DESCHUTES COUNTY
BROKEN TOP
Deschutes National Forest
17S-9E-23
17S-9E-23
October 4, 1917: "A rough road has been completed to the state cabin on the divide. This road is only for the most experienced of drivers." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 19, 1931: "Construction of a new standard lookout house, on a ridge near Three Creeks Lake and northeast of Broken Top, was started this morning by the Deschutes national forest. The new station will be on a point overlooking a vast area west, east and north from Broken Top.
Veldon Parker, fireman-lookout, is now on duty at the new lookout point, one of the most important secondary stations in the entire forest." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 28, 1931: "A new lookout station has been built on Broken Top mountain to protect the country in that territory from fires. It had seemed that the atmosphere and wind impaired the view of this particular district from other stations, and the new lookout station will be a great help in eliminating the danger of forest fires, according to a forest service man." (The Morning Oregonian)
1931: The total cost of construction of the 14x14 Aladdin L-4 gable-roof lookout cabin was $688.74.
1932: This station has been designated as a precipitation recording point and will be supplied with a rain gauge.
July 22, 1932: "On the Broken Top ridge, the fireman-lookout placed his car directly in front of the station. The lights were turned toward Pilot Butte, on which members of the headquarters staff were taking readings for triangulation of the station." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 11, 1933: "Forest Service workers are still telephoning through snow banks, despite the fact that the middle of July is just around the corner. The telephone line to the Broken Top guard station is under six feet of snow in places, but the guard, Theron Beougher, is in touch with the central dispatcher's office in Bend. Snow 15 feet deep in places still covers the Broken Top ridge, Beougher reports, and the road to the guard station will probably remain blocked until about August 15.
From his station high on the snowy ridge extending down from Broken Top. Beougher overlooks Bend and, incidentally, many Bend residents have noticed Beougher's habitation. Yesterday afternoon, a number of people telephoned to the local forest service office that a fire was burning in the high country west of Bend. Members of the Dispatcher's staff checked with Beougher and found that the smoke seen by Bend People was from brush he was burning.
Efforts have been made to pull the Broken Top telephone wires from the snow drifts, but these efforts failed." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 12, 1933: "Although mid-summer is just around the corner, field men of the Deschutes national forest are telephoning through snow banks. The telephone line to Broken Top guard station in the Three Sisters foothills directly west ob Bend, is still under six feet of snow in some places, although the guard, Theron Beougher, is in constant communication with central dispatchers in Bend.
Beougher reported today that drifts 15 feet deep cover much of the high country near his station. The road to Broken Top will be blocked by snow until August 15, he said." (Baker Democrat Herald)
July 24, 1933: "Fire which appeared to be burning on the South Sister well above the snow line was sighted by many local residents last night, judging from calls received at the forest service office. Although the blaze seemed to be well up on the South Sister, in reality it was at Broken Top fireman-lookout station, located on a steep ridge extending down from the shattered mountain. As seen from Bend, the fire was projected against the snow-covered mountain.
Although appreciating the calls from people who thought they had discovered a forest fire, Howard Phelps, central dispatcher, reports that the blaze was nothing more than the light from brush burning work that has been underway on the ridge, near the fireman-lookout station, for some time. Last night, the brush fire blazed up considerably and was clearly visible from Bend.
Brush which is being burned on the high ridge is that which was cleared away to increase the area of visibility. It is possible to burn the brush during the hot weather because of the isolated nature of the rocky ridge." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 19, 1933: "A garage is being built up at Broken Top lookout station as well as a metal and concrete fire finder base." (The Bend Bulletin)
January 30, 1934: "While the sun crossed a practically cloudless sky today, two Deschutes national forest men, L.V. Hunter and C.E. Hein, were on Broken Top spur, high above Three Creeks lake, completing a photographic study of the Deschutes forest. A special panoramic camera, perfected by W.B. Osborne of the regional forest office and designed on the coast and geodetic survey cameras, is being used in the photographic work which will form the basis for fire detection planning.
Hunter and Hein started their ascent of the Broken Top spur yesterday, after driving to the snow line. Three sets of pictures, each covering 120 degrees of horizon, were to be taken. Other panoramic photographs needed to complete the Deschutes national forest detection planning system were taken last year and this month. All lookout points have now been covered and the work of preparing visibility maps can be completed." (The Bend Bulletin)
January 31, 1934: "Despite the spring-like conditions which prevail in the lower country, the Broken Top ridge, location of a forest service lookout station, is covered with six feet of snow on the level, with much deeper drifts in wind swept areas. Such was the information brought back to Bend by L.V. Hunter and C.E. Hein. They spent yesterday at the lookout station taking panoramic pictures for use in fire protective planning. In order to reach the high spur, the two men had to hike about seven miles, leaving their car at the snow line.
Should fair weather continue, pictures will be taken from Walker mountain station, in the Crescent district, tomorrow.
Hunter and Hein report that the moisture content of the snow around Broken Top appears to be very light." (The Bend Bulletin)
Should fair weather continue, pictures will be taken from Walker mountain station, in the Crescent district, tomorrow.
