DOUGLAS COUNTY
KELLY BUTTE
Coos FPA
25S-9W-15
25S-9W-15
June 28, 1948: "The Weyerhaeuser company is providing two new lookout sites for the Coos Forest Protective association, one at McKeever butte in section 16,, township 25 south, range 11 west, and the other at Kelly butte in 15-25-9." (The Coos Bay Times)
June 4, 1949: "Two new lookout stations for fire protection are being planned for erection this summer in Weyerhaeuser Timber company holdings, through cooperation of the company and the Coos Forest Protective association.
The other tower will be built over the line in Douglas county between Fall creek and Bottom creek in the High Ridge country. This station will tie in with the Coos and Douglas associations by radio and cross shots will cover hazardous territory." (The Coos Bay Times)
June 12, 1950: "Construction of a new woods lookout station has been started on Kelly butte by the Weyerhaeuser Timber company.
The lookout is in section 15, township 25 south, range nine west, between Bottom creek and Fall creek. It will cover the Williams river Tioga areas.
The lookout will be manned by the Coos Forest Protective association after it is completed in about six weeks. Meanwhile the construction crew of Weyerhaeuser will keep an eye out for fires.
The location was determined by a state survey last year. The tower will be 65 feet high, atop the ridge. Robert Gould is in charge of construction and Herman Sommers designed the building. Radio equipment will be installed to contact both Coos and Douglas fire patrols and the Weyerhaeuser radio net." (The Coos Bay Times)
1950: A 50-foot timber tower with a 16 x 16 cab constructed by the Weyerhaeuser Company on their land and staffed by the Coos Forest Protective Association.
September 28, 1953: "Miss Loretta Humphreys of Eastside has returned to the University of Oregon at Eugene.
She returned Sept. 18 from Kelley Butte lookout about 20 miles east of Coos Bay, where she had spent seven weeks as observer." (The Coos Bay Times)
June 5, 1967: "Coos Forest Protective Association lookout stations are gradually being manned as winds and warm weather begin drying out the forests, it was announced today. The Kelly Butte lookout station has been opened and others will be manned shortly." (The World)
2008: The lookout declared unsafe and removed, making way for a Forest Watch camera fire detection system, which was moved to Ivers Peak because of overlapping of seen area with the Old Blue camera station.