Historical Sites of the Heppner Ranger District

The historical building sites on the Heppner Ranger District all involve the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  Over fourteen-hundred CCC camps were established throughout the nation with nearly half of them on National Forest.

Franklin D. Roosevelt directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to "coordinate the plans for the proposed Civilian Conservation Corps."  To avoid opposition from the labor, the CCC worked only on projects not already covered by public work relief.

The CCC constructed four buildings on the Heppner Ranger District.  These structures include the Combination Warehouse, Gas/Oil House, and Machine Storage built in 1938.  The fourth building, Ditch Creek Guard Station, was built in 1935.

The Combination Warehouse, Gas/Oil House, and Machine Storage Building are located at the Heppner Ranger District Compound.  They presently provide storage for tools, equipment, department records, a tree cooler, ORV's and slash fuels.

Ditch Creek Guard Station is a classic example of building construction by CCC crews on the Umatilla National Forest.  It is now used as a Cabin Rental, with the building complex being eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Ditch Creek Guard Station is located approximately 26.5 miles south of Heppner, Oregon on FS Road 21.

Historical records indicate that the Tupper Work Center was built as early as 1910, when the guard station/bunkhouse was completed.  Facilities were expanded in 1934 with the development of the mess hall and bathhouse.  During this period employees were housed in tents through the field season.  The next major development was in 1964.  At this time an accelerated building program for economically depressed areas provided funds to construct six structures:  two barracks, oil/gas house, equipment storage, the guard cabin, and the water system. Tupper Work Center has  been improved over the years, and to this day  still houses our summer fire crews.

Tupper Work Center is located approximately 35 miles south of Heppner, Oregon on FS Road 21.

Madison Butte Lookout was constructed around 1935, and consists of a 45 foot steel tower.  It is the primary fire lookout for the Heppner Ranger District and is staffed during the summer/fall season.

Madison Butte Lookout is located approximately 30 miles south of Heppner, Oregon on FS Road 2119-033.

Tamarack Lookout was constructed in 1933, and consists of a 105 foot steel tower.  A small wood frame cabin constructed in 1934 was used as a residence for the fire lookout, then in 1966 was destroyed by an accidental fire.  A garage/utility shed was then converted to the existing cabin.  The Tamarack Lookout Cabin is now used as a Cabin Rental for the Heppner Ranger District, and the lookout is staffed as an emergency facility during active lightning storms.

Tamarack Lookout is located approximately 43 miles south of Heppner, Oregon on FS Road 2407-040.

These historical sites are important assets to the district.  They not only provide storage and housing, but they also provide a historical record of the Depression years and how it affected this area.

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