LANE COUNTY
LOWELL BUTTE
Eastern Lane District, Oregon Department of Forestry
19S-1W-12
19S-1W-12
c.1935: A lookout tree was established.
1948: " One half mile of road was constructed to the lookout. A new lookout was developed with a 30 foot steel tower with a 7x7 cab and a 14x14 ground house for living quarters was constructed. Total cost was $2066." (Eastern Lane District Annual Report)
February 24, 1949: "The annual report of the Eastern Lane Forest Protective Assn. As released this week shows actions taken during the 1948 season.
Improvements in facilities included a new lookout tower developed at Lowell Butte. New road construction was limited to one-half mile of new road to Lowell Butte lookout." (Eugene Register-Guard)
June 27, 1957: "Petite Donna May Wright, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd E. Wright, sr., Junction City, has served as tower observer for the Eastern Lane Forest Protective Association on their Lowell Butte lookout for the last two summers.
During that time, she has dispatched over a dozen of the peak's pesky rattlers.
Crawling over, around and under the steps leading to the tower, the snakes presented quite a traffic hazard." (The Lebanon Express)
1974: " All the glass was broken out of the tower. Instead of replacing with glass, we used large sheets of 3/16” plexiglass, this allowed removal at the end of the fire season and ¼” plywood was used to keep out the winter weather. The living quarters also received 15 to 20 broken windows. The wood cook stove was stolen one week previous to occupancy by the lookout. This was replaced with a gas cook stove which was removed at the end of fire season." (Eastern Lane District Annual Report)
1979: The lookout was dismantled and salvaged.