LANE COUNTY
FAIRVIEW PEAK
Umpqua National Forest
23S-1E-11
23S-1E-11
c.1914: An Alidade established for the detection of fires.
September 14, 1915: "Messrs. Howard, Kinsel and J. Howard have returned from Bohemia and state that one mining camp employs 40 men, also a government lookout station is built on the top of Mt. Fairview, where a man is employed to watch for forest fires." (Roseburg Review)
July 4, 1920: (For the 1919 season) "Out of Roseburg district was Mrs. William George of that city." (The Sunday Oregonian)
June 13, 1921: "L.E. Pearson left yesterday for Fairview ranger station, having accepted a position as lookout with the forestry service. Mr. Pearson was a student in forestry at Syracuse college, from which school he recently graduated. He says he came to Oregon to get into forestry work, but that the closest he was able to get to such a job up to the present time, was pruning trees in Garden Valley." (The News-Review)
August 3, 1921: "Supervisor Ramsdell reports that the local office is constructing a lookout station on the summit of Fairview mountain, a few miles north of Bohemia mountain, southwest of Cottage Grove. This lookout cabin will be of the standard type, with comfortable living quarters on the first floor, which is surmounted by a glass enclosed cupola where the instruments used in spotting fires and making observations are located. This type of house comes already cut and the materials are now at Cottage Grove. The house will be completed before the end of the month, it is believed. Heretofore Observer Gilbertson, who has been in charge of the Fairview station, has been living in some mining houses part way down the slope and has been forced to walk and climb to his lookout, which is on an exposed, hot slope. The Fairview lookout guards an important body of timber in the Bohemia mining district and is considered one of the most important lookouts of the service." (The News-Review)
August 29, 1921: "A lookout house has just been completed on the summit of Fairview mountain, near Bohemia, at an elevation of 6000 feet. The house is built on the regular plan, with living quarters on the ground floor, and the upper story enclosed on all four sides with glass, where the fire-finding instruments and telephone are placed, and where the lookout spends his time watching for fires." (The News-Review)
1921: A standard 12x12 D-6 cupola lookout house constructed at a cost of $876.99.
September 6, 1921: "A lookout house has just been completed on the summit of Fairview mountain, near Bohemia, at an elevation of 6000 feet." (Capital Journal)
September 11, 1922: "The Fairview Lookout was struck many times during the last electrical storm, according to Charles Conner on his return from Bohemia recently. The lookout is wired and the wires run off into the ground. O. Gilbertson is at the lookout." (The Eugene Daily Guard)
June 18, 1924: "The Fairview mountain lookout station in the northern part of the Unpqua national forest was visited a few days ago by Nelson F. Macduff, supervisor of the Cascade national forest, in company with B. B. Neal, supervisor of the Umpqua forest. Mr. Macduff said that the lookout station commands a magnificent view of a vast expanse of timber and covers some of the territory in the Cascade forest." (Morning Register)
September 12, 1927: " In the lookout on the summit of old Fairview, sharing with old Bohemia the honor of being the highest peaks in the district, we found Davis Whitley. He will remain in his mountain perch during the entire fire season except for brief intervals, and infrequent ones, when it may be necessary for him to visit the station at Musick. The lookout is a two story affair about 12 feet square. In the upper story is the fire finding equipment. In the lower story are Parlor, bedroom and sink, living room, kitchen, dining room, library, business office and telephone exchange. The lookout man, with all the world spread out around him, has no privacy. Every side of his home is glass. Whitley is an O.A.C. student from California holding down his first job with the service." (The Sentinel)
October 10, 1927: "N. F. Macduff, supervisor and Foster Steele, fire assistant, of the Cascade national forest, left yesterday for Fairview lookout station in the Umpqua." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 12, 1930: " George Hewitt, who is lookout at Fairview, through which go all telephone calls from Layng Creek section of the forest, learned in some way that the fire guard at Musick had ordered two watermelons. It is two miles or more from Fairview down to the Musick cabin. a large part of the trip almost straight up or down, but Hewitt arrived simultaneously with the melons and didn’t leave until one of them had been disposed of. How he carried that load back to his mountain perch was a mystery." (The Sentinel)
June 12, 1931: " Fairview Mountain, which overlooks the Bohemia mining country and on which is maintained a forest service lookout station, is easily reached by one of the roads, and is a popular day’s drive from Cottage Grove. The names of many prominent persons are found on the register maintained at Fairview.
For approximately three months, or during the fire season, an employee of the forest service is stationed ion the lookout tower on Fairview Mountain. His principle contact with the rest of the Umpqua National Forest and the outside world is by telephone. Constant contact with other lookouts, other protection men and improvement men is made possible by means of 530 miles of telephone lines, 150 miles of roads and 1750 miles of trails, all within the Umpqua National Forest." (The Sentinel)
1933: A cistern, five feet deep and four feet in diameter, built from rock and cement. The investment in this project was $69.82.
