SANGER PEAK
Del Norte County - Siskiyou National Forest
May 1, 1914: "The rest of the month will be devoted to getting ready for fire season. Forest Guard Howard, will probably be on duty May 1, his work will be repairing the Bolen and Sanger Peaks telephone lines, brushing and cutting logs out of the trails. It is also planned to construct a few tool boxes." (Siskiyou Bulletin)
July 31, 1916: "Worth Hamilton has joined the forest service and will act as lookout on Sanger peak. Although there have been very few fires this season, the beginning of the hot weather and opening of hunting season will probably make the forest fire a menace again this year." (Rogue River Courier)
July 1917: "The Del Norte Claims people operating in the vicinity of Sanger Peak have unearthed a good deposit of copper ore and propose to construct an auto truck to their property. The proposed road would extend to within 3/4 of a mile of the Sanger Peak Lookout Station." (Siskiyou Bulletin)
July 24, 1918: "Miss Juanita Parker left this morning for Sanger point, near Takilma, where she will join Miss Edna Cornell. They will be in the forestry service the rest of the summer, keeping the lookout at Sanger point." (Rogue River Courier)
August 8, 1918: "Miss Edna Cornell, domestic science teacher, and Juanita Parker, teacher of Spanish in the Grants Pass schools during the last year, have been installed at a lookout at the Sanger point lookout station near Takilma, and will spend the next month in the wilds of Josephine county, in the forestry department service. Miss Parker has accepted a position in the Portland schools for the coming year." (Ashland Tidings)
October 1919: "Those who believe that "A woman's place is in the home," and most certainly not at a lookout station should read the following extracts from the diary of a lady lookout who occupied Sanger Peak in Ranger Lewis' district on the Siskiyou Forest in Sanger Peak has no lookout tower and is probably the windiest lookout on this Forest. Ranger Lewis reports that this "Lookout Lady" was one of the best lookouts he has had at this station.
Three men have occupied this position at different times in 1919. One could not stand the altitude and another didn't like the job--quite a contrast to the cheer and courage displayed by this girl who had no previous experience. The present lookout is a married man--his wife with him--and doubtless part of his success can be attributed to his lady partner.
Several diary entries are:
August 4. Things start off wrong. Took two hours to build fire due to wind. The mice raided the commissary, so a counter attack begins at once. We erected a stone bench in front of the tent to supplement the petroleum boxes for chairs,
August 16. Heavy showers. Spent most of the time getting wet and drying out again. Between showers in the late afternoon we went below, determined to stay until a change of weather.
August 26. Cooler but very smoky. A lazy day - did nothing that could be avoided. Watched a 9-mule pack train on its way to J.Y.'s valley. Queer names they had for their mules; could hear plainly Hey-there, Damit, etc. Spent evening at the fireplace.
September 4. Cool early in day, but not clear. Took trip for water in a.m. Diet consists of mostly bread and water, with beans for variety. Windy at night. Rats held reunion on top of tent, which netted a dead rat and a bullet hole in the tent. Two mice were buried with the rat." (Six Twenty-Six)
1926: "A ready-cut (out of Page Creek) lookout cabin was packed in and built on Sanger Peak." (A History of the Siskiyou National Forest - 1939)
May 16, 1926: "A standard lookout station is being constructed on the top of Sanger peak, just over the California line. This will be standard in all respects and will give the lookout a good vision of many miles of forests. The station is in the district under J.P. DeWitt of the Page creek ranger station." (Medford Mail Tribune)
September 1926: "We are now able to state that our lookout house on Sanger Peak is completed and the lookout is established in his new home. This brings all our lookouts up to standard, with lightning protection on all three." (Six Twenty-Six)
May 1940: "Excellent seen area which covers principally lightning country. Suggested season based on usual lightning season." (Plans, Guard Placement, Siskiyou National Forest)
October 10, 1957: "A new 15 by 15 feet flat-top roof type lookout tower on Sanger peak will replace the old building there next fire season.
The new structure was completed recently by a Grants Pass carpenter, assisted by Jack Marc who manned the lookout this summer. According to Ray Ellstrom, district ranger, the old building will be torn down." (Medford Mail Tribune)
The new structure was completed recently by a Grants Pass carpenter, assisted by Jack Marc who manned the lookout this summer. According to Ray Ellstrom, district ranger, the old building will be torn down." (Medford Mail Tribune)
November 18, 1957: "District Ranger Ray Ellstrom reports two instances of break-ins at Forest Service lookouts. Hasps were taken off the doors and shutters were broken at Bolan and the old Sanger peak lookout stations, after they were closed for the winter." (Medford Mail Tribune)
August 9, 1961: "Dennis Bottel, of O'Brien, has won a $300 scholarship from Blue Lake Packers Inc., in dairy and food technology at Oregon State university.
This summer he is employed by the forest service as lookout at Sanger Peak." (Medford Mail Tribune)
June 29, 1962: "Dennis Bottel, student at Oregon State University and son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bottel of O'Brien will spend this summer at Sanger Peak lookout, forestry department lookout station covering parts of Oregon and California." (Medford Mail Tribune)
Removed
DESIGNATION - SANGER PK LOOKOUT HOUSE
PID - MX1250
STATE/COUNTY- CA/DEL NORTE
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - BROKEN RIB MOUNTIAN (1996)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1952 (WRH)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 16-1/2 MILES AIRLINE SOUTH OF
CAVE JUNCTION, 10-1/2 MILES SOUTH OF O BRIEN, AND 5 MILES SOUTH
OF THE OREGON-CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, ON THE HIGHEST PART OF
SANGER PEAK.
THE LOOKOUT HOUSE IS A STANDARD U.S. FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT
HOUSE WHICH IS ABOUT 14 FEET SQUARE AND ABOUT 25 FEET HIGH.
IT IS 35.927 FEET, 10.950 METERS NORTHWEST OF STATION SANGER
PK. THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE WAS INTERSECTED.
STATION RECOVERY (1959)
RECOVERY NOTE BY CA DIV OF HIGHWAYS 1959
THE ORIGINAL LOOKOUT HOUSE WAS TORN DOWN AND REPLACED WITH A
NEW LOOKOUT HOUSE IN 1957. THE NEW LOOKOUT HOUSE APPEARS TO BE
SLIGHTLY SOUTHEASTERLY OF THE LOCATION OF THE ORIGINAL LOOKOUT
HOUSE.