BONE SPRING
Wallowa County - Umatilla National Forest - 5N-39E-28
July 5, 1929: "The forest service is constructing a nine-mile stretch of mountain road from Bone Spring to Lookout mountain. The road connects with the Skyline drive and the Eden-Elgin highway." (The Athena Press)
July 24, 1931: "The forest service is building a lookout tower about 70 feet high at the Bone Springs ranger station 40 miles northeast of Tollgate, near the Skyline road reports the Leader. The superstructure is of huge logs bolted together, and these will be surmounted by a convenient cabin from which the forest fire lookout may make his observations." (The Athena Press)
July 1936: "It seems a lady drove up to the station and asked for a drink of water. Elmer only has to pack his water half a mile and she had to pass at least well marked springs regardless of the way she came. However, Elmer is an obliging fellow and readily agreed to quench her thirst.
But this lady apparently 'had been around' and was going to be sure that everything was on the up and up. Was the water fresh, cool and clear? Was he sure that the source of supply was free from disease and germs, etc? Elmer assured her that everything was O.K. but couldn't help feeling that she seemed a bit fussy about it. But as the saying goes 'he ain't heard nothin' yet' -- the drink was for her 'little doggie'. Don C. Rohn" (Umatilla Buckaroo)
But this lady apparently 'had been around' and was going to be sure that everything was on the up and up. Was the water fresh, cool and clear? Was he sure that the source of supply was free from disease and germs, etc? Elmer assured her that everything was O.K. but couldn't help feeling that she seemed a bit fussy about it. But as the saying goes 'he ain't heard nothin' yet' -- the drink was for her 'little doggie'. Don C. Rohn" (Umatilla Buckaroo)
September 5, 1948: "Bill Berry, Walla Walla, a University of Washington student is at Bone Springs." (Walla Walla Union Bulletin)
July 31, 1949: "At present there are two new lookout towers under construction, one at Bone Springs and the other at Lookout Mountain. Both are over 80 feet in height with permanent living quarters at the top, like small pent-houses.
The former tower at Bone Springs was condemned a few weeks ago after serving for more than a quarter of a century. Three weeks ago rangers and workers pulled it down." (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
August 25, 1953: "Two forest service workers on this district, who Ranger Oft didn't want to publicized, have become well known in spite of his attempts at secrecy.
The pair, Sharon Smith of Yakima and Geraldine Tucker of Ellensburg, are lookouts at Bone Springs. When the Whitman College coeds took their posts, Oft made no mention of the fact to the newspaper because 'I didn't want them to be bothered by all the young bucks in the area." (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
May 7, 1973: "The lookout was downgraded to a stand-by lookout." (Union-Bulletin)
Removed
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1946 (DHK)
STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF DALE AND ABOUT 11-1/2
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF UKIAH, IN THE WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST ON
THE MOUNTAIN LOCALLY KNOWN AS BONE POINT. IT IS A STANDARD
FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT TOWER OF WOOD CONSTRUCTION AND ABOUT 40
FEET HIGH. IT WAS CONNECTED BY TRAVERSE TO TRIANGULATION STATION
BONE 1946. CENTER OF BASE OF TOWER WAS THE POINT MEASURED TO.
THE CENTER OF THE TOWER IS NOT OVER THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE BRONZE
DISK STAMPED--BONE POINT L.O.T. 1936. A POSITION BUT NO
DESCRIPTION WAS AVAILABLE FOR THIS STATION SO THAT IT IS
BELIEVED THAT THIS IS A NEW U.S.C. AND G.S. STATION.