My FS career began in 1935 and ended forty years later on December 31,
1974. At that time my wife Ollie, and I had been married a little more
than thirty-seven years enjoying a happy life with many good experiences
and a few not so good. My assignments were:
1935: Lookout
on High Rock,
1936: Fire and public relations duty registering names of the car
driver, license plate number and number of occupants passing through a
gate at North Gate Guard Station,
visitors were fishermen, enroute to good trout fishing on Little Crater,
Ollalie and
from early Thursday afternoons through the following Mondays as
vacationers came and returned to
their homes in the
traffic was slow. In my idle time I fell a Douglas fir snag, and then bucked
it into sixteen-inch lengths of wood with a single handled bucking saw,
split and piled it in rows to let it air dry.
1937: Member of a FS range survey crew working on private ranches in
Western and
Conservation Service.
1938:
Administrative Guard,
we were at Clearwater RS. Soon thereafter I had to go to my duty station
at Long Meadows, leaving Ollie to
help an
bedridden with a severe thyroid condition and had recently delivered a
newborn baby. Ollie cared for the family and did the cooking, laundry,
ironing and other housework.
My duty at Long Meadows was to ride horseback with permittee cattlemen
and sheep camp-tenders to obtain compliance with permit requirements and
resolve distribution problems. I was well prepared for the job, having
grown up on a farm and worked on
ranches in the
carrying our camping gear, as we slept out during nights away from our
Long Meadows headquarters. It was necessary to be alert for rattlesnakes
near springs, ponds and creeks.
Black Bear were common, although Government trappers had reduced their
numbers in recent years. Coyotes were very common. We enjoyed their
nighttime serenades while camped out. Much of the area we rode was East
of the small Settlement of Troy, Oregon between the South boundary of
the existing Wenaha-Tucannon
Wilderness Area and the
We saw one Cougar, several Bear and many Coyotes, but were not afraid
because I carried a 30-30 rifle under my right stirrup strap when riding
and next to my sleeping bag at night.
1939: Same job
as in 1938 on the
our horses there we lived and cooked in an old shed. The floor was just
plain dirt kept moistened daily with buckets of water carried from a nearby
spring. Later on we moved to another location and lived in an old sheepherder
cabin resembling a Prairie Schooner. It had a small cook stove, a small
bed and a canvass roof. The floor was tilted. To correct that problem
after mopping, we would pour water at the high corner and let it run
over the floor from the sides and out the lower corner.
1940 and spring of 1941: Walla Walla River Watershed survey, Umatilla
NF. Participated in range reconnaissance, identified and recorded on
maps locations of various soil profiles, ran experimental studies by
applying rain type moisture under a huge tent then measured and recorded
quantities of runoff water and top soil losses.
1941: From mid spring to mid September I was Chief of a range survey
crew on the
short grasses and dicot plants dried and were impossible to identify on
site. I was then sent to the
foreman in a CCC camp. Gail Baker was the DR. The camp was closed in
late October and I was
furloughed. We then moved to
found work as an instrument man for a construction contractor. I had
learned while in college to operate transits and levels, but lacked on
the job experience. The first day of work, my immediate boss, a retired
and skilled railroad surveyor, checked my accuracy of reading angles on
the transit and using a level to set elevations. He then called me aside
after determining that I could operate the instruments satisfactorily.
He said “Son, you did a good job operating the instruments but you will
never be able to do the job if you don’t learn to set the tripod
quickly.” In positioning and setting the tripod I had adjusted one leg
then the other two, which wasted time. He immediately taught me the
proper method then told me to practice for an hour and come back. I
caught on quickly and upon watching me he decided that I could set the
tripod to his satisfaction and after a few days my work output would
increase.
I continued work with a helper setting wood stakes with all vertical and
horizontal measurements meeting accuracy requirements of one tenth of an
inch when setting steel anchor bolts in forms to be filled with
concrete. Freezing and thawing conditions at the job site on the South
bank of the
progress. It was often necessary to adjust blueprint specified
measurements to shorter or longer lengths by adjustments calculated with
engineering tables. By the use of a spring scale attached to the head of
the chain, the head chainman was able to maintain a predetermined amount
of pull on the chain, thus negating any change in the length of the tape
other than making adjustments caused by changes in temperature.
