JACKSON COUNTY
OLD BALDY
Crater National Forest > Rogue River National Forest > Klamath FPA
38S-5E-19
38S-5E-19
1924: The materials for the lookout house constructed on this point were cut at the Medford warehouse by Floyd Murray and others. The cupola style lookout house constructed on an enclosed tower of about ten feet. This lookout replaced the lookout tree earlier established on Brush Mountain.
June 26, 1924: "A new lookout house on top of Old Baldy has just been completed by the forest service, similar to the model display last fall at the county fair. Stan Peterson, who has been there for several years, is stationed there again this summer." (Medford Mail Tribune)
September 1924: "Dan Pederson, able seaman, who for a number of years past has been lookout on Brush Mountain and Old Baldy, showed a keen seaman's eye when he picked up a smoke issuing from the stovepipe of a small sheet iron stove a few minutes after the fire was kindled which was located in Hyatt Prairie, between twelve and fifteen miles away." (Six Twenty-Six)
October 1925: "The D-6 'Who's Who' should contain the name of Dan Peterson of the Crater. Dan has occupied Brush Mountain or Old Baldy as Lookout for the past thirteen consecutive years.
Dan will be remembered as the man who built the spiral ladder on the Brush Mountain lookout tree. The picture of this tree and ladder has been widely circulated thru the Forest Service and is on the Crater map folder.
It is, perhaps, useless to state that Dan knows his stuff but when you visit his station you will be surprised at the detailed knowledge he has of the vast region spread out below him. You point to a spot just visible on the mountain side and Dan in his quiet unassuming way will tell you what and where it is, locating it by legal subdivisions. Last spring Dan decided that there was a small part of the Buck Lake region that he was bot quite sure of so before he went on the pay roll he took a back pack and spent almost a week cruising about familiarizing himself with the area.
With Dan on the job those who go it blind below have a feeling of confidence that helps a lot when the tension of fire season is at its height. F.V. Horton" (Six Twenty-Six)
May 14, 1934: "Men from the South Fork of the Rogue CCC camp are being sent to Old Baldy on the Dead Indian District to act as lookouts." (Medford Mail Tribune)
1961: No longer needed, the lookout burned.