EARLY DAYS in the FOREST SERVICE Volume 4
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EARLY DAYS IN THE FOREST SERVICE Volume 4 Compiled and Edited by Jessie Thompson 1976 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE Northern Region Missoula, Montana TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Cover Photo: St. Mary's Lookout, Bitterroot National Forest, From Photo by Charles H. McDonald Cover design by Robert Neaves; Pen and Ink drawings of lookout towers by Thomas Reul Preface by Steve Yurich Foreword Stories By: The Lookout by W.K. "Bill" Samsel The Ranger in Charge by W.K. "Bill" Thompson Falls, Montana by I.V. Anderson Top Ranger, Diplomat, Judge, Jury and Advocate by I.V. Anderson Chief Paul Charlo -- 4 Elk and 12 Deer by I.V. Anderson "Never Become Beholden" by I.V. Anderson A Smokechaser on Pot Mountain by Robert G. Elliott The Decker Saddle by Clyde P. Fickes Early Panhandle And Kootenai Years by Charles B. Hand Backfire (Martin Creek And Peter King Fires) by L.A. Williams Old Pioneer Rangers' Wives by Leon L. Lake Lightening On Mount Emerine by Leon L. Lake True, Mischievous, and Destructive Facts by Leon L. Lake The Pinkham Creek Closure -- 1924 by Sam Billings Timber Cruising on the Kaniksu by Sam Billings Anecdotes and Fireline Philosophies by Ralph L. Hand The Roundtop Telephone (Swan Song of a Dispatcher) Selway Forest Fires of 1934 by C.B. Sutliff Kootenai Forest Incidents -- 1940 by Ernie Richards Civilian Conservation Corps In Operation by Carl A. Weholt Letters to Folks Back Home -- 1929 by Wm. F. Guntermann The CCC's As R-1 Forest Fire Fighters by Bert W. Morris They Pioneered The Bitterroots by Carl A. Weholt As recounted by Lloyd Rupe Tree Planting Projects On The St. Joe by Lloyd Donally First Year In The Forest Service by Carl G. Krueger The "Battle" On Bass Creek by Charles H. McDonald Fire Crews Firefighting in 1941 by Berle E. Davis The Modern Bulldozer, A Forest Service Project by Howard R. Jones Indian Creek Ranger Station by Ralph L. Thayer Early Snow in the Bitterroots by Ray S. Ferguson The Grave on Pollack Hill by Lou Hartig Other St. Joe National Forest History by Lloyd Donally Submitted by Ray L. Hilding The Forest Service Heliograph by E. Clayton McCarty A Cargo Plane Crashes by Jack Nash Memories Of George Haynes and Honeysuckle Ranger Station by John F. Breakey Evolution of the National Grasslands by Bernie Alt and Glenn Mueller Mules of the Remount -- A Legend Is Born by Peyton Moncure From the View Point of a Lookout (Poem) by Bernice Williamson Early-Day Ranger in the Priest Lake Country by Henry A. Peterson Index (omitted from the online edition) LIST OF FIGURES 1. Spotted Bear Lookout, Flathead National Forest, From 1923 Photo 2. St. Mary's Lookout, Bitterroot National Forest, From Photo by Charles H. McDonald 3. Nub Lookout, Clearwater National Forest, From 1924 Photo 4. Decker Pack Saddle, 1920, design/specifications drawing 5. Middle Sisters Mountain Lookout, St. Joe National Forest From 1950 Photo by W.B. Apgar 6. Chewelash Mountain Lookout Tower, Colville National Forest From 1950 Photo by W.E. Steverwald 7. Sheep Mountain Lookout, Clearwater National Forest From 1924 Photo 8. Blue Mountain Lookout, From 1958 Photo by J.E. Sanderson 9. Junction Mountain Lookout, Clearwater National Forest, From 1924 Photo 10. Map along Idaho-Montana line, Kelly Creek Ranger Station, Trojanowski's Grave, Clearwater River, North Fork Creek 11. Swan Hill or Mission Lookout, Flathead National Forest From 1923 Photo 12. Lookout Tree on Horse Butte Point, Gallatin National Forest From 1963 Photo by W.E. Steverwald Pen and Ink drawings of lookout towers by Thomas Reul PREFACE Missoula, Montana January 1976 TO THE FRIENDS OF THE NORTHERN REGION: In keeping with our policy of preserving for posterity the rich and colorful history of the Forest Service, we are continuing with our series of publications known as "Early Days In The Forest Service." This, our Volume No. 4, is the latest in the series begun in 1944 by the then Regional Forester Evan W. Kelley We continue in this volume the well-accepted style of its predecessors, namely, to publish the letters and articles from Northern Region retirees or about-to-be-retirees just as they wrote them or spoke them. In this way we feel that not only are the sights, sounds, and feel of that era better preserved, but that the character and personality of each of these former employees is more perfectly presented to those readers who either knew them personally or knew of them. Since this present volume is appearing during the Bicentennial of the American Revolution, we are dedicating this published collection as a Bicentennial project. It also happens that this year marks one hundred years of Federal