JACKSON COUNTY
YELLOWJACKET MOUNTAIN
Crater National Forest > Rogue River National Forest
41S-2W-04
41S-2W-04
1910: "William Fruit was assistant ranger at Button. He spent the early part of the summer on trail work and range riding. He frequently rode to Yellowjacket and Lilly Mountains to look for fires." (The History of the Rogue River National Forest, Vol. 1)
1915: Established as a lookout , the equipment consisted of a compass.
1916: "The observers camp is about 500 yards from the top and the trail is not steep. The camp is on the north side of the summit, in a cold damp draw in white fir and Shasta fir. It is cold here of an evening even in midsummer. Only 1700 feet from the summit, on the south side there is a water hole in yellow pine where it is much warmer and agreeable. It is recommended that camp be established here instead of on the north slope.
The telephone is not on the very top. There is no fire-finder or map board. The lookout is furnished with a pocket box compass with two inch needles.
In order to provide an unobstructed vision on Yellowjacket, would need to fell 125 trees and erect a 100-foot steel tower. A recommendation by Author of the report.
The Yellowjacket 'phone was not provided with a protector. The rings did not come in strong and Mr. Haskins, a subscriber at the base of the mountain repeated the ring when he heard someone attempting to call Yellowjacket. If it were not for this the observer often could not hear the bell even when near the 'phone. An adjustment of the ringer helped somewhat but did not cure the trouble. It might help a little were each observer provided with a simple manual for correcting telephone 'troubles.' " (The Fire Lookout System on the Crater National Forest, Harold D. Foster, 1916)
1917: A crows-nest established in the top of a 30-foot tree. The nearby living quarters a shake sided cabin.
September 5, 1924: "Leon Offenbacher, a Crater national forest guard in the Applegate district, was seriously burned Tuesday. While patrolling a fire on Red mountain a burning tree fell on him, injuring and burning his back.
Offenbacher was alone, but managed to crawl three or four miles to the Yellow Jacket lookout station, where A.H. Peachey administered first aid. Offenbacher is now much improved and is recuperating at the station." (Morning Oregonian)
September 5, 1944: "Leon Offenbacher, fire guard, seriously burned when flaming tree falls on him on Red Mountain. He crawled three miles to the Yellowjacket lookout station." (Medford Mail Tribune)