WHITE ROCK
Douglas County - Douglas FPA - 28S-3W-22
July 2, 1917: "U.F. Collins, who was in from the White Rock district of the Umpqua Forest over Sunday, reports everything in readiness for the opening of the fire season July 1, says the Myrtle Creek Mail. The new trail from the head of South Myrtle to the White Rock station has been completed. It is three miles long, with a maximum grade of 10%. Its completion makes the White Rock district much more easily accessible. He has an order in his pocket for the material for building a lookout station on the summit of White Rock." (Evening Roseburg Review)
September 20. 1917: “Right on the pinnacle of White Rock we found Forest Ranger U. F. Collins and Forest Inspector Robert Wallace busily engaged in the construction of a new fire lookout station building, which is to be walled with glass and equipped with telescopic instruments used by the Forest Service in the rapid determination of the location of forest fires.” (Riddle Tribune)
August 2, 1918: "Forest Supervisor S.C. Bartrum left yesterday on an inspection trip to White Rock lookout station." (Evening Roseburg Review)
August 1923: "Two lookout houses are under construction on the Umpqua Forest this summer. One is on Mount Bailey, overlooking Diamond Lake. and the other is at White Rock. The buildings were cut out at Roseburg this spring and then shipped knocked down to the lookout points." (Six Twenty-Six)
August 1923: "Two lookout houses are under construction on the Umpqua Forest this summer. One is on Mount Bailey, overlooking Diamond Lake. and the other is at White Rock. The buildings were cut out at Roseburg this spring and then shipped knocked down to the lookout points." (Six Twenty-Six)
July 28, 1926: "A string of from 25 to 30 incendiary forest fires were reported at 3 o'clock this morning by the White Rock lookout to the Douglas county fire patrol. The fires are burning on the divide between North and South Myrtle creeks and, according to H.Q. Brown, supervising warden, offer evidence of one of the most flagrant cases of incendiarism to be found this year. Crews of men are being rushed to the scene and, as the fires were discovered before they had spread to any considerable extent, it is believed they can be controlled before any great amount of damage is done." (Daily Capital Journal)
1926: A 14 x 16 log, one room, cabin with a shake roof and no floor constructed for a cost of $10.00.
1927: An additional $152.00 expended on the lookout dwelling.
1927: An additional $152.00 expended on the lookout dwelling.
August 1, 1928: "Friends of B.W. Cooney, former county agent, who for many months was critically ill and was not expected to recover, will be glad to learn that he is rapidly improving in health and due to his remarkable vitality and determination will eventually recover fully from his very severe illness.
He is now serving as a forest lookout at the White Rock ranger station, which is located on the Myrtle Creek and Little river divide. He has two milk goats with him, so that he has a good supply of fresh milk, and is rapidly gaining in strength and weight." (Roseburg News-Review)
August 4, 1928: "Clear atmospheric conditions yesterday enabled the White Rock lookout to report smoke at Umpqua, almost 50 miles away in an airline. It was caused by a threshing machine." (Morning Oregonian)
1928: A ground house with an 7 x 7 cupola constructed.
July 17, 1930: "Neil Tripp, who has been at the White Rock lookout station, near Myrtle Creek, is staying home with his parents for a few days on account of illness. He plans on going back to the lookout station within a few days." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 29, 1931: "Investigating reports that vandals had damaged the forest lookout at White Rock, a 4.010 foot observation point on South Myrtle creek, Fred Southwick, supervising warden of the Douglas county fire patrol, discovered the station had been struck by lightning.
The bolt hit a tree 50 yards away and followed the telephone line into the station. Porcelain bases of electrical equipment were shattered with such force particles were buried an inch deep in wooden shutters of the building. Fifteen of the 18 windows in the building were shattered." (Daily Capital Journal)
The bolt hit a tree 50 yards away and followed the telephone line into the station. Porcelain bases of electrical equipment were shattered with such force particles were buried an inch deep in wooden shutters of the building. Fifteen of the 18 windows in the building were shattered." (Daily Capital Journal)
January 29, 1931: "A bolt of lightning broke 15 windows in the Douglas county forest patrol lookout station at White Rock, the summit of the divide between South Myrtle and Cavitt creeks, according to Fred Southwick, supervising warden, who made a trip to the station yesterday. The lightning struck a tree about 50 yards from the station, Mr. Southwick said, and traveled along the telephone wire into the building, where it exploded electric equipment and caused a great deal of damage to the interior of the building. Apparently the damage was done several weeks ago.
The station sits at an elevation of 4010 feet on top of a rocky peak. The building had 18 glass windows to permit observation on all sides. The lightning smoked the building at the point where it entered along the telephone line, but caused no fire. Inside the structure it shattered porcelain bases of switches and other electrical equipment. The explosion being of sufficient force to bury pieces of porcelain deep into the wooden walls and window shutters." (Roseburg News-Review)
June 11, 1931: “Neil Tripp has gone to his lookout station at White Rock on South Myrtle.” (The Glendale Log)
June 11, 1931: “Neil Tripp has gone to his lookout station at White Rock on South Myrtle.” (The Glendale Log)
July 16, 1931: “A farewell party was given at Tripps Saturday night for Neil. About sixty attended. Neil left Sunday for his lookout station at West Fork.” (The Glendale Log)
July 16, 1931: “A farewell party was given at Tripps Saturday night for Neil. About sixty attended. Neil left Sunday for his lookout station at West Fork.” (The Glendale Log)
September 28, 1934: "Thomas Scanlow, of Portland, who has been stationed at the White Rock lookout station during the summer months by the Douglas County Fire Patrol association, spent yesterday in this city attending to business, before leaving for Portland." (Roseburg News-Review)
July 6, 1935: "Tom Scanlon has taken the position of Chief Dispatcher and Elmer Dent has the White Rock lookout station in place of Mr. Scanlon." (News Review)
July 3, 1936: "Elmer Dent, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Dent of this city, left today for White Rock lookout in South Myrtle, where he is being stationed by the Douglas County Fore Patrol association. He is a student at Oregon State college." (Roseburg News-Review)
June 18, 1940: "Mr. and Mrs. Ross Brown spent part of last week at Mrs. Brown's home at Ashland then returned to the valley for a few days. They left Sunday noon. They will be stationed at a lookout past Myrtle Creek during the fire season." (Roseburg News-Review)
Activated: September 17, 1942; Deactivated: October 16, 1943. Roseburg Filter Center.
September 9, 1942: "The Army has requested that White Rock be activated as a yearlong AWS post as soon as possible. Since White Rock is connected to the Umpqua Forest telephone systems, it is expected that this forest will handled all of your communication problems for this post. This was mutually understood and agreed upon by Warden Southwick and Supervisor Harpham." (Letter to the State Forester from James Frankland, USFS Engineering)
June 25, 1943: "Permission is granted to employ two AWS observers, exclusive of the fire personnel that is needed during the summer season, at the White Rock observation post." (Memorandum to the State Forester from James Frankland, USFS Engineering)
October 16, 1943: White Rock AWS station was de-activated by the Army.
October 16, 1943: White Rock AWS station was de-activated by the Army.
1967: The lookout discontinued and removed.