HUCKLEBERRY MOUNTAIN
Baker County - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest - 10S-37E-21
July 22, 1921: "The McCorrigall sheep camp on China creek, about three miles from the Whitney-Unity road, was destroyed by fire yesterday, according to information received by the Whitman national forest officer here today.
The fire was sighted first by the lookout on Huckleberry mountain between Whitney and Sumpter, the report said. Fireman Gibbon of the lookout station, with the aid of ranchmen, got the fire under control.
The timber fire, which is the largest reported to the Whitman office this year, was said to have started from a fire left in the camp stove by the herder. Eighty acres of timber were destroyed." (The Morning Oregonian)
The fire was sighted first by the lookout on Huckleberry mountain between Whitney and Sumpter, the report said. Fireman Gibbon of the lookout station, with the aid of ranchmen, got the fire under control.
The timber fire, which is the largest reported to the Whitman office this year, was said to have started from a fire left in the camp stove by the herder. Eighty acres of timber were destroyed." (The Morning Oregonian)
September 12, 1928: "Reports from various parts of the county indicate that the rain was general over the lower parts of the county, with snow in the high mountains. Joe Thompson, who has had charge of the lookout station on Huckleberry mountain, arrived in town Sunday and reported several inches of new snow there." (La Grande Evening Observer)
September 13, 1933: "The forest service is constructing, under the public works program, a 14 x 14 foot house on a 20-foot tower on Huckleberry mountain." (The Baker Democrat-Herald)
1933: In the Fall of this year carpenter Otto Huskey, assistant carpenter Percy Doyle and a crew of Civilian Conservation Corps members from the 980th Company from Camp Bates erected a 20-foot native timber tower with a 14 x 14 L-4 cab.
July 27, 1934: "The Huckleberry mountain lookout, located just south of Sumpter, sighted a small fire Thursday at 10 p.m. Two men were immediately dispatched from Sumpter and had the fire controlled early this morning. The fire started by lightning, covered approximately a third of an acre." (Baker Democrat-Herald)
September 23, 1943: "Peggy Slaughter is now on the Huckleberry lookout. She took the place of Gilbert Rall who was transferred to the Dooley lookout." (The Democrat-Herald)
August 24, 1961: "Rodney Badger, Forest Service lookout on Huckleberry mountain accidentally shot himself in the left ankle last Friday night. He called for assistance on the Forest Service Radio to Pogue Point lookout, who in turn telephoned the Unity ranger station. Charles Arendts, Joe Carroll, Dell Dodd, Lew Maker and Dick Lemmon packed out on a stretcher on the mile long Huckleberry Trail. He was transported to St. Elizabeth hospital in Baker by crew carrier. He is expected to be out of the hospital by Monday or Tuesday." (Baker Democrat Herald)
July 26, 1962: "Kendrick Siequist is at Huckleberry look-out replacing Daniel Bousquet who had to return home to Massachusetts." (Baker Democrat-Herald)
September 6, 1962: "The lookouts in the Unity area are no longer manned by the summer personnel. Ken Siegrist, who has been at Huckleberry, has returned to his home at Summerville. Replaced by Barrie Larson." (The Record-Courier)
September 17, 1964: "Mr. and Mrs. Fred De Meyer took their son Ron to Huckleberry lookout where he is stationed, Sunday." (The Record-Courier)
June 24, 1966: "John Yeakley will be one of the Forest Service Look-outs in the Unity Area this summer." (Baker Democrat-Herald)
November 30, 1967: "This is to document the November 27 inspection of the Huckleberry Lookout Tower. F.C.O. Carroll and yourself participated in the investigation.
The 14 x 14 ft. cab and 20 ft. native log and pole tower was constructed in 1933.
Borings and examination of the four tower legs indicate that they are structurally safe, but all show evidence of heart rot and considerable checking and some sap rot. Three of the lower horizontal braces are rotten beyond safe use. The diagonal braces are badly weathered but are still usable. Plates and sills are all of laminated sawn lumber and are sound but need maintenance as described below. The cab shows its age but can be maintained in safe condition.
