SHAFER BUTTE |
Boise County - Southern Idaho TPA - 5N-3E-15
|
August 14, 1926: "Idaho is having a stubborn time fighting forest fires. Emergency crews in privately owned timber along the south fork of Shafer creek in the Boise basin country have attacked the fire from the south side, after blocking it against further advances westward.
Nine fires in that locality and in the vicinity of Harris creek are reported to have been started within the last few days by electrical storms. Seven fires developed rapidly while the others were extinguished. A report from the Shafer Butte lookout station described the fire as having a three-mile front, with one extremity lying on the edge of valuable timber lands and the other threatening dry farms near Stackrock, where the ninth fire was discovered." (Morning Oregonian)
Nine fires in that locality and in the vicinity of Harris creek are reported to have been started within the last few days by electrical storms. Seven fires developed rapidly while the others were extinguished. A report from the Shafer Butte lookout station described the fire as having a three-mile front, with one extremity lying on the edge of valuable timber lands and the other threatening dry farms near Stackrock, where the ninth fire was discovered." (Morning Oregonian)
July 21, 1928: "Senator William E. Borah today enjoyed breakfast of ham and eggs and pancakes on one of Idaho's highest lookout points.
Accompanied by forest officials including Major R.Y. Stuart, chief forester, and C.A. Barton, general manager of the Boise-Payette Lumber company, the senator motored to Shafer mountain lookout station where one of the most completely equipped forest stations in the West is located." (Twin Falls Daily News)
September 28, 1928: A caption with a photo of the lookout, "Senator William E. Borah and Major R.Y. Stewart, chief forester of the United States, were the honored guests at the official opening of the lookout station atop Shafer mountain, 7600 feet elevation. The senator is in the middle of the group on the horse and Major Stewart is the other member of the party who is pictured on horse." (The Salt Lake Tribune)
June 29, 1929: "In keeping with other summer topics, the Boise forest office Friday announced that the road past Sunset Peak to Shafer Butte Lookout, 13 miles from Boise, is now negotiable for automobiles. Less than two weeks ago a snow bank, 36 feet deep, near the lookout station, was cut through to open the road." (The Salt Lake Tribune)
July 25, 1929: "After discussing the fight against fire and animals to save the forests, representatives at the meeting of the intermountain regional forest protection board left Wednesday afternoon to view Shafer Butte, one of the most effective lookout stations in the country.
The Butte lifts its head above the Boise National forest north of here to a point where observers can spot fires scores of miles distant and report their location to the fire dispatcher. Moreover, the station is among the best equipped to determine weather conditions affecting fire conditions in the forests." (The Salt Lake Tribune)
September 27, 1929: "With danger of forest fires virtually over, lookouts and fire crews will be taken out of the Boise forest by October 1, Guy Mains, supervisor, said Thursday.
Recent storms placed a cap of snow on the higher ranges of the forest and reduced the temperature on the balance to make it safe.
Lookouts will be maintained on Shafer Butte and other central points for emergency purposes. Due to disappearance of the smoke, these can see practically all parts of the forest." (The Salt Lake Tribune)
December 1929: "Shafer Butte Lookout, north of Boise and outside the Boise Forest, is maintained by the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Ass'n. This lookout also has a narrow, mountain road to its crest, and in 1929 a total of 609 people registered there, of which 11 1/2 % were from outside the State of Idaho." (Six Twenty-Six)
July 8, 1933: "Melford Vaught, fire lookout on Shafer Butte, above Boise, has a keen eye for forest fires. He reported smoke arising from near a conservation camp below him, called the camp by telephone to put it out and it was discovered to be a group of men smoking." (The Salt Lake Tribune)
May 22, 1934: "Shafer peak lookout, southernmost fire spotting station of the Southern Idaho Timber Protective association, eight miles north of Boise, was opened for the season today." (Idaho Evening Times)
October 6, 1936: "The Boise national forest's 1495-pound periscope, borrowed from the United States navy for experimental purposes, was used on Shafer peak for the first time in actual fire-detection work Sunday and results were reported highly satisfactory.
The Boise forest's hundredth fire of the season broke out in the Smith's Prairie district in the afternoon. It's exact location could not be determined by the lookout who spotted it. The big 'scope on Shafer peak was turned in the direction of the fire and its location quickly calculated, although the fire was 37 airline miles away.
Ranger Miller from Pine was sent to the fire and found a farmer burning brush without a permit. He was arrested.
I. M. Varner, Boise fire warden, was enthusiastic about use of the periscope in fire detection after extensive experiments conducted recently to determine its range and adaptability to fire patrol work. The instrument proved far superior to either the naked eye or powerful field glasses in spotting a fire and determining its location, according to Varner.
Fires no larger than three feet in diameter were discovered from a distance of 40 miles. Additional advantage of the periscope over ordinary methods is that it can be used against the sun and after sundown. Many times the area covered by an observer with field glasses can be searched with the instrument and, with the use of its range finder, only one lookout is necessary to determine a fire's location instead of the two necessary under the system now used.
Varner predicted that within a few years every forest lookout will be equipped with some kind of periscope suited to forest fire observation." (The Idaho Statesman)
January 28, 1945: "Mrs. Lucy Schlosman of Boise was located on Shaffer Butte lookout. In addition to lookout work she took care of a complete set of weather instruments and called in readings four times a day." (Idaho Statesman)
July 25, 1948: "The Standleys use the lower portion of the lookout for a kitchen and general living and dining room. The second floor is both the lookout office and bedroom, Bathroom facilities are of the type one finds at night with a lantern.
The lookout is on a bare top of the butte. It is surrounded by lightning arresters and meteorological equipment. There is a garage for their automobile, and a driveway circles the flag pole down a few feet from the tower. The drop on all sides of the peak is precipitous. The lookout is not protected against the elements except by stout cables which anchor it to the mountain top." (Idaho Statesman)
1958: Two-story cab. (Kresek)
July 2, 1959: "Mrs. Ronald Ashley, observer at the Shaffer Lookout on the Boise National Forest, was accompanied to her station last Saturday by her mother, Mrs. A.J. Winters. Mr. Winters is spending the Fourth of July weekend at the lookout." (The News-Examiner)
1980: A three story was erected to replace the old two-story structure.
National Geodetic Survey
DESIGNATION - SHAFER BUTTE LOH
PID - OH1216
STATE/COUNTY- ID/BOISE
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - SHAFER BUTTE (1976)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1959 (JEG)
THE LOOKOUT HOUSE IS A TWO STORY BUILDING 22 FEET SQUARE, 30
FEET HIGH, PAINTED GREEN AND HAS A FLAT TOP. IT IS ABOUT 150
FOR THE CONCRETE FOUNDATION WHICH IS TO BE USED FOR AN
OBSERVATION POINT FOR VISITORS.
THE CENTER OF THE LOOKOUT HOUSE WAS USED.
