WHEELER COUNTY
MOUNT PISGAH
Ochoco National Forest
13S-21E-8
13S-21E-8
July 22, 1920: "Bill McFarland who has been one of the mechanics in the Inland Auto Company for some time past is spending his 'vacation' on top of Pisgah Mountain. He will occupy this point as a fire lookout until the end of the dry season." (Crook County Journal)
September 16, 1920: "Will McFarland, who has been located at the Pisgah Lookout during the summer has returned to Prineville." (Crook County Journal)
May 10, 1923: "A spur telephone line of number 9 wire is being strung between the lookout stations on Mt. Pisgah, a distance of 1 1/2 miles by Ranger G.C. Blake." (Central Oregonian)
September 1925: "The Pisgah loop trail was completed about ten days ago to a width of about six feet, which appeared to be wide enough for all purposes such as pack horses, saddle horses, motorcycles, etc. From late reports it appears that the trail should be wider as the motorcycle encountered one of the many large lodgepole pines standing along the trail, with the result of one broken axle, a skinned nose, and other bruises and scratches to the rider. Now the eight miles between the three lookout points are being covered twice daily on foot.
Ed Bennett and Raymond Arnold are constructing a pasture fence on Pisgah Mountain." (Six Twenty-Six)
October 1926: "Joe Walsh, lookout on Mt. Pisgah, went off duty the 15th in order to attend the local high school at Prineville. George McArthur, fireman at Beaver, moved up to take his place. George was just a little hesitant about up until he found out he didn't have to ride the motorcycle. Said he didn't mind breaking it to ride if he was there at the start of the season but thought since it was the end of the season a week or ten days was too short a time to 'learn' it anything. Lee Blevins" (Six Twenty-Six)
1927: This lookout reported three fires during the fire season.
October 17, 1929: "W.B. Osborne, fire inspector and also in charge of fire studies work for Oregon and Washington, arrived in Prineville yesterday and went immediately to Mt. Pisgah with a panoramic camera in order to get a panoramic picture of the forested region which can be seen from that point. He will also visit other lookout points on the Ochoco during the week." (Central Oregonian)
1931: The lookout house on Mt. Pisgah is to be elevated about twenty feet and supplied with standard glass equipment.
June 30, 1932: "Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Carlson left Monday for Pisgah Lookout Station near Summit Prairie, where he will be stationed for the summer, while employed by the Forest Service." (Central Oregonian)
1932: A 20-foot timber tower with an L-4 hip-roof ca constructed.
1952: "Pisgah Lookout - This is an old house on a tower built some time ago, with outside runway added later and legs of the round tower spliced with sawed timber due to decay. It has a questionable additional life of perhaps 6 years. The guys are direct to the upper end of the tower legs with a take-off part way the guy attached to each corner of the house. This is very peculiar arrangement, and I question just what would happen in case of a severe storm which would bring about actual functioning of either set of guys." (General Integrating Inspection 1952 - July 14 to 26, 1952)
July 20, 1959: "The fire started Sunday on state land, and once approached so close to the Pisgah lookout that it dropped sparks on the building. Acreage already burned is about 1,100." (The Bend Bulletin)
June 21, 1963: "Sealed bids for construction of a lookout structure to be built on Pisgah Mountain, Ochoco National Forest, will be received until 2 p.m., July 3, according to an announcement by C.L. Clark, forest supervisor.
Plans, specifications and bidding forms may be secured by anyone interested from the engineering division office of the Ochoco forest at 180 N. Main. They may be also obtained from the regional contracting officer, 729 N.E. Oregon Street, Portland, where all bids should be sent." (The Bend Bulletin)
1963: A 20-foot treated timber tower with an R-6 flat roof cab erected.
2008: The tree patrol lookout located at the North Point destroyed in a wildfire.
DESIGNATION - PISGAH
PID - QD1770
STATE/COUNTY- OR/WHEELER
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - MT PISGAH (1992)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1932 (FGJ)
ON THE CREST OF PISGAH MOUNTAIN, A LONG RIDGE, BARE ON TOP, AND
LOCALLY KNOWN AS SOUTH PISGAH.
STATION MARK IS A STANDARD BRONZE DISK WEDGED IN A DRILL HOLE
IN A BOULDER AS DESCRIBED IN NOTE 4. REFERENCE MARKS ARE STANDARD
BRONZE DISKS IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK AS DESCRIBED IN NOTE
12A. REFERENCE MARK NO.1 IS NE FROM THE STATION. REFERENCE MARK
NO.2 IS N FROM THE STATION.
REACHED AS FOLLOWS FROM THE TOWN OF PRINEVILLE--GO E FROM
PRINEVILLE, ON THE U.S. HIGHWAY 28, 32.4 MILES TO A SIGNPOST
READING CARROLL CAMP, TURN RIGHT AT THIS POINT AND GO 6.9 MILES
TO A CROSSROADS, CONTINUE ON STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR 1.8 MILES, TURN
RIGHT AND PASS RANGERS CAMP, CONTINUE FOR 1.2 MILES, AT THIS
POINT A ROAD LEADS OFF TO THE RIGHT, THE ANGLE IS SO GREAT THAT
IT IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE PAST THE ROAD FOR 0.1 MILE TO A
PLACE IN THE ROAD LARGE ENOUGH TO TURN TRUCK ABOUT, RETRACE SAME
ROAD FOR 0.1 MILE, TAKE LEFT FORK AND GO 1.6 MILES TO THE
STATION.
THE U.S.G.S. MARK IS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS LEADING
TO THE LOOKOUT.