Umatilla National Forest

Umatilla National Forest Centennial

In 2008, the 100th anniversary of natural resource and conservation management on the Umatilla National Forest was celebrated. High Desert Museum's "Forest Service - Century of Service" exhibit was on display at the Umatilla County Historical Heritage Station Museum. During June and July, the districts held Open Houses, and the Forest hosted Umapaloosa! at the Umatilla County Historical Heritage Station Museum.

News Releases

• Centennial Newsletter
• April 4, 2008 - Century of Service News Release
  

 

History of the Umatilla National Forest and the Blue Mountains

The Umatilla National Forest has an extensive archive of historical reference materials. The archive contains materials for the entire Blue Mountains, not just the Umatilla National Forest because national forest boundaries have evolved through time; much of the south end of the Umatilla National Forest was previously included in the Wallowa-Whitman or Malheur National Forests.

• Documents
• Photos
• Maps

Photos and Stories Submitted by Forest Service Retirees

Calvin E. von Weissenfluh
Gary Hodges

Other documents of interest:

• Blue Mountain national forests chronology

• Brief History of the Umatilla National Forest

• FS Today - Historic Forest Service Documents, Maps, and Photos from Oregon’s Blue Mountains

• The Camas Creek Timber Sale and Milton Box Company (pdf)
  • Panoramic photo of Milton Box Company (later Harris Pine Mills) (300 dpi)
  • Harris Pine Article from the East Oregonian



Milton Box Company - Pendleton, OR

• Harold C. Criswell Memoirs - Mr. Chriswell's remarks about his time on the Umatilla National Forest, where he worked as an assistant Ranger on the Heppner District before World War II. Chriswell’s reminiscences about his life and times on the Umatilla National Forest are provided in this excerpt from his larger memoirs.

• Douglas Fir-Tussock Moth in the Blue Mountains

• Early Livestock Grazing in the Blue Mountains
  • Photo of Desolation Stock Driveway, 1931 - cleared through dense lodgepole
  • Photo of stock driveway near Long Creek, 1931 - Fenced lane – 30 miles long through which 30,000 sheep pass twice each year
• Photo of Lonerock Driveway, 1931
• Photo of Long Prarie Counting Corral on Lonerock Driveway, 1925
• Posting of driveway - Minimum requirements for posting driveways provide for center notices at intervisible distances.
• Photo of sheep on Tenderfoot Allotment, 1938

• Early Timber Harvesting in the Blue Mountains
  • Photo of sawmill near site of Tucannon Ranger Station, 1906
  • Photo of sawmill, Peola, WA - 1886
  • Skidding logs photo

• Fire Lookouts
  • Lookout Tower Verification Form
  • Umatilla's Fire Lookouts
  • Historic Fire Lookouts of the Umatilla NF - A Determination of Eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places
    • Part 1
  • Photo - Table Rock Lookout
  • Photo - Desolation Butte Fire Tower - 1930's
  • Photo - New Desolation Butte Fire Tower being built near the old tower
  • Osborne Fire Lookout Poster - North End
  • Osborne Fire Lookout Poster - South End
  
  
• The Mottet Meadows Fire, Wenaha National Forest, 1919

• Letter from the Regional Forester in 1942 about conserving rubber

• Pioneer Ranger Family - Story provided courtesy of National Museum of Forest Service History
  • Photo of Dale Ranger Station, March 1924

• Spout Springs History
  • Photo of Spout Springs Warming Hut - 1947
  • Spout Springs Parking - 1947
  • Forest Service Ski Class - 1966
  • Forest Service Skier with Instructor - 1966
  • Spout Springs Lodge - 1965
  • Spout Springs T Bar Tow - 1966
• The Umatilla Barometer Watershed Story

• Improving Watershed and Aquatic Conditions on the Umatilla National Forest
  

 

USDA Forest Service - Umatilla National Forest
Last Modified:  Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009 12:07:41 EDT