DOUGLAS COUNTY
SILICA MOUNTAIN
Umpqua National Forest > Douglas FPA
23S-1W-34
23S-1W-34
1920: A lookout established in a tree 30-feet above the ground.
September 12, 1927: "Cliff Van Schoiack, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Van Schoiack of Dorena, who has been acting as emergency lookout in the Umpqua forest service, stationed at Silica mountain, is home for the winter and will enter high school." (The Eugene Guard)
September 19, 1927: "At Silica Mountain we find George Hewitt and Frank Coons building a Ranger Shelter at the foot of the mountain, getting their material in the manner already described. On top of the mountain, a mile and a half or more by trail from the ranger shelter, all preparations have been made for a ranger to make his home there during such time as may be required during fire season. No lookout remains there, however, except by special order or when a lightning storm is expected or in progress. A tall fir has been cut off 60 feet from the ground and on top of this is a perch in which the fire finding equipment has been placed. The perch is reached by a ladder built up the side of thew tree from material found at hand and firmly attached at intervals to the tree. I didn't make the 60-foot ascent at first attempt, but I learned afterward that some of the rangers make more than one trial the first time, and then I didn't feel so foolish. Looking down 40 or 50 feet from a position on a ladder rising perpendicularly doesn't give courage to one not used to high climbing and the remaining 10 or 20 feet looks like a heck of a ways." (The Sentinel)
1931: A 16 foot high round fir tower, with 12 legs, erected with a 14 x 14 gable roof lookout cab.
July 21, 1933: "A CCC crew from Brice Creek camp, under Barney Shattuck, left for Silica Monday to do maintenance work on trails and telephone lines." (The Sentinel)
Note: This site originally on the Umpqua National Forest but later operated by the Douglas County Fire Patrol.