
1933: A garage to be constructed this fall by a crew dedicated to building garages on a number of lookout points.
1934: A 16x18, plan T-1E, 1-car garage with storage constructed.
August 11, 1939: "Billy Lyon returned to Corvallis Wednesday evening after spending the past ten days visiting his brother, Virgil Lyon, who is Forest service lookout on Walker mountain, in central Oregon." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
1941: The lookout received .97 inches of rain over the weekend of August 16th and 17th.
1996: Restoration and maintenance program began to preserve the historic lookout structures. Under the supervision of Leslie Hickerson, the 1915-16 stone cabin has been carefully restored. Clean-up and other restoration work has been an ongoing project since this time.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY US FOREST SERVICE 1935
THIS POSITION IS THE CENTER OF THE U.S.F.S. 30-FOOT STEEL LOOKOUT
TOWER WITH WOOD HOUSE ON THE SUMMIT OF WALKER MOUNTAIN, A WELL-KNOWN
LANDMARK JUST N OF CHEMULT, AND JUST E OF THE DALLES-CALIFORNIA
HIGHWAY (U.S. HIGHWAY 97). FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCALITY
AND TRAVEL DIRECTIONS, SEE UNDER STATION WALKER MOUNTAIN. THE
CENTER OF THE LOOKOUT TOWER IS 1.20 METERS (3.94 FT) NW OF
STATION WALKER MOUNTAIN IN AZIMUTH 134 DEG 03 MIN.
STATION RECOVERY (1953)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1953 (HSC)
THE STATION IS THE CENTER OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT TOWER
ON THE SUMMIT OF WALKER MOUNTAIN, A VERY PROMINENT LANDMARK ABOUT
4 MILES NORTH OF CHEMULT AND JUST EAST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 97. THE
LOOKOUT TOWER IS A STEEL STRUCTURE 30 FEET HIGH WITH A STANDARD
14 X 14 FOOT WOODEN OBSERVATION CAB ON TOP. THE CENTER OF THE
TOWER IS 1.20 METERS NORTHWEST OF STATION WALKER MTN.