DOUGLAS COUNTY
MOUNT BAILEY
Umpqua National Forest
28S-5E-10
28S-5E-10
July 28, 1917: "R.C. Agee, left Wednesday for Diamond Lake, and will take charge of the Lookout station, of the government forestry service, at Old Bailey. He will also do heliograph work there." (The Evening News)
March 19, 1921: " 'Probably the most important and line as well as the one of the greatest interest to be built this season is the extension from Sheep Creek by way of Diamond Lake to the summit of Mt. Bailey,' Mr. Ramsdell says, 'This will put the local office in direct communication with Diamond Lake and will fulfill plans of long standing to utilize Mt. Bailey, 8356 feet, as a primary lookout point. This mountain in the past has been used a great deal as a fire lookout station, but with no telephone communication it has been necessary for the lookout to walk or ride long distances to report fires which could not be handled by the regular patrol men. With the telephone instrument at the summit of the mountain it will become, with the possible exception of Black Rock, the most important lookout station on the forest, commanding a wonderful view of an immense amount of country, including portions of the Crater forest, the Deschutes forest and Crater Lake park, as well as the Umpqua forest. This line will be built under the direction of Ranger O.C. Houser." (Roseburg News-Review)
March 29, 1921: "Announcement that Mount Bailey, one of the tallest mountains in the Cascades, is to be made a primary observation and lookout station, was made by Forest Supervisor Ramsdell of the Umpqua national forest. A station will be established at an elevation of8356 feet, and a telephone line constructed to the summit of the mountain.
This will provide protection for the Deschutes, Umpqua and Crater national forest and the Crater Lake national park, as visual observation will be possible over all of this timbered area. Approximately 30 miles of telephone line will be built in the Umpqua forest this year in addition to the 347 miles now extending from the local office to all parts of the forest." (The Semi-Weekly Spokesman-Review)
July 25, 1921: "Forest Supervisor W.F. Ramsdell returned yesterday from an inspection trip to the Diamond lake section of the Umpqua forest. Accompanied by Supervisor Rankin of the Crater lake forest, he made a trip to the summit of Mt. Bailey, where the supervisor's have determined to locate a lookout station. A temporary station will be provided this year with Arthur Mcintosh, of Riddle, in charge. A telephone line is now being built to the top of the mountain. Next year a cabin will be built at the summit." (Roseburg News-Review)
August 3, 1921: "Mr. Houser has been in charge of a crew which is constructing a telephone line to the summit of Mount Bailey, one of the highest peaks in the Cascades. He has several pictures which show the difficulties met with in constructing such a line. It is impossible to build permanent lines because of the heavy snowfall during the winter months. As the snow is melting during the summer it is necessary to use an insulated wire which is laid along the ground and which is taken up each fall when the lookout station is abandoned, About a mile of this kind of line will be constructed this summer and for the first time the local forestry office will be able to communicate direct with the lookout at the top of Mount Bailey." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 28, 1922: "Forest Supervisor Ramsdell states that plans have been completed for the construction of a permanent lookout on the summit of Mount Bailey, one of the highest peaks of the Cascades and that the structure will be erected as soon as weather conditions will permit active work to start. The lookout will be located on the highest point on the mountain which has an elevation of 8356 feet. From this point the observer will be able to see practically all of the Diamond Lake country in the Umpqua forest and will be able to detect fires in the northern part of the Crater lake national park and the Crater forest. The lookout will be one of the most valuable in the state and will have an unobstructed view in every direction.
During the past few years the peak has been used as a temporary lookout, an observer camping on one of the lower slopes and making a trip each day to the summit. Last year the forest service completed a telephone line to the top of the mountain and the station was instrumental in detecting a number of fires before they could do any damage." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 30, 1922: "A permanent lookout station is to be constructed on top of Mount Bailey, one of the highest points in the Cascade range, according to an announcement by Supervisor Ramsdell of the Umpqua forest. The peak has an elevation of 8356 feet and an observer there commands a view over a large part of the Umpqua forest, two-thirds of the Crater lake national park and many square miles of the Crater forest.
A standard forest service lookout is to be built. There will be very little metal used in the construction of the building to lessen danger from lightning." (Morning Oregonian)
July 6, 1923: "A lookout tower for fire protection purposes is to be erected on the summit of Mount Bailey, which lies immediately west of Diamond Lake and is one of the highest peaks in the Umpqua Forest. The material for this house was cut out in Roseburg, the pieces numbered according to their location in the building, bundled and shipped by freight to Medford, whence they will be carried by truck to Diamond Lake and carried on mule back the fourteen miles to the top of the mountain." (Roseburg News-Review)
August 1923: "Two lookout houses are under construction on the Umpqua Forest this summer. One is in Mount Bailey, overlooking Diamond Lake, and the other is at White Rock. The buildings were cut out at Roseburg this spring and then shipped knocked down to the lookout points. The Mount Baily house was shipped by freight to Medford, thence by truck to the base of the mountain and from there to the top of the mountain by mule back. W.H.L.: (Six Twenty-Six)
September 4, 1923: "Grant McLaughlin is at present engaged in building a forest lookout station on Mt. Bailey at Diamond Lake. Mr. McLaughlin shipped the lumber all sawed and cut for the station by way of Medford and made the trip himself with a pack horse over the North Umpqua trail." (Roseburg News-Review)
July 23, 1928: "Mount Baily is proving a great attraction to tourists at Diamond Lake, according to O.S. Houser, central dispatcher on the Umpqua national forest. Sunday, according to reports received from the Diamond Lake district, 17 persons made the trip to the summit of the snow-clad peak, where they were met by the forest service lookout, Paul Geddes, and were shown the points of interest visible from the mountain.
The trip to the summit may be made on horses from the lake, or may be made on foot, one party of 8 persons having recently hiked the entire distance. The view from the summit is one of the best to be obtained in that locality." (Roseburg News-Review)
"Destroyed in 1952" (Fire Lookouts of the Northwest, Ray Kresek)