MARION COUNTY
BATTLE AX MOUNTAIN
Willamette National Forest
9S-5E-1
9S-5E-1
1911: A lookout was established at this point. The first version of the Osborne fire-finder was installed on a post in the open. (The Sunday Oregonian -6/18/1950)
August 9, 1912: "Telephones are located on the summits of Battleax and Coffin mountains from which the lookouts can talk to Albany or Portland." (Albany Democrat)
c.1918: The lookout consisted of an Alidade.
June 27, 1918: "The lookout on Battle Ax Mountain, near Detroit, discovered a fire from 15 to 20 miles west of the mountain." (Oregonian)
November 1922: "The construction of one standard lookout house on Battle Axe Mountain." (Six Twenty-Six)
September 18, 1924: "Ralph Heath, forest fire fighter, who came here yesterday for treatment necessitated by an injured knee, reported that the lookout on Battle axe, a peak at the northern boundary of the Santiam forest, narrowly escaped from lightning during the week end storm. Lightning struck, Heath reports, on the peak, destroying the telephone line to the lookout station, but missing the station and its occupants." (Albany Daily Democrat)
July 11, 1927: "Jack Grow went to Detroit to Battle Axe Mountain to start lookout work there." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
September 25, 1930: “Because the recent rains have lessened the immediate fire danger in the Santiam national forest, Supervisor C.C. Hall has closed three lookout stations for the season. They are the posts on Battleaxe, in the northern part of the forest; on Sand mountain in the east central part and on Carpenter mountain in the southern part of the forest.” (Mill City Logue)
July 7, 1932: “Three more lookout stations in the Santiam national forest were manned Saturday, as the forest officials prepared to combat the increasing dryness in the forest and the mounting danger of fire. Lookouts manned Saturday were Battle Axe Mountain, Dome Rock and Crescent Mountain. Within the next week or ten days it is probable that all stations will be filled. The lookout station on Coffin Mountain was manned about ten days ago.” (Mill City Logue
October 2, 1933: Panorama photos taken by William Birchall and Albert Arnst.
1941: The lookout was staffed 60 days. This station reported to the Detroit Ranger Station by way of the Santiam Co-op Telephone Company.
September 19, 1944: "Bennie Wriglesworth returned Thursday after several months at the lookout station at Battle Ax." (The Oregon Statesman)
September 3, 1952: "Construction of a new lookout house on Battle Ax Peak is expected to be completed in another week according to forest service personnel at the Detroit Ranger Station.
Three carpenters have been employed on the building for the past five weeks, erecting the 14 x 14 glass surrounded house which serves for both living quarters and fire detection purposes.
At an elevation of 5540 feet, Battle Ax lookout is located above Elk Lake where it contributes to fire detection on both the Willamette and Mt. Hood national forests.
The new building replaces an old cupola type lookout which was erected on the same spot 30 years ago.
A summer job on Battle Ax has not always been so comfortable for the forest service lookout. The point was first manned in 1909, when the guard made a daily round trip hike from Elk Lake to the lookout and back each evening, a distance of four miles without trail or telephone communications.
In 1910 the first telephone line was strung between the Detroit Ranger Station and Elk Lake, a distance of 14 miles by trail. In 1911 the line was extended to the top of Battle Ax.
By 1912 a tent camp was provided at the site of the present lookout, and this arrangement continued until 1922 when the first horse trail was made, permitting the transportation of lumber to the lookout for the first house. All supplies were taken from the ranger station by horseback, 16 miles one way.
Lumber must still be cut to specified lengths for horse pack and is transported two miles by trail in this manner after being trucked from the ranger station to the base of the lookout trail.
Cost of the new lookout house is $3000." (The Capital Journal)
1969: Removed
