ABBOT BUTTE
Jefferson County - Deschutes National Forest - 12S-9E-6
May 25, 1932: This station has been designated as a precipitation recording point and will be supplied with a rain gauge. (The Bend Bulletin)
October 5, 1932: "Construction of a lookout tower on Abbot butte, in the Sisters district, will be started in the near future, just as soon as a road is built into the lookout point, it was learned from the local forest service office this morning. The Abbot butte tower is one of a number recently approved for the Deschutes national forest.
The Deschutes national forest crew which was assigned to the Santiam forest to build a connective road between the new Santiam highway and Big lake has completed that job and is now constructing the road into and up Abbot butte." (The Bend Bulletin)
November 3, 1932: "Crews are continuing work on Abbot butte, in the Sisters district." (The Bend Bulletin)
1933: A 40-foot round pole tower with a 14x14 L-4 hip-roofed cab was constructed. The total cost of this structure was $1,250.47. Source of water was from a stream seven miles east of lookout.
September 10, 1934: "Marking the approach of the fall season and the decrease of fire hazards, two forest service lookouts were being removed from cloud capped stations today. Oscar Heintz, Jr., was to come down from Abbot butte, in the Sisters district." (The Bend Bulletin)
1936: In June, hazard sticks, balanced scales and wind recording instruments were installed.
August 12, 1936: "Paul Talonen was placed on Abbott butte August 5 as lookout fireman. He is the fourth lookout on duty now in the Sisters district." (The Bend Bulletin)
May 19, 1937: "High winds toppled over the Abbot butte lookout garage, Ralph W. Crawford, assistant supervisor of the Deschutes national forest, reported following an inspection trip through the Sisters district.
The Abbot butte garage was found toppled over on its side. So fierce were the winter winds that even the concrete blocks in which the garage foundation was set were lifted from the earth. The building, however, is not damaged and can be placed in position without much difficulty." (The Bend Bulletin)
May 19, 1937: "A fire school is being held this week at Abbott butte." (The Bend Bulletin)
June 1937: " Recently, while training a group of CCC boys in detection, on Abbot Butte LO, one of the boys discovered a “turkey” perched on a boulder about 100 feet from the tower. The turkey proved to be a blue grouse.
I suggested that if we kept quiet the grouse might start “hooting”. Sure enough, in a short time, strutting like a turkey gobbler and expanding his neck to almost the size of his body, the hooting commenced. He kept it up until we went out on the catwalk for a closer observation. He winged off to a fir tree about 300 yards away where he continued hooting.
Why a “hooter” sounds just as loud at a great distance as it does at close range was a mystery to the boys and something I had to admit frankly was a mystery to me. C.E. Hein" (Six Twenty-Six)
July 16, 1937: "Abbott butte has had a lookout stationed there over the week-ends, Paul Talonen." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 22, 1937: "Paul Tallonen, who has been acting as lookout fireman on Abbott butte, is now fire guard at Suttle lake. Charles Paddock of the Oak Ridge district in the Willamette national forest has taken Tallonen's place as lookout on Abbott butte." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 17, 1937: "Charles Paddock, Jr., left Friday for Eugene where he will be manager of a cooperative grocery store there. He has been lookout fireman on Abbott butte." (The Bend Bulletin)
October 1937: " Betty Ann Miller and Lookout-fireman Charles A. Paddock knelt before the fire-finder on Abbot Butte the night of August 27 and said “I do”. That is only half the story. The couple had planned to get married in Bend the afternoon of August 27, but when the final arrangements had been made, they discovered that their marriage license was in the mail between Bend and Sisters, so they procured a duplicate from the county clerk. During the excitement of rushing around, getting a minister, etc., they left the duplicate in the jewelry store. The proprietor closed his doors at the usual hour and was no longer available. Fortunately the minister had seen the duplicate, so he consented to marry them without a license. At this time, however, they decided to get married on the lookout. This meant getting married in another county, so it took considerable persuasion to induce the minister to travel up to the lookout and perform the ceremony. Gilbert M. Bowe" (Six Twenty-Six)
October 28, 1937: To Regional Forester: "Dear Sir, It is our desire to replace the garage on Abbot Butte which was destroyed by wind last winter.