I recommend that the following maintenance be performed prior to allowing occupancy:
1. The lower horizontals be replaced with either sawn 6" x 6" or equivalent peeled native poles.
2. The stairway be braced with a 4" x 4" bent at mid span.
3. A 4" x 8" plate (spliced in the center) be placed under the existing plates at the middle of the cab. It should run east and west from the outside catwalk edges. It should be blocked as discussed with Carroll. Laminated plates should be jacked-up to straighten and refasten with lag screws.
4. New 2" x 12" facings should be installed on the lower outside of the north and south catwalks to provide shutter anchoring.
5, Two new shutters installed.
In addition a new roof and needed painting must be done.
I estimate the above repairs will give a maximum of five more years of life. Plans should be made for replacement or abandonment after 1973." (Memorandum to Unity District Ranger from Forest Supervisor)
1976: The lookout tower was destroyed.
DESIGNATION - HUCKLEBERRY
PID - QC0885
STATE/COUNTY- OR/BAKER
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - SUMPTER (1984)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1946 (DHK)
STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 19 MILES AIRLINE WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BAKER,
ABOUT 5 MILES AIRLINE SOUTH OF SUMPTER, ON HUCKLEBERRY MTN. A
PROMINENT, FLAT-TOP PEAK.
STATION MARK IS A STANDARD BRONZE DISK SET IN BEDROCK OUTCROP
WHICH PROJECTS 12 INCHES. IS STAMPED HUCKLEBERRY 1946, IS 58 FEET
NORTH OF THE CENTER OF LOOKOUT TOWER AND 28 FEET SOUTH OF FLAGPOLE.
REFERENCE MARK NO.1 IS A STANDARD BRONZE DISK STAMPED HUCKLEBERRY
NO 1 1946, SET IN BEDROCK OUTCROP WHICH PROJECTS 12 INCHES. IT IS
NORTH OF STATION AND 3 FEET NORTHEAST OF FLAGPOLE.
REFERENCE MARK NO.2 IS A STANDARD BRONZE DISK STAMPED HUCKLEBERRY
NO 2 1946, SET IN BEDROCK OUTCROP WHICH PROJECTS 4 INCHES. IT IS
EAST OF STATION AND 47 FEET NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER OF LOOKOUT
TOWER.
AZIMUTH MARK IS A STANDARD BRONZE DISK STAMPED HUCKLEBERRY 1946,
SET IN A LARGE BOULDER WHICH PROJECTS 12 INCHES. IS 45 FEET NORTH
OF CENTER LINE OF ROAD, 40 FEET NORTHWEST OF A BLAZED PINE TREE
AND 10 FEET EAST OF A LARGE STUMP. TO REACH MARK FROM END OF
TRUCK TRAVEL CONTINUE AHEAD SOUTH ON ROAD 0.15 MILE TO FORK. TURN
RIGHT AND GO 0.35 MILE TO THE BLAZED PINE TREE ON RIGHT SIDE OF
ROAD.
TO REACH STATION FROM BAKER. GO SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 7, 9.5 MILES TO
JUNCTION AT SIGNS SUMPTER 20 GRANITE 35. TURN RIGHT AND CONTINUE
ON GRAVEL ROAD 13.5 MILES TO MC EWEN POST OFFICE. CONTINUE
STRAIGHT AHEAD 0.7 MILE TO ROAD LEFT. TURN LEFT AND GO 0.9 MILE
TO CROSS ROAD. TURN RIGHT AND GO 1.4 MILES TO FORK AND SIGNS
SUMPTER 5 BAKER 26. TAKE RIGHT FORK, STRAIGHT AHEAD 1.1 MILES
TO FORK AND SIGN WHITNEY 11. TURN LEFT AND GO 0.3 MILE TO
CROSS ROAD. CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD 3.2 MILES TO TRAIL ON LEFT
AT SIGNS SUMPTER 7 WHITNEY 7 HUCKLEBERRY L.O. 1 AND END OF TRUCK
TRAVEL. FROM HERE PACK TO THE LEFT UP MAIN TRAIL 1
MILE TO LOOKOUT TOWER AND STATION SITE. A 30 MINUTE PACK.