JOSEPHINE COUNTY
WHISKEY PEAK
Rogue River National Forest
41S-5W-11
41S-5W-11
1923: A telephone line was constructed from the Oregon Caves to Whiskey Peak.
1924: "A lookout house was built on Whiskey Peak. The lumber was cut for this house at the Medford warehouse by Floyd Murray and others. Murray erected the house on Whiskey Peak in April." (History of the Rogue River National Forest, Volume 1 - Carroll E. Brown)
October 11, 1929: "Cal Winningham, lookout on Whiskey Peak in the Applegate section, was put out of business last Sunday morning when his lookout structure caught fire while he was outside repairing a chimney, and a gust of wind blew fire from the stove onto bedding and wood. All his personal belongings and the government supplies on hand were burned up with the structure." (Medford Mail Tribune)
October 12, 1929: "The lookout cabin at Whiskey Peak was destroyed by fire Sunday, caused by fire starting near the flue. Cal Winningham, lookout man, tried hard to put out the fire but wood which was stored inside caught on fire, making it impossible. The government loss was $1,000 and Mr. Winningham lost his clothing and bedding. Whiskey Peak is about eight miles from the Steamboat road." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 20, 1930: "Cal Winningham was stationed at Whiskey Peak. Mr. Winningham is living in a tent as the lookout was burned down last fall. He is trimming the trail so lumber can be packed to the top of the peak. The Forest Service expects to start building the new house in July." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 27, 1930: "Forest Service will begin work next week on the new lookout that is being constructed on Whiskey Peak since the old one was destroyed last fall by fire. It is to have a concrete floor and Tom Bigsby from Eagle Point will pack the sand and gravel from Big Applegate to the top of the peak." (Medford Mail Tribune)
July 23, 1930: "New forest lookout stations are being erected on four peaks in the Crater national forest this month, forest officials announce. The buildings which arrive here ready made from service headquarters in Portland." One of these buildings is to be placed on Whiskey Peak. (Morning Oregonian)
July 25, 1930: "Work was started by the national forest service on the new lookout station on top of Whiskey Peak to take the place of the one destroyed last year by fire. Garold Buck is running the caterpillar tractor and trailer hauling sand and gravel from the bed of Big Applegate up to the end of the road, where Tom Bigsby continues with pack horses to the top. The new house is to have a concrete floor. Cal Winningham, the new lookout for the forest service is living in a tent while the new house is being constructed." (Medford Mail Tribune)
October 3, 1930: "The new Whiskey Peak lookout building has been completed, but was a little late for this season. Cal Winningham, the lookout man, was taken off duty this week. He remained on top of the mountain, however, to paint the new house." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 28, 1935: "Mr. and Mrs. George Ellis went Tuesday to Whiskey Peak, where they will have charge of the lookout for the summer." (Medford Mail Tribune)
August 7, 1936: "James McLean, 20, of Hillsboro, Ore., a forest service lookout, stationed at Whiskey Peak, in the upper reaches of the Applegate, yesterday afternoon was shot in the left leg by the accidental discharge of a .22 caliber rifle.
The weapon was behind the lookout station door. When McLean closed the door, the rifle fell to the floor and was discharged. The bullet struck McLean near the knee and coursed upwards.
McLean applied a tourniquet, and dressed his would, then telephoned for aid.
The attending physician said there was a possibility McLean had sustained a severed major nerve center, and a large artery." (News-Review)
August 14, 1936: "James MacLean, forestry student at Oregon State college who has been confined at Community hospital with a bullet would in his left leg, showed a turn for the worse last night and his father, A. MacLean of Hillsboro, was called to the city.
Because of the lack of circulation, gangrene has shown evidence of developing and it might become necessary to amputate the leg midway between the knee and ankle, the attending physician said.
MacLean was shot accidentally a week ago yesterday at the remote Whiskey Peak fire lookout station at the head of the Applegate river on the Rogue river national forest where he was employed for the summer.
As he was about to leave the lookout house the door swung wide and knocked over a .22 calibre rifle standing behind it. The gun discharged and the bullet pierced his leg above the knee, puncturing a sheath containing the sciatic nerve, a vein and an artery." (Medford Mail Tribune)
August 21, 1936: "Jim Arnold of Oak Grove district has taken charge of Whiskey Peak lookout for the remainder of fire season. Mr. Arnold succeeds two CCC men from Camp Applegate who assumed the post temporarily following the gun accident two weeks ago in which Lookout James MacLean was seriously injured." (Medford Mail Tribune)
October 30, 1936: "James McLean, who has been confined in Community hospital for the past three months, is to leave this evening by train for his home in Portland. McLean has been convalescing from the amputation of his right leg, necessitated by a wound suffered when he accidentally shot himself last August 6. He was stationed at Whiskey Peak lookout in the Rogue River national forest when the accident occurred and was unable to get help for several hours, as he was alone at the lookout. He was brought to medical aid by a CCC crew who then carried him down the mountain trail by stretcher as there were no roads to the station. He was employed for the summer, being a sophomore at the school of forestry, Oregon State college." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 10, 1938: "Larry Kaiser, student of Southern Oregon Normal School, will be accompanied by his bride at Whiskey Peak lookout. Thursday he was united in marriage to Margaret Mee Franks of the Applegate." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 24, 1938: "Orie Phillips, employed as forest service packer here, established Mr. and Mrs. Larry Kaiser on their post at Whiskey Peak during the last few days." (Medford Mail Tribune)
Activated: August 26, 1942; Deactivated: October 16, 1943. Roseburg Filter Center
1942: "The two man team of Paul Stibran and Bill Zeigler manned the lookout during the winter as AWS observers. Bill's dog Two-Bits fell off Whiskey Peak two or three times during the winter, but survived to die of old age." (The History of the Rogue River National Forest, Vol. 2)
January 25, 1943: " 'Two Bits' is a little fox terrier dog, the companion of Bill Ziegler, observer at a lookout station on the Rogue River National Forest. One morning recently, Two Bits, feeling extra frisky because of the cold, snowy weather, chased an imaginary squirrel too close to the cliff's edge near the lookout house, skidded around, barked for help, and fell over.
Since the drop is about 800 feet straight down, Bill mourned the loss of his pal.
Ten days later Bill started down the trail to cut a pole, and just around the first curve, saw Two Bits climbing slowly toward him, right in the middle of the trail, head down and tail wagging. After a happy reunion and a good meal, Two Bits did his best to explain that a deep drift had cushioned his fall, so he dug himself out, hunted around at the foot of the mountain until he found the trail, and made the two-and-a-half mile steep climb back to his home. There hadn't been anything to eat on the way, and it was pretty cold, but he felt fine anyway." (Medford Mail Tribune)
October 16, 1943: Aircraft Warning Service Station "Nan 2-5" was inactivated. The service utilized existing Forest Service facilities and added a small sleeping quarters to the improvements using AWS funds. At the end of service the Forest Service retained the structures for the original function of spotting fires. (Report of the Aircraft Warning Service Stations, May 1, 1944)
Removed
