KLAMATH COUNTY
DEER BUTTE
Deschutes National Forest; 27S-7E-26
February 15, 1933: "1. Move the Knott Ranch fireman to Deer Butte and make of him a lookout fireman. This point has been investigated and offers considerable possibilities as a lookout. It would give excellent detection to your protective area around Beaver Marsh, and during smoky weather or lightning storms would be particularly valuable. It would intensify detection over the Shaw-Bertram Sale area. By building a road south from Deer Butte to the Miller Lake road the man would have quick access to your territory with but little delay in travel time." (FC Cooperation, Deschutes Klamath Forest Prot. Ass'n)
1934: "Deer Butte was completed in July 1934 and was built by men from the Odell Lake CCC camp. Carl B. Neal, Forest Supervisor for the Deschutes National Forest, states in a letter to the Soper Lumber Company, that the Forest Service wanted to purchase ten acres from the company to construct a lookout on Deer Butte. The company donated the land on which a 40-foot tower supporting a 14x14 wood lookout house was constructed. Fred Zumbrunn was the first lookout." (An Illustrated History of Early Northern Klamath County, Oregon - Edward Gray)
June 22, 1934: "A 40-foot lookout tower is now being erected on Deer butte, by a CCC crew from Odell lake." (The Bend Bulletin)
July 9, 1934: "Fred Zumbrunn, Deer Butte lookout man, moved into his new lookout tower Thursday.
This tower was completed Wednesday afternoon by the carpentry crew under the direction of Claude Post, carpentry foreman." (Odell Lake CCC Camp newspaper)
1934: The total cost of the structure $969.24.
June 1936: Hazard sticks, balanced scales and wind recording instruments installed.
May 10, 1941: A news story indicated the lookout under the control of the Klamath FPA.
July 1942: "Jimmie Sterns of LaPine, is on Deer Butte but will leave July 15th for the Army Air Corps." (Herald and News)
Removed
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1953 (HSC)
THE STATION IS THE APEX OF THE LOOKOUT TOWER ON THE SUMMIT OF
DEER BUTTE, ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF CHEMULT. THE TOWER IS A WOODEN
STRUCTURE, 40 FEET HIGH WITH A STANDARD 14 X 14 FOOT OBSERVATION
CAB ON TOP. DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTER OF THE TOWER IS A USFS
TRIANGULATION DISK AND IN THE CONCRETE BASE OF THE NORTHEAST
LEG OF THE TOWER IS A USGS BENCH MARK. U.S.F.S. DISK STAMPED
DEER BU L.O.T. 1952.
THE STATION CAN BE DRIVEN TO FROM CHEMULT BY GOING NORTH ON
U.S. HIGHWAY 97 FOR 0.9 MILE TO A SIDE ROAD LEFT AND SIGN DEER
BUTTE L.O.T., THENCE AS PER SIGNS TO THE SUMMIT AND THE LOOKOUT
TOWER.
A TRAVERSE CONNECTION WAS MADE FROM STATION DEER BU THE DISTANCE
BEING 25.56 FEET (7.792 METERS).