LINN COUNTY
SCOTT MOUNTAIN
Linn County Fire Patrol
13S-1W-31
13S-1W-31
November 25, 1947: "A 53-foot steel tower with cabin was dismantled near Boise, Idaho and hauled to the Sweet Home Fire Patrol shops. This tower will be installed as a new lookout in the mountains south of Sodaville. This lookout will give 'eyes' for the spotting of fires in the Sodaville hills area, the Calapooyia and Brownsville sections of the county. There are no lookouts close to these areas and this addition will materially aid the fire fighting service." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
1947: "Phil Knight and one patrolman were detailed to Idaho in cooperation with the State Forestry Department for teh removal of 4 steel lookout towers which were purchased by the state department. One of the tower, a 53 foot tower and cabin, was purchased by the association from the state and hauled to the Sweet Home headquarters. To be erected in 1948."
Plans - It is planned to erect a 53 foot steel tower in the Sodaville area prior to the 1948 fire season. This will provide better coverage of the area than at present with observations currently coming from Green Peter LO." (Linn District Annual Report)
February 7, 1948: "The Linn County Fire Patrol association has started work on construction of a new steel lookout tower in the Mountain Home district. The 54-foot tower will have a 16 x 16 room on its top and above that will be the lookout, from where Albany, Lenanon, Brownsville, Crawfordsville, Holley and Sweet Home communities may be viewed. The station id scheduled to be in operation by June 1. A half-mile of road will be built in from the main county road.
The steel tower was made available through the war surplus sale agency at McGown field, Boise, Ida. Employes of the Linn association dismantled four of these towers and prepared them for shipment to Oregon points." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
May 4, 1948: "A crew of Linn County Fire Patrol workers began work a few days ago on the new six-tenths mile extension to the new lookout to be built on top of Coyote butte, four miles east of Brownsville. Steel for the new structure has been assembled at the local fire station." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
July 22, 1948: "Eugene Jacobson, who was employed with the Linn county forest fire patrol last season, will be assigned to duty on the new lookout on Scott mountain. This new lookout has just recently been finished." (The Lebanon Express)
1948: "The construction of the new lookout at Scott Mt., located in Section 31, T13S R1W, constituted the largest project of the season. It required that six-tenths of a mile of road be constructed to the site. An area of approximately 25 acres had to be cleaned of second-growth timber and approximately one acre had to be cleared of stumps and other debris for the location of the steel structure. The structure consisted of a 54-foot steel tower, steel stairway, 14' x 14' steel cabin with steel catwalk, and built-in standard lookout furniture and equipment. A combination garage and tool storage was erected on the site. The portable guard station at DeArmond, a discontinued station was moved to Scott Mt. and rebuilt to make this combination structure. A spring nearby was developed to furnish water for the new lookout. This new lookout furnishes to the District detection which has been long needed. It was manned about August 1." (Linn District Annual Report)
1948: "The preliminary survey and acquisition of site for new Scott Mtn Lookout, the construction of road to the lookout site, and the construction of a 54 foot steel tower and cabin."
"Scott Mtn LO - cost $2736.83." (Linn District Annual Report)
1948: A 60-foot steel tower with a 14 x 14 wood lookout cab was constructed.
October 12, 1962: The lookout was damaged by the high winds of the Columbus Day storm.
1963: Storm damage was repaired and a storage building constructed.
April 1966: "A purchase of 13,000 feet of underground type cable has been made for transmission of power to Scott Mountain in the Linn County Fire Patrol Association District.
Another addition for Scott Mountain will be the 120 foot steel tower originally scheduled for Mt. Harris in the Northeast Oregon District. It will bear the antenna gear." (The Forest Log)
1979: The lookout was dismantled.