1942: In early March the FS called me back at a salary of $1,800 per
year with a per diem rate of $3.00. My primary job was to use a transit
doing triangulation work and some level work on a War Mapping project
financed by the Army Corps of Engineers I readily accepted the job,
considering it another step toward full time employment with the FS. The
work area was in and around the
oil fields of
mid summer and then switched to
the
and the level crews to obtain many more elevation data to use in making
more accurate maps having topographic lines. A problem that impeded
progress while doing
triangulation work in
refraction of light caused by
heat waves beginning at about
and extending until late afternoon. That changed our working hours from
shortly after daylight to no
later than
additional hours before the sunset. However, when cool breezes blew in
from off the
After notifying the construction company that I would soon be going back
to work for the FS they offered me a pay raise. At that time, I was
reminded all the more that I longed to have a career with the FS. As a
result, I did not accept the offer.
During the latter part of my assignment Ollie had to
return to
stay with her mother and father. Her mother was a FS switchboard
operator and her father was a fire dispatcher. Ollie was pregnant and I
was changing work locations every few days.
Before doing triangulation work in the Redwoods the FS had a problem.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey and the U.S. Geolological Survey had done
high-level triangulation work surrounding the Redwoods; however, because
of the type of topography there were no peaks that stood out, thus
making it impossible to do triangulation work. The mature Redwood trees
grew to about the same height having normal taper, but the diameters
became much smaller at a point about thirty to fifty feet from the tops.
FS engineers decided that in order to do triangulation work on some of
the highest points, tree heights needed to be extended.
The plan was to select the tallest Redwood tree at each of several
locations, cut off the top at the point of severe decrease in diameter,
fall and limb a nearby Douglas fir tree, cut off a section of that tree
at a point where its base was approximately one foot in diameter, then
attach to it a banner having four different colored stripes each about a
foot high and four feet in length. The newly made top would then be
pulled into position by using a heavy block and tackle with two pulleys
attached to the Redwood tree, one near the top and one at the bottom.
Power to raise the new top was supplied by team of horses or mules. The
new top was then attached with bolts and cables to the Redwood tree. The
stripes in the banner were changed to different positions at each
location and formed a code for the instrument man to designate its
location geographically so that the cartographers could place its
position on the map, then correlate the geographical location with white
spots on aerial photos to be taken following completion of the field work.
Before installing the new top section, a platform was constructed of
lumber that had been packed in by horses or mules along with four
sections of half-inch plywood each eight feet in length and two feet in
width. The sections were then placed side by side on the platform and
spiked in place. They had previously received two coats of flat white
paint and two coats of enamel paint white paint to aid in identifying
their positions on aerial photos to be taken at a later date. While
taking triangulation readings the red and green stripe colors
occasionally blended under a blue sky and green background thus causing
an error in identification. Some revisits to identify a few targets were
necessary, but at a time when the sun was in a different position.
To accomplish the task the FS hired a local Indian, knowledgeable of
their trail locations and points of higher elevations. They were provided
with rolls of white cord and strung it while enroute to a target location. FS engineers hired
high climbers and along with the Indian, took their felling gear with
food supplies to the top of mountain where the selected tree was
located. After a few days that job was completed. All materials and gear
was carried by a pack string of mules and or horses.
Late in September storms began to blow in from the
urgent need arose to obtain additional angle readings from the top of
Redding Rock Lighthouse to supply the third leg of a triangle. One set
of readings had been taken from an inland peak located to the North of
several desired points and another from a peak located to the South. It
was necessary to obtain readings from a triangulation point on top of
Redding Rock Lighthouse to enable closing the triangle and calculating
the location of the inland peaks by use of trigonometric functions.
The U.S. Coast Guard operated the lighthouse for many years, but had
turned off its beacon lights and shut down some time after a small
Japanese submarine was seen off the
I never learned how or why I was selected for the assignment of going to
the Rock and doing more triangulation work. After the job was completed,
I wondered how an
been on any Ocean, would jump at the opportunity not knowing the perils
to be encountered.
