KLAMATH COUNTY
ROUND BUTTE
Klamath Indian Agency / Winema National Forest; 29S-9E-08
April 1,1935: " Narrative justification of projects proposed for 1935. No. 59 – Steel tower and cabin on Little Round Butte: Tower to be 107’ cabin for lookout quarters. This will finish a much needed lookout station for covering the northwest, north-central and northeastern area of the Reservation. The present “outside” system of control in this section does not cover approximately eight townships within the northern half of the Reservation during periods of decreased visibility. Improvements will be on Tribal lands."
(Conservation Working Plan)
(Conservation Working Plan)
1935: A 12x16 foot cabin was constructed by the CCC-ID, to be used as the living quarters for the lookout. The cost of this building was $1,766.24. The assigned building number was 662.
1936: The records show that a 107-foot tall Aermotor steel tower was constructed by the CCC-ID at a cost of $2,595.44. The new building number was 661.
1937: "Justification of proposals for 1937. No. 156 – Communication with Round Butte Lookout is now being conducted over an abandoned Forest Service line off the north boundary of the Reservation. This line is used by the Forest Protective Association, and is not being maintained. It is in such a poor condition that we were unable to call Round Butte on many occasions during the past season. The proposed extension will be a pole ground line of copper-steel wire. It will extend to Three Creeks along the Military Crossing Road and will connect with the line to Round Butte at the Three Creeks Guard and Linerider Station, thus placing both the lookout and guard station on a more direct circuit." (Conservation Work Plan Report 1937)
August 13,1942: " A two acre forest fire started in the Chiloquin Lumber Company’s operations on the North Marsh Timber Unit and was controlled by the company loggers and Indian Service fire guards. It was discovered by Joe Jackson at the Round Butte lookout." (The Chiloquin Review)
August 8, 1946: "Flava Yates was a visitor here Monday from Three Creeks lookout." (The Chiloquin Review)
January 1961: " With the termination act, Round Butte lookout became the responsibility of the KFPA to operate and maintain." (Klamath Tribune)
June 10, 1963: " At Round Mountain, 25 to 50 mph winds were swaying the 100-foot high fire lookout station “as a ship in a rolling sea,” but otherwise there has been no damage. Round Mountain is in Beaver Marsh, near Diamond Lake Junction." (Herald and News)
1967: Both the tower and the ground cabin were painted. A new trap door was built for the tower.
July 5, 1968: " The lookout at Round Butte reported smoke between Highway 97 and the railroad right of way about 5:02 p.m. and within the next four minutes a KFPA fighter had located a burning stump next to an abandoned campfire and extinguished the flames." (Herald and News)
1974: The 1974 lookout information summary shows that the state abandoned the lookout. At this time the lookout was under the control of the Oregon Department of Forestry.
1991: The land owner felt that the tower was a liability and the failure to find a new location for the structure, the State Forestry Department sent a crew with a cutting torch to cut two of the legs and used a small cat to pull the tower to the ground.
1994: The tower was dismantled and scrapped.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1953 (HSC)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 35 MILES AIRLINE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF
CHILOQUIN AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BEAVER MARSH ON THE HIGHEST
POINT OF ROUND MOUNTAIN.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 97 AND
STATE HIGHWAY 230 AT DIAMOND-CRATER JUNCTION, GO SOUTH ON
U.S. HIGHWAY 97 FOR 4.5 MILES TO A SIDE ROAD LEFT, TURN LEFT
AND GO 0.8 MILE TO A FORK AT A RAILROAD CROSSING, TAKE THE LEFT
ROAD AND GO 0.25 MILE TO A FORK, TAKE THE LEFT ROAD AND GO 5.9
MILES TO A SIDE ROAD LEFT AND SIGN ROUND BU. L.O.T., TURN LEFT
AND GO 0.4 MILE TO A FORK, TAKE THE LEFT ROAD AND GO 3.6 MILES
TO A FORK, TAKE THE LEFT ROAD AND GO 1.2 MILES TO THE L.O.T.