Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District is a Forest Service
compound consisting of eleven historic buildings located in the Mount Hood National Forest
in the Cascade Mountains of northern Oregon
. It was originally built as a district ranger station for the Clackamas Lake Ranger District. It was later converted to a summer guard station. Today, the Forest Service rents the historic ranger's residence to recreational visitors. The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is listed as a historic district
on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the Forest Service built district ranger stations at strategic locations within the forest to house full-time employees and provide logistics support to fire patrols and project crews working at remote forest sites. After World War II
, the Forest Service greatly expanded its road network, allowing employees to get to most forest areas within a few hours. As a result, many of the more isolated ranger stations were closed or converted to summer guard station.
The Forest Service began using the Clackamas Lake site in 1905. The original ranger cabin and barn were built by the district's first ranger, Joe Graham, in 1906. The compound was expanded during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps
. All of the historic buildings that exist at the site today are from that era. The range station served as the summer administrative site for the Clackamas Lake Ranger District from 1906 until the 1952 when the compound was converted to a guard station for fire crews and work parties. After a short period of disuse in the 1960s, the guard station was reopened in the early 1970s. Since then, the site has remained in continuous use as a guard station, work center, recreation facility, and visitor center.
Because of the rustic
architecture of the buildings and the site's unique historic value as an early Forest Service ranger station, the Clackamas Lake Ranger Station compound was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Place in 1981. The historic area covers 4 acres (16,187.4 m²).
The ranger station is made up of eleven historic buildings and twelve other rustic, but non-historic, structures. In addition, the original ranger station landscaping still exists including picnic tables, a horseshoe pit, and stone fire pit
. The historic district originally had twelfth historic building, but one ranger residence was destroyed by fire in 2003.
The ranger station's historic buildings include the district office, two ranger residences, a mess hall, a fire equipment warehouse
, a separate road-and-trail warehouse, a gas station, garage
, blacksmith
shop, horse barn
, and a pump house across the meadow. The district office is now a visitor center
and museum
. The ranger's residence can be rented by the public for $80 per night per on weekdays and $100 per night on weekends and holidays. Volunteer caretakers live on site, and help maintain the historic buildings, staffs the visitor center, and provide interpretive tours of the compound.
The ranger station buildings are wood and log-frame structures with concrete foundations. The exteriors are covered with wood shingle
s. Wooden shingles are also used for roofing. All the buildings are painted dark brown with dark brown trim so they blend into the surrounding forest landscape
.
There is also a Forest Service campground next to the historic Clackamas Lake Ranger Station. The campground has 46 camp sites, potable drinking water, and several modern restrooms. The ranger station and campground are only a short distance to Clackamas Lake, and just three miles (5 km) from the much larger and very popular Timothy Lake
. Trails for hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking can easily be reach from the compound.
and twenty-two miles south of Government Camp, Oregon
. The elevation at the site is 3400 feet (1,036.3 m). The forest around the guard station is dominated by old growth Douglas fir.
To get to the Clackamas Lake Ranger Station from Sandy, travel east on U.S. Route 26
for approximately 40 miles (64.4 km). Turn right onto Forest Road 42 (also known as Skyline Road) and travel south for 11 miles (17.7 km) past the intersection of Forest Roads 42 and 57. The historic Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is on the left, 1/4 miles past the junction. The ranger's residence is on the east side of the road across from the visitor center.
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
compound consisting of eleven historic buildings located in the Mount Hood National Forest
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
in the Cascade Mountains of northern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It was originally built as a district ranger station for the Clackamas Lake Ranger District. It was later converted to a summer guard station. Today, the Forest Service rents the historic ranger's residence to recreational visitors. The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is listed as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
In the 1920s and 1930s, forest road networks were not well developed. To facilitate work in National ForestsUnited States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
, the Forest Service built district ranger stations at strategic locations within the forest to house full-time employees and provide logistics support to fire patrols and project crews working at remote forest sites. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Forest Service greatly expanded its road network, allowing employees to get to most forest areas within a few hours. As a result, many of the more isolated ranger stations were closed or converted to summer guard station.
The Forest Service began using the Clackamas Lake site in 1905. The original ranger cabin and barn were built by the district's first ranger, Joe Graham, in 1906. The compound was expanded during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
. All of the historic buildings that exist at the site today are from that era. The range station served as the summer administrative site for the Clackamas Lake Ranger District from 1906 until the 1952 when the compound was converted to a guard station for fire crews and work parties. After a short period of disuse in the 1960s, the guard station was reopened in the early 1970s. Since then, the site has remained in continuous use as a guard station, work center, recreation facility, and visitor center.
Because of the rustic
National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service rustic, also colloquially known as Parkitecture, is a style of architecture that arose in the United States National Park System to create buildings that harmonized with their natural environment. Since its founding, the National Park Service consistently has sought to provide...
architecture of the buildings and the site's unique historic value as an early Forest Service ranger station, the Clackamas Lake Ranger Station compound was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Place in 1981. The historic area covers 4 acres (16,187.4 m²).
Historic structures
Fire pit
Fire pits have been in existence for a very long time and despite many technological advancements since the advent of man's use of fire, they have remained a popular item because of their versatility. A fire pit can physically vary from a pit dug into the ground to an elaborate gas burning...
. The historic district originally had twelfth historic building, but one ranger residence was destroyed by fire in 2003.
The ranger station's historic buildings include the district office, two ranger residences, a mess hall, a fire equipment warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
, a separate road-and-trail warehouse, a gas station, garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, horse barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
, and a pump house across the meadow. The district office is now a visitor center
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The ranger's residence can be rented by the public for $80 per night per on weekdays and $100 per night on weekends and holidays. Volunteer caretakers live on site, and help maintain the historic buildings, staffs the visitor center, and provide interpretive tours of the compound.