The Weather Bureau had informed the R.O. that wind velocities would soon
increase and become a reality. If we were unable to complete our job,
that part of the mapping project would have failed. Four of us
consisting of the Captain, a white water Alaskan expert in rowing small
boats about twenty-five feet in length, Barney Duberow, a retired FS
employee now living in
foot in length fishing boat. Shortly after we had left shore the Captain
anchored it overnight to await an incoming tide. The boat tossed around
as if it were a cork. Diesel fuel fumes made me seasick but by the next
morning I had recovered.
The white water man had been hired to row Barney and me from the fishing
boat, with survey gear, to the Rock. The forecasted wind storm had
become a reality, and it was too dangerous for the fishing boat to
maneuver closer than seventy-five to one hundred yards from the Rock on
an incoming tide with waves eight to ten feet high. I was concerned that
the man from
water the previous night and that he would become too tired to complete
his assigned job. We worked on the windward side of the rock where the
wind speed was increasing with waves eight to ten feet high were
striking the Rock. After several attempts to move Barney and me and
survey gear from the twenty-five foot rowboat, we made it to shore and
stood on a projection of the Rock above the incoming waves. We then
grabbed hold of a moving weather-beaten two inch in diameter rope frayed
at its bottom end, but fastened at its top to a steel rung ladder that
reached the top of the Rock ninety-four feet above mean ocean level and
three miles from shore. We finally caught hold of the rope and after
tying the survey gear to our backs we cautiously climbed the ladder to
the top of the Rock. One of the transits was brought along, by order of
my boss, as a spare in event the one I had used for several months
failed to operate properly. Each transit was packed in a wood box, which
increased our load weight.
Before climbing the rope we noticed that the lower two rings of the
steel ladder had been broken by the erosive forces of wind and seawater.
Upon reaching the top of the Rock we found it to be covered with sea
gull droppings and it took a few minutes for us to locate the
triangulation point on top of the Rock. Then looking down the lea ward
side of the Rock we saw a large herd of Sea Lions barking or yapping
incessantly. Not only did the odor bother us but also the slippery
surface on which, we had to stand. We were very cautious to maintain our
footing, that if lost would have caused us to slide into the ocean.
Shortly before completing our task the Captain blew the fishing boat
whistle and continued until we signaled him that we had heard it. I had
about ten minutes work remaining and stayed with the transit until
necessary readings were taken. We then prepared to get off the Rock.
After safely descending the ladder the remaining job facing us was to
reload our equipment and us, get back into the rowboat and return to get
aboard the fishing boat.
While putting our gear in the twenty-five foot rowboat a box containing
the spare transit slipped into the ocean and rapidly filled with
seawater. We retrieved it with a small rope we had attached to it. After
the reloading the equipment, Barney and I were ready to get into the
rowboat and return to the fishing boat. While trying to get into the
rowboat, with high waves still hitting the Rock, Barney slipped into the
ocean after losing his grip on the side of the small rowboat. He
immediately made another effort and pulled himself out of the water and
into the small boat with clothing soaked, but not having gone under. I
knew that upon reaching land I would have to thoroughly and as soon as
possible wash the transit with fresh water to inhibit corrosive damage
to its brass parts by the salty ocean water. The Alaskan then rowed us
to the fishing boat and as soon as we were aboard and on our way back,
the Fishing boat Captain took me to task for not getting off the rock at
the time of his blowing the signal. I did not offer an excuse, although
I did thank the Alaskan for his good work.
1943: I received my first full time professional appointment with a
grade raise, early in January as
Assistant Ranger,
to cruise timber, mark trees on sale areas, scale logs lay out logging
roads and administer timber sale operations.
1944: Continued
duties as Assistant Ranger on the
1945: Promoted
to DR,
received another grade raise, the second of my professional career.
Shopping facilities for staple food and clothing were available eighty
miles to the North in
Lakeview. A second son arrived in
June, born in
Bend.
We were at war with the Japanese. Much of the staple food and all
gasoline was rationed until sometime after the Japanese Emperor
surrendered on August 15, VJ Day. Rationing caused an additional problem
for Ollie to supply meals to S.O. and R.O. personnel who traveled to and
from
I obtained the following data, from Google research engine: “1941 the
rationing of rubber began; 1943 - three pairs of shoes per year as of
February 7, when shoe rationing went into effect; March 17, canned goods
were rationed and on March 29, meet and cheese were rationed; October
30, shoe rationing ended; meat and butter rationing ended November 23;
tire rationing ended on December 20. Sugar rations were cut twenty-five
percent in 1945 as reserves were near empty.”
