CURRY COUNTY
EDSON BUTTE
Coos FPA
31S-14W-23
31S-14W-23
June 1912: "Edson Butte Ranger Station. Area, 20 acres. Posted June 1912, but not reported on.
This station is used as look-out station during the fire season and is the only available place for such a station in this locality as the altitude is about 3200 feet giving a good view of all the surrounding country for miles around. Improvements consist of a good cabin 12 x 16, 6 feet to plates, that will be used as a place to store tools and equipment for fire fighting purposes. There is approximately 5 acres of very good grazing land on this station that is always used for rangers and Forest Officers horses during the summer season. This area was never applied for under the Act of June 11, 1906.
Location, S 1/2 NE 1/4 SW 1/4, section 23, T. 31-14." (L Stations R.D. #1, Siskiyou National Forest)
This station is used as look-out station during the fire season and is the only available place for such a station in this locality as the altitude is about 3200 feet giving a good view of all the surrounding country for miles around. Improvements consist of a good cabin 12 x 16, 6 feet to plates, that will be used as a place to store tools and equipment for fire fighting purposes. There is approximately 5 acres of very good grazing land on this station that is always used for rangers and Forest Officers horses during the summer season. This area was never applied for under the Act of June 11, 1906.
Location, S 1/2 NE 1/4 SW 1/4, section 23, T. 31-14." (L Stations R.D. #1, Siskiyou National Forest)
c. 1941: A 14-foot tower constructed.
Activated: September 12, 1942. Roseburg Filter Center.
September 11, 1942: A report by W.N. Parke, AWS Inspector, stated that a 20x22 portable building, sealed and double walled, was almost completed.
October 5, 1942: "Since Edson Butte in the Coos F.P.A. does not have telephone communication for A.W.S. work, it is recommended that a grounded telephone line be constructed to it if a satisfactory connection can be made to one of the commercial or farmer's lines running to either Port Orford or Bandon. About ten miles of line will be needed and it is believed that this amount of wire is already on hand at the Coos F.P.A. headquarters in Marshfield.
It would be appreciated if work on this line could be started as soon as possible." (E (V) Supervision - State of Oregon AWS)
November 3, 1942: "The Code Number for Edson Butte is now (Marshfield 6), having been changed from (Marshfield 6-A)." (E (V) Supervision - State of Oregon AWS)
February 2, 1943: In 1942, the CCC, under the supervision of the state forester constructed 30 miles of telephone lines to the Brewster Rock and Edson Butte lookouts. (The Coos Bay Times)
May 7, 1951: "A new lookout tower is being built on Edson butte by the Coos Forest Protective association. The standard 14 by 14 foot lookout building will go on a 20-foot observation tower with the house on the ground." (The Coos Bay Times)
1951: "A new 20 foot tower with a standard 14 x 14 lookout cabin was built at Edson Butte replacing the old lookout building. The twenty foot tower gives considerably better visibility from Edson Butte than we had in the past."
"Edson Butte LO - total cost of construction $2840.02, labor $1519.20, Materials $1320.82." (Oregon Department of Forestry Annual Report - 1951)
September 20, 1957: "The blaze broke out Thursday night, six miles northeast of Langlois in Curry County, and swept the flames through slash and snags.
The Edson Butte lookout station was evacuated but fire fighters were able to save it." (Herald and News)
September 21, 1957: "The fire started six miles north east of Langlois Thursday and with the aid of an east wind burned quickly through slash and snags. By late Friday the size of the fire had increased only five per cent, according to Ted Maul, Salem forestry official. The Edson Butte lookout station was evacuated but firefighters were able to save it." (The Oregon Statesman)
July 1, 1961: "Sylvia Schubert, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Schubert, formerly of Sixes, was in Coos Bay Thursday to participate in the training session for fire tower lookout this summer. Her forest lookout station will be Eldon (Edson) Lookout near Sixes. Miss Schubert, a student at Willamette University, was one of 101 recipients in Oregon of the Max Tucker Scholarship this spring. She is a history major. She and her parents are now residents of Beaver, Oregon." (The World)
1974: "The 20 foot Edson Butte lookout tower constructed in 1955 was replaced during the early summer with a new 52 foot CT3 tower with a 14 x 14 cabin." (Coos District Annual Report)
1975: "During a severe windstorm on November 9th and 10th, the newly constructed Edson Butte Lookout tower was blown down and demolished." (Coos District Annual Report)
1976: "Major building construction centered on rebuilding the 52 foot Edson Butte Lookout tower. The 1974 CT3 tower with a 14 x 14 cabin was blown over during a severe windstorm in November 1975. This structure was covered under the State Restoration Fund for $12, 010. All labor was done by district personnel." (Coos District Annual Report)
1996: At approximately 5:30, the afternoon of December 31st, high winds caused the tower to collapse.
As told by Gordon Cottrell, of the Department of Forestry Radio Shop, in Roseburg: The radio at the lookout failed a few days before the collapse, Mr. Cottrell made a trip to the site to reset the equipment. When called later that the radio was off the air again, he sent a crew from the Coos FPA to check and maybe reset the breaker again, on arrival they discovered the tower in a heap.
1999: A new steel tower with a steel cab constructed.
2010: A smoke detection camera system installed at the Edson Butte lookout by the Coos FPA.