August 11, 1933: " The survey of the road to Fairview lookout from Champion Saddle to Bohemia Saddle, then up to the top of the mountain, has been completed. Construction on this project will be started soon. As most of this route is of easy construction it is anticipated that this road will be completed this season." (The Sentinel)
May 31, 1934: "A stub road is being built to Fairview lookout, at Bohemia, from which a view of a large portion of the Umpqua forest and adjoining territory may be had." (Roseburg News-Review)
July 2, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. Rex Wheeler are spending the summer at Lookout station, Fairview mountain where Mr. Wheeler is the lookout." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
September 20, 1934: " The motor road to Fairview lookout has been completed so far as this year’s work is concerned. Rex Wheeler, lookout at the station, has taken his car to within a short distance of the station, but others have been requested to leave their cars a distance below the lookout." (The Sentinel)
September 27, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. Rex Wheeler came down from Fairview Lookout station Monday where Mr. Wheeler was lookout for the summer. They report 7 inches of snow in Bohemia district Monday. Mr. Wheeler is employed on the Brice creek road work unless the dry season continues which would make it necessary to be called back to Lookout." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
October 14, 1935: "Mr. and Mrs. Rex Wheeler have returned home from lookout station at Fairview where they are stationed during the summer as lookouts." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
1936: The cistern abandoned.
July 23, 1936: " Mrs. Rex Wheeler, who is with her husband stationed at Fairview lookout, has collected flower specimens. The story lists 37 varieties of flowers." (The Sentinel)
August 13, 1936: " The Forest Service expects to have about 35 men employed in the Bohemia district this summer and one of the principle jobs will be the erection of a new lookout station at Fairview. The new tower will be on higher ground than the present one and will stand on 20-foot posts. A catwalk will encircle the building at floor level. This work will be done with funds which the district office at Roseburg received two weeks ago.
The present lookout station will be left in its location for the accommodation of those who visit the summit. It is probable that the present cupola will be removed. The road up Fairview, constructed two years ago, may be extended to a point near the present lookout station." (The Sentinel)
The present lookout station will be left in its location for the accommodation of those who visit the summit. It is probable that the present cupola will be removed. The road up Fairview, constructed two years ago, may be extended to a point near the present lookout station." (The Sentinel)
August 15, 1936: "The Brice creek road to Fairview lookout is now in better shape than ever before, and the drive to this lookout is well worth while. Incidentally, a new lookout structure on a 30-foot tower is now being erected at this place." (Roseburg News-Review)
September 17, 1936: " All lookouts, with the exception of Fairview, closed Monday. A new lookout tower and living quarters are under construction there." (The Sentinel)
1936: A 29-foot, plan 4-P-4, round pole lookout tower with hip-roofed cab constructed on a site about 200 meters from the previous building.
October 17, 1936: " The 30 foot tower built at Fairview required 900 man hours with inexperienced ERA labor. With an experienced crew, we believe this could be cut to 1/3." (A letter to the Regional Forester from the Forest Supervisor)
June 30, 1938: " The road to Fairview lookout in the Bohemias is open but rough, District Ranger H.E.D. Brown advised the Sentinel Wednesday. The roadbed is solid, and there is no danger of getting stuck, Mr. Brown added.
Flowers in the Fairview area are in bloom, and present an attractive sight at this time. Mr. Brown phoned The Sentinel from the lookout, and reported visibility very good Wednesday, from that point, where he was able to see The Sisters, Diamond Point and Crater Lake." (The Sentinel)
Flowers in the Fairview area are in bloom, and present an attractive sight at this time. Mr. Brown phoned The Sentinel from the lookout, and reported visibility very good Wednesday, from that point, where he was able to see The Sisters, Diamond Point and Crater Lake." (The Sentinel)
August 4, 1962: "Richard Grimes a Cottage Grove resident is working his third season as a lookout. He attends Oregon College of Education at Monmouth and plans to become a teacher." (The News-Review)
1969: "The U.S. Forest Service gave us a 75 foot, three sided, galvanized tower that was on Fairview Peak in the Bohemia District. Our crews disassembled the tower and brought it to Roseburg. We plan to use this in reconstructing lookout towers." (Douglas FPA - Oregon Department of Forestry Annual Report - 1969) (A part of this tower was used on Dutchman Butte)
April 1, 1971: Materials for a new lookout tower purchased.
1972: A 53-foot timber tower with an R-6 cab erected.
STATION RECOVERY (1938)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1938 (ACT)
STATION LIES UNDER FAIRVIEW LOOKOUT TOWER, ABOUT 3 FEET NW OF
CENTER. TOWER IS OF TIMBER, 40 FEET HIGH.
STATION MARK AND ONE REFERENCE MARK WERE RECOVERED IN GOOD
CONDITION. STATION MARK IS AN OLD-TYPE BRONZE DISK SET IN
BEDROCK. AN AZIMUTH MARK AND TWO NEW REFERENCE MARKS WERE SET.
REFERENCE MARK 1 IS SET IN BEDROCK ABOUT 10 FEET BELOW STATION.
REFERENCE MARK 2 IS SET IN BEDROCK ABOUT 4 FEET BELOW STATION.
AZIMUTH MARK IS SET IN BEDROCK ON N SLOPE OF BOHEMIA MOUNTAIN,
ABOUT 3/8 MILE SSW OF STATION.
REACHED FROM COTTAGE GROVE BY DRIVING E FROM POST OFFICE ON
DISSTON ROAD 16.15 MILES TO FORKS, TAKE RIGHT FORK 3.95 MILES TO
DISSTON POST OFFICE. CONTINUE ON MAIN ROAD UP GRADE 16.1 MILES
TO FORK ON BOHEMIA SADDLE, PASSING LUND PARK ON LEFT ENROUTE. AT
SADDLE, TURN SHARP RIGHT AND FOLLOW FAIRVIEW LOOKOUT ROAD 1.1
MILES UP STEEP GRADE TO END OF TRUCK TRAVEL ABOUT 50 YARDS BELOW
FAIRVIEW LOOKOUT TOWER AND STATION.