LINN COUNTY
CRESCENT MOUNTAIN
Willamette National Forest
13S-6E-09
13S-6E-09
1908: A patrol lookout, a compass was used for sighting azimuths.
1914: A cupola style lookout house was constructed.
August 17, 1923: "Boy scouts, who have been in camp at Fish Lake have returned to their homes, burned by the sun but happy by reason of a several weeks' sojourn in the heart of the Cascade range.
Leslie Haskin and two of the boys on August 8 and 9 made a trip to Crescent mountain and climbed it. This is a 6000 foot pinnacle and a lookout station is there located. At another time a large party of scouts climbed to the lookout station on this mountain." (Albany Daily Democrat)
July 1925: "Lookouts have been placed on Crescent and Coffin Mountains and all other lookouts will be placed on their stations by the first of July. No fires have been reported to this date, June 29. C.C.H." (Six Twenty-Six)
November 1926: "On account of an unusually hot summer, the water on Crescent Mountain Lookout suddenly refused to bubble up. It was during this exceedingly hot spell that two young forestry students from O.A.C. came up to look over the landscape. Seeing that Harritt's dishes were unusually clean, one of the party asked, 'What do you wash them with?' "Soap and Water', answered Harritt. The next morning after breakfast was over, Harritt placed all the dirty dishes on the floor, then stepping to the door called, 'Here, Soap; Here, Water', and two mangy mongrels answered his call and proceeded to crawl out from under the lookout cabin. It is needless to mention that the two enterprising forestry students left for Fish Lake with an uneasy feeling in their tummies. L.A. White" (Six Twenty-Six)
July 11, 1927: "C.E. Harritt of Albany went out to Fish Lake to the top of Crescent Mountain, six miles north and east of Fish Lake, this morning, to start his season's work as lookout." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
July 26, 1930: "Gordon Gilkey is spending the summer as an observer in the Santiam National forest. He has the Crescent Mountain Lookout station about ten miles above Fish Lake.
He writes that bears and deer are commonplace. Gordon makes out government data each day about lightning fires, forest fires, rainfall, and reports weather conditions three times a day to his dispatcher at Fish Lake.
During one of his tramps through the forest he found a human skull near his spring about a mile from his hut, with an arrowhead in it.
Mt. Crescent is 7750 feet in height." (Daily Capital Journal)
May 18, 1931: "A trail crew is now clearing the way to the top of Crescent mountain and as soon as the work is completed a lookout will be stationed there." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
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)
September 21, 1933: "Albeen Nothiger returned Friday evening from Crescent Mountain, where he has been stationed as lookout during the fire season." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
August 22, 1934: "Mrs. Albeen Nothiger, who has been seriously ill, is improving, and her husband, who was called home during her illness, will return to his work at the lookout on Crescent mountain." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
September 10, 1936: "Albyn Nothiger, stationed at Crescent Mountain for the Forest Service, was home on leave of absence from the 1st to the 5th of this month." (The New Era)
September 15, 1938: "Lookout cabins at three stations are nearing completion. It was announced Thursday at headquarters office here.
Damaged by snow and dry rot in foundation timbers, the lookout on Crescent mountain near Fish lake is being replaced under the direction of Ranger R.C. Burgess." (The Eugene Guard)
October 7, 1938: "Willamette national forest will be fitted with two new lookout cabins within the next few days, one at Crescent mountain in the Cascadia district and another on Huckleberry mountain in the Oakridge district, it was learned here Thursday from H.G. White, Willamette construction superintendent.
Both buildings replace antiquated structures on the same sites. The Crescent lookout is virtually completed now and it is predicted CCC men will finish the Huckleberry mountain station within ten days.
The lookouts are the same size as those being replaced but are built on a new improved design, Mr. White said. Glass on all sides of the lookout ground floors eliminate the necessity of mounting fire-finding equipment above the buildings. Both stations are of the non-tower type." (The Eugene Guard)
July 14, 1939: "Crescent Mountain is the main lookout. It is 31 miles from Cascadia on the South Santiam highway and 5 miles off the road by a good trail. From this point many outstanding peaks such as Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington and the Three Sisters may be seen. The location is Township 13S, Range 6E and has an elevation of 5700 feet. H. Nothinger is the fireman." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
July 31, 1945: "State, Linn county and forest service officers are investigating the fatal shooting of Douglas Philip Lindsay, 16, who was found at 11 a.m. Monday at the lookout station on Crescent mountain, six miles above Fish Lake, with a bullet hole through his forehead, the bullet having emerged through the back of the head. Lindsay had been working at the lookout station since June 3. The body was found outside the door at the station.
A .22 caliber pistol was found within two feet of the boy's legs, it was reported by Clark Johnson, state police officer. Lindsay, it was also reported, was lying face downward, with his head away from the lookout cabin.
Dr. Joseph Beeman, Portland, state criminologist, was summoned here today by DistrictAttorney Harlow Weinrick, to perform an autopsy. The investigation by Dr. Beeman had not been completed late this afternoon, and the manner in which the youth met his death had not been determined.
Arlie Troop, packer for the U.S. forest service, found young Lindsay's body, after he had been sent by Don Stoner, district forest ranger, to find out why the lookout tender hadn't reported in from the station." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
August 1, 1945: "The body of Douglas P. Lindsay, 17-year-old Corvallis youth, was found at a forest lookout station on Crescent mountain near Fish lake by officials of the Willamette national forest service Monday night. The youth was believed to have been shot through the head accidentally, although firearms are not allowed at forest lookouts.
When Lindsay failed to contact the ranger station according to routine schedule, foresters investigated and found the body. The body was removed Monday night and an investigation will be held." (The Oregonian)
1953: The lookout house was abandoned.
Removed
