GRANT COUNTY
ALDRICH MOUNTAIN
Oregon Department of Forestry
14S-27E-11
14S-27E-11
1934: A L-4 hip-roof lookout house was constructed.
May 13, 1938: "Memorandum to accompany preliminary sketch for 1-car garage and storage.
Under date of May 10 the Malheur states: 'We desire to construct a garage and storage building combination on each Aldrich Mtn. and Thorn Butte.'
These two points should therefore be included with the 3 others covered by the attached preliminary sketch. This construction approved by operation." (O-Improvements, General, Malheur)
Under date of May 10 the Malheur states: 'We desire to construct a garage and storage building combination on each Aldrich Mtn. and Thorn Butte.'
These two points should therefore be included with the 3 others covered by the attached preliminary sketch. This construction approved by operation." (O-Improvements, General, Malheur)
1952: "Aldrich Lookout cabin painted." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
1956: "Aldrich Mountain LO needs replacing in the not-to-distant future. Most of the lumber on the present lookout is checking and rotting so badly that it will not hold nails or screws." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
1957: "Aldrich Mountain Lookout should be replaced in the near future, as most of the boards will no longer hold nails due to windshake and rot." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
1958: A 500 gallon water tank was installed.
1958: "The building construction on this unit was limited to Aldrich Mountain Lookout which is to replace the USFS ground house which had deteriorated to the extent that it would not hold nails, and was wind racked.
The lookout is a aluminum covered three story structure, having a 14 x 14 cabin. The structure is of frame construction with diagonal sheeting giving a 14 x 14 second floor and a 14 x 20 garage. The structure status when work ceased for the season was about 70% completed.
The site was established in August, forms and guyline holes were shot and dug between September 15th and 17th. Concrete was poured on September 24th and actual construction started on September 30. Construction progressed until November 13 when it ceased with 5" of snow.
After the pouring of the concrete, there was never over 4 men on the job with one usually handling lumber and doing clean up work. Construction time, including the hauling of material, to date, has been 136 man days for an approximate cost of $1700. Mileage charged to Aldrich Mountain Lookout for hauling material, and lumber from Prineville and the hauling of gravel and sand from John Day, along with transportation of personnel amounts to approximately 4590 miles for a cost of $415. Construction personnel batched in the old lookout house with a cost of $143.72 for groceries.
The only set back to construction other than the cold winds and occasional freezing periods, was on the night of November 3rd when exceptionally strong winds broke seven windows in the lookout cabin. At that time the roof overhang had not been sealed and the cabin ceiling had not been sheeted, therefore there was no buffer and the wind literally tore out the windows. Some frames were blown out of the cabin, and glass was blown out of some of the other frames." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
The lookout is a aluminum covered three story structure, having a 14 x 14 cabin. The structure is of frame construction with diagonal sheeting giving a 14 x 14 second floor and a 14 x 20 garage. The structure status when work ceased for the season was about 70% completed.
The site was established in August, forms and guyline holes were shot and dug between September 15th and 17th. Concrete was poured on September 24th and actual construction started on September 30. Construction progressed until November 13 when it ceased with 5" of snow.
After the pouring of the concrete, there was never over 4 men on the job with one usually handling lumber and doing clean up work. Construction time, including the hauling of material, to date, has been 136 man days for an approximate cost of $1700. Mileage charged to Aldrich Mountain Lookout for hauling material, and lumber from Prineville and the hauling of gravel and sand from John Day, along with transportation of personnel amounts to approximately 4590 miles for a cost of $415. Construction personnel batched in the old lookout house with a cost of $143.72 for groceries.
The only set back to construction other than the cold winds and occasional freezing periods, was on the night of November 3rd when exceptionally strong winds broke seven windows in the lookout cabin. At that time the roof overhang had not been sealed and the cabin ceiling had not been sheeted, therefore there was no buffer and the wind literally tore out the windows. Some frames were blown out of the cabin, and glass was blown out of some of the other frames." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
January 1959: "High winds which occurred in the eastern part of the state a short time ago blew seven windows out of the new lookout tower that is now under construction on Aldrich mountain, a few miles southeast of Dayville. The shutters had not yet been assembled when the wind occurred." (The Forest Log)
1959: "Work was resumed on the lookout construction on May 25th and continued until June 12th. The final cost of construction was $3258.30 and took 202 man days of labor." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
1959: The new 3-story lookout house was destroyed when vandals burned it down later in the year.
1960: A new lookout house of the same identical plan was erected to replace the earlier structure burned by vandals.
1960: The windows from the old (L-4) lookout house were taken to John Day where the glass was removed for future use. This project consisted of 19 windows each having four panes measuring 13" x 24".
The copper lightning arrestor system was salvaged and most of it was forwarded for use at Stevenson Mountain Lookout.
1960: "A toilet was constructed for Aldrich Mountain at the John Day shop. Made in such a manner that the four walls, floor, and roof are independent units. the toilet will be reassembled at the site using 5/16" bolts in pre-drilled holes." (Central Oregon District Annual Report)
June 28, 1962: "Earliest of Saturday's lightning strikes was reported at 6:30 a.m. by Miss Louis Stewart, state forestry lookout, in the Aldrich mountain area. Lightning struck a tree. The blaze was quickly extinguished." (Blue Mountain Eagle)
1963: On August 13th the lookout reported the Birch Creek fire, and again reported the Marks Creek fire on September 9th.
1965: This site was chosen as a radio relay point for the change over to FM. the antenna are mounted on a 90-foot wood pole.
August 19, 1965: Descriptive text under photograph of three people, one making a presentation. "Receives Award -- Paul Schaad, 12, of Aurora, was presented the Service-Under-Fire Award by Charles Rhoads of the East Central Oregon Forestry district in John Day Friday. Paul and his mother, Mrs Esther Schaad, are employed by the state forestry department on the Aldrich Mt. Lookout station. Paul, an Oregon Green Guard, was cited for his work in maintaining the radio relay system at the lookout station. Paul lost his brother, George, Monday in a drowning accident at the Garner reservoir in the south east corner of Crook county." (Blue Mountain Eagle)
1966: "Aluminum roof repaired." (East Central Oregon District Annual Report)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1946 (DHK)
STATION IS CENTER OF THE U. S. FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT HOUSE LOCATED
ABOUT 7-1/2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DAYVILLE, ON THE WEST AND HIGHEST
END OF ALDRICH MOUNTAIN. THE BUILDING IS OF STANDARD FOREST
SERVICE DESIGN. THE POINT OBSERVED ON WAS THE CENTER OF THE TOP
AND WAS CONNECTED BY TRAVERSE WITH TRIANGULATION STATION
ALDRICH (USGS 1940) 1946.