LANE COUNTY
LARISON ROCK
Willamette National Forest
21S-3E-29
21S-3E-29
c.1920: An Alidade located on the top of the Rock.
September 12, 1920: "Miss Vida Derflinger, who has been stationed as a first lookout during the summer above Oakridge, has returned to Eugene. She was accompanied by her mother." (Morning Register)
c.1925: A standard D-6 cupola lookout house built.
June 25, 1925: "Because of the extremely dangerous forest fire weather, Lawrence Wells of Halsy, lookout was dispatched this morning by the Cascade National forestry office to take his station at Larison Rock, five miles south of Oakridge. The humidity dropped to 14 yesterday at Oakridge, and the forests there are drying fast.
Mr. Wells, the lookout at Larison Rock, will be accompanied by his mother, Mrs. Sarah F. Wells of Halsey. He is a University of Oregon student." (The Eugene Guard)
June 26, 1925: "The national forest offices here began sending out its lookouts today, which is somewhat earlier than usual, but the humidity is very low and with high temperatures the forest fire menace is held to be very great. The first lookout was sent to Larison rock, above Oakridge, and others will follow during the next few days to other stations in the Cascades." (Morning Oregonian)
October 17, 1925: "Material will soon be ordered for the erection of two lookout stations to be erected at Logger butte and at Larison rock, it was announced this morning in the office of the Cascade national forest. Lookouts have been stationed at these points but the position now requires that new buildings be erected to be in keeping with the other fire prevention improvements.
The lumber will be cut this fall, carried by mule team to the site of the building, and be there ready for construction early next spring, it was announced." (The Eugene Guard)
April 14, 1927: "The first of two proposed lookout houses for the Cascade national forest is being prepared by forest officials for shipment to Larison rock in the Oakridge district for erection, it was learned yesterday.
The lookout houses are shipped to the locality in which they are to be built in pieces already fitted. By sawing the lumber out first much packing work is saved." (Morning Register)
July 1, 1927: "A standard lookout station at Larison rock will be the next job of the construction crew." (Morning Register)
August 8, 1927: "A new lookout house is to go up at Larison rock in the Cascade national forest, with construction well started, it is announced by R.F. Grefe, superintendent of roads and trails, who has just returned after spending six days in the Oakridge district." (The Eugene Guard)
September 15, 1927: "R. A. Forkner, lookout at Larison Rock this season, has come in and is leaving for his home at Salem." (The Eugene Guard)
June 7, 1929: "Mrs. Maude Forkner will spend the summer on the federal forest look-out station at Oakridge, where her husband will be ranger." (The Oregon Statesman)
September 18, 1929: "Although a terribly dense smoke blanket hung over the Larison Rock district near Oakridge, when she left it, the forest fire situation in that immediate vicinity was nothing alarming, Mrs. R.A. Forkner said upon her return to Salem Tuesday, after spending the summer at Larison Rock, where her husband is lookout. Mrs. Forkner, who is a teacher at Englewood school, returned to be here for opening of school next Monday. Mr. Forkner will not return until after the first fall rains. (The Oregon Statesman)
August 15, 1930: "Lightning struck within 200 yards of the Larison rock lookout station in the Cascade national forest above Oakridge this afternoon. The lookout, E. Melvin Spatz, stood by the telephone and notified ranger headquarters of all the fires he could spot and then went out and extinguished the one in a tree which the lightning had struck." (Morning Oregonian)
July 17, 1935: "Frank Singletary has gone to Larison rock where he will spend the summer as lookout fireman for the forest service." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
August 7, 1935: "Allan Reiner, packer for the forest service, was busy for several days taking a number of pieces of new furniture to Larison Rock to be used in the lookout cabin there. The furniture was hand-made by the members of company 948 CCC, and resembles the tables and chairs that have been placed in the forest service camps to replace old ones." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
August 18, 1935: "A group of young people went to Larison rock Sunday to spend the day with Frank Singletary, lookout fireman there for the forest service." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
1940: An L-4 model 1936 lookout house constructed.
1968: The lookout removed.