At
a water tank and warmth in the kitchen on cold days. Supplemental heat
was supplied by a circulating oil heater and a log-eating fireplace.
Neither commercial electricity nor commercial telephone service was
available; however, we had a “limping” war surplus diesel generator that
had replaced a worn out gas driven generator. When not down for repairs
it supplied sufficient power for the Ranger Station office, home
lighting, a water system and a washing machine.
Our source of water was a well approximately 120 feet deep. A problem
occurred about every two to three weeks. During those times our entire
water supply had been drained. We were without water and we could not
use the kitchen range for fear of burning out the coils. A trap door had
been built in the pump house roof several years before, permitting
removal of six lengths of galvanized pipe, twenty foot in length and
1 1/2 inch in diameter. The well had been drilled through a layer of
lava rock and then into a pumice deposit. When we were out of water it
was necessary to remove one pipe length at a time by the aid of a rope
block and tackle, meanwhile maintaining a non-slip grip on the section
below to prevent the remaining pipe sections from slipping back into the
well. After removing the pipe we removed the flapper valve attached to
the lowest section, cleaned out the accumulated pumice that kept the
pipe partially open thereby permitting the water in our supply to drain.
We then reinstalled the pipe one section at a time. The operation took a
crew of threw or four men almost a half-day to accomplish. During the
late fall and winter months only one employee in addition to myself was
on duty. Donated help was obtained from neighboring ranchers. FS funds
were never available until after one cold morning when hand cranking the
diesel engine I fractured a disk in my lower spine.
On April 10, the
telephone and stated the word “paper”, the code word for a sighted or
downed Japanese balloon. He then gave me his azimuth reading and
estimated distance from his station and said “tree”, which meant that
the balloon had landed in a tree. I confirmed his data without further
conversation and then reported the incident to my Forest Supervisor.
The following day a group of Air Force personnel arrived in vehicles to
deactivate either anti-personnel or incendiary bombs and to gather and
haul back to military headquarters any remaining parts of the balloon
that were not destroyed upon landing. The group consisted of a Captain,
a Lieutenant, a Sergeant and several non-coms.
I lead them to the downed balloon area via vehicle and foot travel over
snow. By using back sight and foresight readings on my compass, we found
the balloon hanging in a small pine tree with its life-endangering
envelope dropping device on the ground. The Captain and the Lieutenant
examined it from a safe distance with binoculars and determined that it
had one unexploded incendiary anti-personnel bomb, but did not have an
anti-personnel bomb that may have been released while in flight. There
was still danger for reason that if the incendiary bomb exploded it
would create intense heat sufficient to kill anyone near it. The
Lieutenant told me that his training and experience would enable him to
defuse and dismantle it without danger and asked me to hold pieces of
the mechanism as he worked. I agreed to assist him. After the bomb was
disabled the non-coms removed the thirty-foot diameter balloon from the
tree in which it was entangled and then loaded it and some parts into
the balloon into one of the small trucks.
When we returned to the Ranger station the Lieutenant told Ollie of my
experience, She became angry with me for taking chances that, if gone
sour would have left our sons without a father and her without a
husband. I admit that I had taken the word of the Lieutenant without
thought of danger. What a fool I was!
Ollie had supper almost prepared and a few minutes later announced,
“supper is ready”. The non-coms left the dining room and went into the
kitchen. She followed them and again told them to come to the table. A
whispered reply from one of them informed her that they were not
permitted to eat with the officers. She then stepped into the dining
room and addressed the Captain saying, “I don’t care what rules you
have. In my house I am boss and I want all of you to eat together.”
Immediately the captain nodded his head to the non-coms in approval.
After having breakfast with us the following morning the group departed.
1946 and 1947: Continued my assignment as District Ranger on the Silver
1948-1951 Was
District Ranger on the Drews Valley District,
with headquarters in
had started and rapidly spread in an area having a lot of logging slash.