Hunter and Hein report that the moisture content of the snow around Broken Top appears to be very light." (The Bend Bulletin)
June 27, 1935: "Mr. and Mrs. Beougher will spend the summer at Broken Top lookout station where he is lookout fireman for the Deschutes national forest." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 23, 1935: "Caught in a barrage of lightning that appeared to converge on his isolated cabin on the exposed Broken Top spur, in the high Cascades west of Bend. Theron Beougher, Deschutes National forest lookout, last night has an experience which he believes can only be duplicated in front of the trenches. Although the lookout escaped direct hits because his cabin is well insulated, the crash of thunder around the glacial point and the flash of bolts that struck into nearby rocks and trees left him with a headache that still endured this morning.
Not only was the isolated lookout house the apparent focus of the fierce lightning barrage, but it was swept by a near cloudburst, with 1.11 inches of moisture measured. This was the greatest precipitation recorded for the storm at any one point on the Deschutes National Forest or in Central Oregon." (The Bend Bulletin)
1936: In June, hazard sticks, balanced scales and wind recording instruments were installed.
June 25, 1936: "Due to the warm weather one more lookout fireman will be on duty in the Sisters district beginning late this week, when David Zumwalt is to be stationed at Broken Top lookout." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 2, 1936: "David Zumwalt who was supposed to be stationed as lookout fireman on Broken Top last week was unable to get to the station on account of deep snow and reported a heavy wind storm had blown down much of the telephone line connecting the lookout with the office and other lookouts. A telephone line repair crew under Norman Speck and Emil Johnson is repairing the line this week." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 10, 1936: "David Zumwalt is stationed on Broken Top as lookout fireman.
Four secondary fire stations have been located in the Sisters district at Broken Top, Allingham, Abbot butte and Trout Creek butte. The apparatus used is a scale and three long thin boards and the object is to weigh the moisture content of the forest debris. The boards are very sensitive and absorb or release moisture." (The Bend Bulletin)
October 14, 1936: "David Zumwalt who has been lookout fireman on Broken Top this summer has been sent to the Crescent district to act as lookout on Davis mountain. Wesley Duvall of Redmond took Zumwalt's place on Broken Top." (The Bend Bulletin)
December 23, 1936: "David Zumwalt. who has been working for the forest service as lookout fireman on Broken Top mountain and later spotting bug timber, will return to Oregon State college at the beginning of the new year." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 18, 1937: "Mr. and Mrs. Combs will visit their son, Charles Combs, Jr., at the Broken Top lookout station. Mrs. Combs plans to remain a week with her son." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 17, 1937: "Charles Combs Sr. came from Portland Thursday to get Mrs. Combs who has been visiting for some time with their son Charles Combs Jr. at the Broken Top lookout station where he is lookout fireman." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 23, 1937: "Charles Combs, Jr., lookout fireman on Broken Top, and N.H. Atkins, emergency fireman for the Black Butte Fire association, left Sunday for Corvallis where they will enter Oregon State college as sophomores." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 13, 1938: "Charles Combs was placed on Broken Top as lookout fireman last week. This is the last lookout to be manned, last on account of the snow which is not entirely gone from the road even at this time. Combs had to walk the last half mile to his cabin and carry his equipment in." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 27, 1938: "Mr. and Mrs. Charles Combs, Sr.., of Portland came Friday to visit their son Charles who is lookout fireman on Broken Top mountain. Mrs. Combs plans to stay for some time." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 18, 1939: "Chelsea Brown, who is the regular lookout at Broken Top is at the lake during Hudson's absence. Bruce Abelein is acting as lookout on Broken Top while Brown is away."
"Mr. and Mrs. George Abelein and family visited Bruce Abelein at Broken Top lookout Sunday." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 30, 1939: "Chelsea Brown has been transferred fro Broken Top lookout to the Suttle lake position and Fred Bembrey has been made lookout on Broken Top." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 7, 1939: "Mrs. Fred Bembrey and daughter Marie spent the weekend at Broken Top lookout with Bembrey who is stationed there now as lookout." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 14, 1940: "Pat Dyer was lookout fireman on Broken Top mountain last week during the time that Chelsea Brown was at Suttle lake replacing Bob Helms while he was away fighting fire. Brown is Broken Top mountain lookout fireman." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 13, 1941: "A shifting about of forest service employees in this district was carried out last week. Harold Hansen, Bend, from brush crew to Broken Top lookout, William Knupp from Broken Top lookout to the brush crew." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 13, 1941: "Harold Hansen, lookout on Broken Top mountain, is assisting in the Sisters ranger station office since fire season is past." (The Bend Bulletin)
September 17, 1941: "Harold Hansen, Broken Top mountain lookout, has gone to Corvallis where he will re-enter Oregon State college." (The Bend Bulletin)
August 16, 1943: "Roy Edward Webster, 17, of Worcester, Mass., was arrested by state police yesterday afternoon and is being held on a charge of larceny by bailee, following his departure from Broken Top lookout where he worked for the forest service.
A complaint issued by District Attorney Irving D. Brown charges that Webster left the station on Broken Top and took with him a sleeping bag, a forest service pocket compass and specially ground sun glasses. The complaint also states that a telephone from the lookout station was thrown over the cliff on which the station is situated.
Webster has come to Bend this summer and applied for the lookout job, telling forest service officers that he had come all the way from Massachusetts to 'help guard the forests.'
Webster's absence from the lookout was discovered Sunday afternoon by forest service officers, who could get no answer on the telephone, at about the same time that the boy was arrested by state police, being held at first as a suspicious character." (The Bend Bulletin)
1943: Roald Wick, a 15-year-old high school student staffed the lookout.
Removed