forestry. So this volume indeed makes its appearance at a particularly auspicious time. I hope that all of you who read Volume 4 of these early days will get the thrill of going back into history and thus feel closer to those dedicated employees who, in many cases, endured hardship and privation in order to do their job to the best of their ability. By its very nature, the Forest Service is an agency, which has always attracted the best to its ranks. And I have every confidence that, as stewards and managers of much of America's forest and rangeland, the employees of the Forest Service will continue to create a colorful history. Sincerely, STEVE YURICH Regional Forester SPOTTED BEAR LOOKOUT Flathead National Forest from 1923 photo FOREWORD It is with pleasure that we present to you this Volume 4 of "Early Days in the Forest Service" to coincide with our Nation's bicentennial observance during 1975-1976. Coincidentally, 1976 also marks the 100th anniversary of the concept of forestry as is now practiced in the United States. This volume is the fourth in the series to appear. These volumes have been published roughly one volume each decade, beginning with Volume 1 back in 1944. In all of these volumes we have utilized the memoirs, letters and articles written and given to us by retirees and former employees of the Northern Region of the Forest Service. In some cases, we have used material by long-time employees who are still employed by the Forest Service. We are indebted to these faithful and interested "alumni" of the Forest Service for the material, which has gone into these four volumes. The stories or accounts in each volume are not in chronological sequence. Neither are the volumes themselves. The reason for this is apparent: various accounts and reminiscences continue to surface and come to light as the years go by. So we must assiduously preserve these earliest accounts as they come into our hands. Thus, this volume, as do the preceding three, represents a well-rounded collection of activities representing Forest Service activities dating from the earliest years down through more recent times. Both this volume and the others, retain the language and speaking style and writing style of its contributors. We feel that this adds to the color, flavor, and individuality of each of the contributions. This variation in "style" of each item helps to show and preserve the personality and character of each of these "oldtime" foresters, rangers, smokechasers, lookouts, and all the others who have contributed material. Consequently, editing of material contributed was done with that objective in mind rather than trying to achieve flawless grammar and sentence construction. We think you, too, will agree that that was "the way to go." Historians, students, and writers who are researching various source material in order to obtain firsthand accounts of how things were done in the Forest Service "back in the old days", will find this and the preceding three volumes informative. The casual reader will also enjoy it. The informal presentation of this material, too, will add to the interest since this gives a sense of reader participation and identification with the characters and situations. The value of this information will, obviously, increase as time goes by. THE LOOKOUT By W.K. "Bill" Samsel Most of the Forest Service's early day lookouts were above timberline, in the cap rock, where timber did not obstruct their view. In the beginning, of course, these points were unimproved. There was no protection from the elements, for man or equipment. It was common practice then for the lookout man to camp in the nearest sheltered place below the lookout point, from where he could quickly hike up and take observations. During periods of high fire danger and lightening storm activity he might make several such observation trips in a day's time. In some cases, in order to observe more area, a man might use two or more observation points located a considerable distance apart. In such cases the man would hike from one point to another taking observations on each point and return. Such stations were referred to as patrol routes and the person manning such a station was known as a patrolman. Living quarters on these early day detection points were most primitive. The Forest Service furnished a tent, a few cooking utensils, and a bed, consisting of 3 GD army type wool blankets and a tarp, a double bitted axe and fire tools. It was up to the man to use his own ingenuity and skill as a woodsman in making his quarters as comfortable as possible. The first three summers I worked for the Forest Service I was stationed on one of these unimproved points. I was fortunate, however, that there were two of us stationed at the same point.