The ranger station buildings are wood and log-frame structures with concrete foundations. The exteriors are covered with wood shingle
Wood shingle
Wood shingles are roof shingles made of cut wood, used for roofing material. Such roofing material made from split wood is referred to as "shakes"....
s. Wooden shingles are also used for roofing. All the buildings are painted dark brown with dark brown trim so they blend into the surrounding forest landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
.
- The ranger station office was built in 1933. It is a one-story, wood-frame building with a concrete foundation. The high gableGableA gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof is covered with wood shingles. The stone chimney is slightly off-center from the roof ridgeline. The windows are four-over-four panes in a double-hung sash. The front entrance faces south and has a flagstone porch steps except for the final step, which is cut from a large peeled log. The office interior is divided into two rooms. The office walls are covered by painted wood panels, and the floors are varnished firFirFirs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
.
- The ranger's residence was built the in 1933. The residence plan was chosen by District Ranger Francis Williamson out of a group of Weyerhaeuser plans entitled Your Future Home. With the exception of exterior building materials, the residence was constructed to the plan's specifications. It is a -story, wood-frame building with a concrete foundation. It has a wood-shingled exterior and high gable roof. Windows are six-over-six panes in double-hung sashes with slab-wood frames giving the appearance of being notched and joined logs. There is a small front porch that protects the south-facing front entrance. The interior rooms of the ranger's residence have varnished fir-paneling with a large stone fireplace and built-in book cases in the living room. The residence has simple furnishings, including living room sofa, wooden chairs, kitchen and dining room tables, and beds for eight guests.
- The assistant ranger's residence was built in 1934. It is a one-story, wood-frame building with a concrete foundation. The structure is similar in style to the ranger's residence and office with a wood-shake exterior and high gable roof. There is a rustic stone chimney on the east end of the building. The front entrance faces north and is covered by a gable hood-type porch supported by peeled-pole brackets.
- The mess hall was built in 1934. It is a one-story, wood-frame structure with two entrances on the north side of the building. The exterior siding, foundation, and gabled roof are the same as the office and ranger residences.
- The fire warehouse was built between 1934 and 1935. It is a one-story, wood-frame structure with a concrete foundation covered with a rubble-stone veneer. The first four feet of the exterior walls were constructed with slab-wood. Above that level the exterior is covered with wooden shakes. The main entry is at the center of the north side of the building with a flagstone porch platform in front of a large wooden door.
- The road and trails warehouse was built in 1934. It is a simple one-story, wood-frame building with double entrance doors and large sliding doors on the north side
- The gas and oil storage building was built at the same time as the fire warehouse, and its design details match the warehouse. It is one-story, wood-frame structure. On the north side, the gable roof projects out over the gas pumps and vehicle service area. The main entrance is on the north side. There is also a loading dock on the east end of the building.
- A one-story, wood-frame garage next to the ranger's residence was built in 1933. It has a concrete foundation with rubble-stone veneer and high gable roof. The exterior walls are slab-wood on the lower level with wooden shakes above, similar to the fire warehouse exterior. The garage has large double doors on the north side, and accommodates one vehicle.
- The ranger station's blacksmith shop was built in 1934. It is a one-story, wood-frame structure. On three sides of the shop, the exterior has horizontal slab-wood boards on the lower level with wooden shakes covering the upper walls. On the south side the lower level is covered by horizontal wooden panels with wooden shakes above. The shop has double sliding doors in the centered of the north side and a normal entrance door on the south side.
- The ranger station's horse barn was probably built in 1935. The barn is a -story, wood-frame, structure. It has a high gable roof with wooden shingles and a wood-frame cupola on top. The exterior walls are covered by wood shingles.
- The pump house was built about the same time as the barn. Both building are located across the meadow from the other historic buildings. The pump house is small one-story, wood-frame building with a wood-shingle exterior and high gable roof.
There is also a Forest Service campground next to the historic Clackamas Lake Ranger Station. The campground has 46 camp sites, potable drinking water, and several modern restrooms. The ranger station and campground are only a short distance to Clackamas Lake, and just three miles (5 km) from the much larger and very popular Timothy Lake
Timothy Lake
Timothy Lake is a lake about southeast of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is in close proximity to Clear Lake and an impoundment of the Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River. The compacted-earth dam was built on Timothy Meadows in 1956 to regulate flow to Lake Harriet and the power plant was...
. Trails for hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking can easily be reach from the compound.
Location
The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is located in the a remote area of the Mount Hood National Forest, fifty miles southeast of Sandy, OregonSandy, Oregon
Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,385, however the 2006 estimate shows 7,070 people....
and twenty-two miles south of Government Camp, Oregon
Government Camp, Oregon
Government Camp is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, south of Mount Hood and north of Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain. It is a gateway to several ski resorts, the most popular being Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl. Also, Government Camp has its...
. The elevation at the site is 3400 feet (1,036.3 m). The forest around the guard station is dominated by old growth Douglas fir.
To get to the Clackamas Lake Ranger Station from Sandy, travel east on U.S. Route 26
U.S. Route 26
U.S. Route 26 is an east–west United States highway. It started in Ogallala, Nebraska, and gradually grew to reach the West Coast in Oregon. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and Oregon. The...
for approximately 40 miles (64.4 km). Turn right onto Forest Road 42 (also known as Skyline Road) and travel south for 11 miles (17.7 km) past the intersection of Forest Roads 42 and 57. The historic Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is on the left, 1/4 miles past the junction. The ranger's residence is on the east side of the road across from the visitor center.