CHIMNEY PEAK
Linn County - Willamette National Forest - 12S-5E-08
October 6, 1914: "To better fire protection, 23 miles of trail from Cascadia ranger station to Chimney Peak and Quartzville have been built in the Santiam national forest reserve, according to Supervisor F. H. Brundage, who has just returned from a trip of inspection. The trail will be fully completed the latter part of this week, said Mr. Brundage. They have constructed a telephone line as they progressed with the trail. Some of the finest bodies of timber in the reserve are accessible by the trail." (The Oregon Daily Journal)
April 22, 1931: "Practically 100 per cent visibility over the forests of the Santiam district will be made possible by the emergency lookout stations which will be added to the forest patrol service this year, according to C. C. Hall, forest supervisor.
Chimney Peak will be one of the eleven new emergency stations. This post will be connected with the telephone system next year." (Statesman Journal)
August 10, 1934: "A lookout house will be erected on Chimney peak in that section of the forest this fall and work on the trail leading to the site has been started. The top of the peak is quite inaccessible and in order to reach it with materials for the building it will be necessary to pack them on the backs of mules over a trail 12 miles and then take them to the top by means of an aerial cable 1000 feet long, as the pack animals would be unable to travel the last stretch.
The task of carrying the cable on the backs of the mules will be another problem, the supervisor pointed out. It is desired to take the cable to the peak in one piece and in order to do so a few coils will have to be placed on each mules." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
The task of carrying the cable on the backs of the mules will be another problem, the supervisor pointed out. It is desired to take the cable to the peak in one piece and in order to do so a few coils will have to be placed on each mules." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
September 14, 1934: "A NIRA crew is building a lookout house on Chimney peak in the Cascadia district and a crew has just completed the reconstruction of the Skyline trail from the McKenzie pass summit to the Santiam road by way of Big lake." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
October 1, 1934: "Gordon F. Short, forest fire patrol man above Foster was in Albany today. He reports he has just completed a job at Chimney Peak, above Whitcomb near Quartzville." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
August 19, 1935: "Mrs. Glen Julian went to Cascadia Tuesday, from there she will go to Chimney Peak where she will spend several weeks with her husband, who is stationed there as a lookout." (Daily Capital Journal)
September 8, 1936: "Robert Morrow has returned from Chimney Peak where he has been forest service lookout. He remained home until today when he returned to the government forest work near Cascadia until time for the opening of the U. of O." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 14, 1939: "Chimney Peak is the most northerly lookout point. It is isolated and very apart from the other stations. From Cascadia ranger station one travels on the Quartsville Road 36 miles and from there ten miles by trail. It overlooks a very important part of the Quartsville country as this section is heavily used by gold miners. It has an exceptionally heavy stand of timber which needs close supervision. Elevation is 4954 feet and is located in Township 12S, Range 5E. Robert D, Stumpf will fill the position of lookout fireman for Chimney Peak." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
August 20, 1942: "Phil Cane, who is the lookout at Chimney Peak Station writes that during a lightning storm last week the lightning struck so close to the station that it shook his dishes off the table but started no fires. He also says he is getting starved enough so he can eat his own cooking." (The New Era)
July 17, 1947: "Mrs. Roy Timmerman is reported recovering at the Langmack hospital at Sweet Home today from an Appendicitis operation which climaxed a hazardous all-night journey from the Chimney Peak forest service lookout station in the high Cascades.
Mrs. Timmerman, whose husband is a forest fire lookout on a peak, became stricken with acute appendicitis Monday night. Her husband phoned district headquarters here and four men were dispatched to bring the ailing woman to Sweet Home.
The quartet scaled the peak, placed Mrs. Timmerman in a stretcher and carried her down the mountain's precipitous side and an 11-mile trail to the South Santiam highway. From there on she was taken in a motor vehicle to the hospital.
The stretcher bearers started down the hazardous trail at 6 o'clock and arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. Tuesday." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
November 1, 1967: The lookout was disposed of by burning on site.
November 3, 1967: "At the request of Lance Davenport (Sweet Home), I called the Regional Office on October 25 for go-ahead to burn down three lookouts before AD-112's would reach them. I talked to Frank Walisch, explained the reason for the urgency, and obtained his verbal approval,
I advised Lance of the approval, and gave him the wording Mr. Walisch suggested for justification. I also passed the word that no publicity should be given to the destruction of lookouts, since there are people who object to this for various reasons. The same information will be transmitted to all districts.
Lance said that AD-112's for Pyramids, Tidbits, and Chimney Peak Lookouts would be submitted promptly." (Memo to Files from E.C. Scott, Engineering)
I advised Lance of the approval, and gave him the wording Mr. Walisch suggested for justification. I also passed the word that no publicity should be given to the destruction of lookouts, since there are people who object to this for various reasons. The same information will be transmitted to all districts.
Lance said that AD-112's for Pyramids, Tidbits, and Chimney Peak Lookouts would be submitted promptly." (Memo to Files from E.C. Scott, Engineering)