For use in this work we would appreciate receiving a blue print of the standard lookout garage plan and a list of material therefore. If this information is not readily available, we can copy the design from one of the existing buildings on the Forest and make up our own bill of material.
We should be pleased to learn at the earliest possible moment whether or not you are in a position to supply the material requested. Yours very truly, Thomas H. Burgess, Forest Supervisor." (E - Structures, Buildings, Deschutes)
November 4, 1937: Letter to the Forest Supervisor: "Dear Sir, Reference is made to your E-Structures letter of October 20, requesting plans and material list for a garage at Abbot Butte.
Although no Form R6-01 for this structure has been received in this office, we are sending you four blueprints of our standard garage and woodshed plan, No. 507. The material list for this building is not available at the present time, but if you wish, we can have it typed for you. Very Truly Yours, James Frankland, Assistant Regional Forester, by Acting." (E - Buildings, Deschutes, Abbot Butte L.O.)
November 5, 1937: To Regional Forester. "Dear Sir, Reference is made to your letter of November 4.
I regret that we did not send form R6-01 to your office covering the garage and storage building which we intend to build at the Abbot Butte Fireman-Lookout Station. It was our belief, however, that since this building will be constructed to replace one which was demolished by snow last winter, that a Form R6-01 would not be necessary. The form has been prepared and is attached hereto for your approval.
Plan No. 507, which you supplied us, seems entirely satisfactory for our use. From it we will be able to take a material list and it will not be necessary, therefore, for you to have one prepared for us. Yours Very truly, Thomas H. Burgess, Forest Supervisor, by Dahl J. Kirkpatrick, Acting." (E - Buildings, Deschutes, Abbot Butte Lookout)
November 9, 1937: "Reference is made to attached forms R6-01 for garage at Abbot Butte on the Deschutes Forest.
As the forest desired plans at the earliest date possible, we forwarded them, sending copy of our letter of transmittal of November 4 to you as we had received an authorization through the regular channels, in acknowledgement, the forest sent in forms R6-01 and full explanation in their letter of November 8, copy of which is attached for your information.
The original form R6-01 has been approved by this division and may be sent the forest as we note you have already signed the authorization. James Frankland, Assistance Regional Forester." (Memorandum for Operations, E-Buildings. Deschutes. Abbot Butte Garage)
November 10, 1937: "A crew from Camp Sisters is doing reconstruction work on the Abbott butte road. A strip of road about three fourths of a mile long is being straightened and rebuilt. A new garage is also being built at Abbott butte lookout station to replace the one demolished by last winter's storms." (The Bend Bulletin)
June 29, 1938: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hudson of Bend have moved to Abbott butte where he is to be lookout fireman for the summer months. All lookouts are manned at this time except Broken Top." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 25, 1938: "Bob Hudson has returned from the Siskiyou fire and has resumed his duties as lookout fireman on Abbott butte. Paul Striebel, who acted as lookout during Hudson's absence has been placed on Cache mountain as lookout." (The Bend Bulletin)
1938: A 16 x 20 wood frame garage was constructed.
September 21, 1939: "Paul Striebel is spending his leave from Abbott Butte lookout at his home on Lake creek." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 11, 1940: "Allen Madsen, who has been lookout fireman on Abbott butte and Floyd Curtis recreational guard for the river district, were through work Tuesday and went on trail work for the forest service." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 5, 1961: "A.D. Cleveland, a teacher at Central Linn, is back from his summer job as a lookout on Abbot Butte in the Sisters Ranger District. Cleveland taught last year at Sequim, Wash." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
May 31, 1967: The lookout tower was pulled down by a logging company for the Forest Service. The first attempt was unsuccessful and required the need to cut one leg to weaken the structure