Our crews, together with logging crew assistance helped us
contain the fire and to get it under control. One of the logging
companies brought two Caterpillar tractor bulldozers with operators. By
the coming of darkness we had the fire contained but far from
controlled. We put hand crews along the fire line and patrolled the fire
during the night. The next day the fire was controlled. At the time the
going price was twelve dollars per hour for a D-8 Caterpillar bulldozer
without operator and ten dollars per hour for standby. For a D-6
Caterpillar bull dozer, a much less powerful machine, the going price
was eight dollars per hour without operator and six dollars for standby.
Because of windy nights and our not having reached control, I placed a
D-6 Caterpillar bulldozer on standby. The cost to the Forest Service for
my decision was less than seventy-five dollars. We did not have reason
to put the bulldozer to use that night. A Board of Review was held that
fall with the Region’s Fire Control Assistant leading the discussion. No
serious criticism was made of our fire fighting efforts; however, the
discussion leader picked up my having placed the D-6 bulldozer on
standby. He told me that it was a waste of money. I listened to him and
then presented my rebuttal. After additional criticism he finished his
lecture and the Board Of Review session ended. A written report at a
later was not as critical as the oral presentation.
1955: Was
District Ranger on the
very heavy workload of numerous sheep allotments, several cattle
allotments plus timber sale preparation and sale administration.
1956-1974: Primarily Fire Control, Recreation, and Lands staff,
raise and was very happy about that. I continued holding the Fire
Control position until the late sixties or early seventies. About 1959,
I was removed from the Range and Wildlife position and assigned the
Recreation and Lands staff function. Because of heavy increase in
workloads during the late sixties
the
man held each major function. Mine was then Lands.
My FS career assignments consisted of eight years seasonable work; two
years Assistant Ranger; eleven years District Ranger on three Districts
and nineteen years S.O. staff on
the
net employment time according to R.O. records indicated thirty-seven and
one-half years of service.
R.O. records showed that I worked on 224 class A and B fires; was Fire
Boss on several project fires in R-6, R-5 and one in R-4; Zone Boss on
several in R-5. I was qualified and carried Fire Boss Red Cards from
1961 until I retired in 1974.
My last Fire Boss assignment was the 47,000 acre
conflagration on the
were filmed by M.G.M. and named “Wildfire.” It was previewed in
expenses were paid from W.O. funds. Ollie and I paid for hers. The film
was then shown on NBC for several months.
During my first eight years of employment, work for temporary field
going employees ended in late October following the end of the
slash-burning season. If the employee had a Civil Service rating he
would be furloughed and put back to work the following spring if funding
was available and he so desired. If he did not have a Civil Service
rating he would be terminated and most often rehired if work and funds
were available. Working at odd jobs while attending college helped us
financially in a small way, but those who had been terminated were hard
pressed, particularly if they had a family to support. The common
expression by those fellows was “ we will be picking you ‘know what’
with the chickens until spring.’’
Wanting to become a Forest Ranger was helped by an experience I had when
I was seven or eight years old. My father had a friend who
was a
Ranger on a forest in
experiences. I became obsessed with the idea that upon growing up I too,
would become a Forest Ranger. Until that day arrived almost twenty-five
years later I carried that thought within me.
After I had been a Forest Ranger for almost eleven years, I one day
realized that one of my peers had been promoted to a staff position on
another forest and had received a grade promotion. After having a
conversation with my Forest Supervisor, Larry Mays it was not long
before Gail Baker was transferred to the R.O. and I was selected to fill
his staff position on the
Fire Control staff and the Wildlife and Range Management staff
positions. After living in
we wanted to live there permanently.
I enjoyed riding horses as did Ollie and working with stockmen, loggers,
lumbermen, mountain climbers, hikers and most outdoor enthusiasts. In
addition, Ollie and I were powder snow ski fanatics. As Recreation
staff, I worked hard and long
with District Range Ed Parker and
Supervisor, Jim Eagan to obtain the Regional Forester’s and Chief’s
approval for a hoped for large winter sports-ski area development at
Bachelor
approval by the Oregon Geographical Names Committee.
The potential applicant consisted of five professional business men led
by Bill Healy, an ex 10th Mountain Division ski trooper having served in
of all snow types and skiing conditions. Soon thereafter the group
incorporated for $50,000. Five Board members were elected and Bill Healy
became President.
A major obstacle remained to be solved before obtaining Chief’s
approval. Regulations required, that for a new area, publicity must be
given by contacting all existing ski area operators on NF land to
determine if any were interested. No interest was indicated following
our contacts. Had there been any, it would have been necessary to select
the highest qualified bidder based on the percentage of annual fee he
would be willing to pay. Luckily
for the
replies were received.
Prior to recommending approval to the Chief, Frank Folsom, head of the
R-6 Division of Recreation and Lands, requested that I return to the
R.O. for further discussion. His reason was that I had been a National
Ski Patrolman for ten years had held an American Red Cross first aid
instructor card during the same period and had close contact with
members and officers of the Pacific Northwest Ski Association. He wanted
me to give him more information before presenting his final
recommendations to the Chief in
“what if” situations before presenting his final recommendations to the
Chief.
Mr. Folsom was an old time cross-country skier who had done only a small
amount of downhill skiing. He at first discussed my R-6 assignment in
1956 when I inspected all ski areas operating on NF lands in R-6. The
result of my recommendations tightened the rules of administration and
required all rope tow operators to discontinue use of solid barriers on
their operations.
He then seriously told me that the proposed development would be
unsuccessful for reason that
available at Government Camp near the summit of the Cascades at an
elevation of 4,817 feet, with additional facilities at Timberline Lodge
at an elevation of 6,330 feet located a short distance above the
timberline on the lower slopes of
area skiers would not drive 160
miles to
miles to Bachelor Butte and then after skiing a day or two drive back
182 miles to
drive beyond
Hoodoo Bowl, and
Pass at an elevation of 5,128 to ski at the
Folsom did not quote the elevations. I put them in for your information.
In my part of the discussion, I explained that the 9,060 foot summit of
Bachelor
available at 6,300 feet together with its location seven miles east of
the
powder” and many sunny days. I also told him that skiers coming to
Bachelor would spend goodly amounts money for skiing, clothing,
shopping, motel rental, eating and gasoline. I then closed my
presentation by telling him that
two large sawmills located in
logged their lands and slowed their operations from a three shift
operation to a one and as a result created a very large unemployment
situation. Near the end of our conversation Mr. Folsom told me that my
presentation had merit. A few days later Supervisor Eagan was informed
that the Chief had approved issuing a special use permit. That news when
conveyed to the applicant was gratefully accepted and appreciated.
After the special-use permit was issued, prior to the start of operation
in the fall of 1958, the permitee installed three rope tows and a Swiss made T-Bar.
In the summer of 1959 the T-Bar was removed and a Poma lift was installed. The skiers
enjoyed using it, but its capacity did not fill the demand. To remedy that situation the first
chairlift was installed, I believe in 1960. At the present Times there are ten lifts ready
to go as crowds demand. One takes
skiers to the top of
All rope tows except one for beginners have long been removed. Four
lodges; seventy downhill runs, with the longest one and one-half miles in length, and
fifty miles of Nordic runs are
available during the winter season. The
area is now rated as a high-ranking ski resort.
You may wonder why I remained on the
and did not try to climb the promotion ladder. The answer is: I was born
a Westerner, raised a Westerner and want to die a Westerner. After
arriving in
wanted to live here the remainder of our lives. That decision has not
been altered.
Chances for promotion to the W.O. were offered me twice during my
assignment on the Deschutes NF. One was in Internal Audit and one in
Fire Control. I rejected both offers. As expected, I was left to finish
my career in
Here are a few lines from a book, entitled “East of the Cascades”
written by Phil Brogan an educated geologist, and long time reporter for
the
whose pine stands were running
short looked to the
Already several
pine on the
Brooks-Scanlon on August 18 announced plans to construct mills. These
companies were to manufacture billions of board feet lumber from the
The Bend City Library has given me the following information pertaining
to Bend’s population growth:
“
1904…300
1910…536
1915…5,145
1920…5,415;
1930…8,848
1940…10,021
1950…11,409
1960…11,937
1970…13,710;
1980…17,200;
1985…18,450
1990…20,469
1995…29,425
1999…50,650
2001…52,029
According to the census data it appears that the
to increase rapidly, in the early
sixties when the
Corporation began to expand its facility.
Don Peters