MINERS RIDGE
Snohomish County - Mt Baker National Forest - 31N-14E-8
c.1926: A 10 x 10 cedar shake cabin was erected.
September 16, 1930: "Completion of a fireman's lookout on Miner's ridge, deep within the Suiattle district of the Mount Baker national forest, was reported at the local forest offices today by H. H. Long, chief clerk." (The Bellingham Herald)
September 9, 1935: Panorama photos taken by G.B.Clisby.
February 1938: "On July 27, 1924 at 9:30 p.m. Miners Ridge Lookout reported he had an attack of appendicitis. (There he was ready for an ambulance and a doctor, but he was 35 miles by truck trail plus 12 miles by pack trail from the district ranger station and a good highway. That trip would almost kill a well man.) I called several lookouts on the line and held a consultation. One fellow said that by using cold packs the swelling would go down and there was a chance of holding it off. The LO was able to go out, get some snow and put cold packs on his side. I had the Guard ready to take a horse up next day if the cold packs did not bring results. The next morning the swelling had gone down and the pain had stopped.
Note: (He stayed on all summer, but had to have his appendix removed at Christmas time.) R.L. Fromme" (Six Twenty-Six)
Note: (He stayed on all summer, but had to have his appendix removed at Christmas time.) R.L. Fromme" (Six Twenty-Six)
March 17, 1939: "Dear Sir:
Last October we purchased a 14' x 14' ready cut Aladdin type lookout house with 20' ring connected tower.
Will you please send us instructions and plans for assembling.
Very truly yours, Chas. H. Flory"
(Letter from Forest Supervisor to Regional Forester)
March 21, 1939: "Prefabricated Construction, Inc.,
Lloyd Building,
Seattle, Washington.
Gentlemen:
Under separate cover we are forwarding to you two complete sets of prints of the standard 14' x 14' lookout house as purchased for Miner's Ridge on the Mt. Baker Forest: contract number 6397-x.
Will you please mark these prints in accordance with your fabrication of the lookout house and send them to the Forest Supervisor, Bellingham, Washington, so that the assembly of this structure may proceed?
Very truly yours JAMES FRANKLAND, Assistant Regional Forester
(Letter to the Prefabricated Construction, Inc, from the Assistant Regional Forester)
September 5, 1951: "Some 30 foresters in two hiking parties were succeeding the hard way Tuesday in a rescue attempt which resulted Monday in the crash of an 'aerial ambulance' helicopter.
The two rescue parties met on the 14-mile trail to remote Miner's Ridge where Suiattle district ranger Warren Pressentin was injured seriously in a fall Sunday Night.
Also in the party headed out of the thick wilderness east of here were the two men whose Coast Guard helicopter crashed Monday afternoon a hundred yards from the Miner's Ridge lookout station. The crash occurred when the plane's pilot attempted a hazardous mercy landing to pick up Pressentin.
The crash survivors, both able to walk out of the ragged hill country, are the pilot, Lt. (jg) Charles E. Mueller, and Dr. Howard R. Terry, both of the Coast Guard.
Pressentin was carried out on a stretcher. He suffered rib fractures when he fell through the lookout station manhole left open by a companion." (The Salt Lake Tribune - Utah)
September 6, 1951: "Warren Pressentin, 35, Suiattle district ranger, Mt. Baker National Forest, was seriously injured Sunday evening about 8 o'clock, when he fell through a trap door at the Miners Ridge lookout, falling about 30 ft. to the rocky ground below.
He was rendered unconscious and was thought to have internal injuries.
Due to the remoteness of the scene of the tragedy, Miners Ridge being in the extreme eastern end of the county, reached only by trail, a call was sent out for a helicopter to come in for the injured man. This call was answered by a coast guard 'copter' piloted by Lt.(jg) Charles E. Mueller and Dr. Howard R. Terry. The 'copter' came to grief when it was caught by cross winds as it was hovering over the site, on the high windswept ridge, both Mueller and Terry being injured.
Word of Pressentin's accident was brought out to Darrington by Ed Green, who with Leonard Bacon, a carpenter, had accompanied Pressentin to the lookout for the purpose of building a shelter there. The radio at the lookout was out of order, so Green hiked out 13 miles to the road on Monday morning.
After Pressentin's fall Green and Bacon managed to get him back up to the lookout. He regained consciousness about midnight.
By Monday night four smoke jumpers from the Chelan forest parachuted to the scene, and were joined by some eleven men from Darrington on Tuesday morning. Pressentin was lowered from the tower with ropes and the 13-mile stretcher carry started. A relay was met on the trail to assist in the carry. At the end of the road, near Sulphur creek, the party was met by the Darrington ambulance, about 8 p.m., and the injured man was taken to the Marine hospital at Seattle.
On Wednesday morning a Coast Guard and Forest Service inspection party went in to the scene to inspect the damaged helicopter." (The Arlington Times)
July 16, 1953: "Jack Welsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Welsh will be working at the Miner's Ridge lookout station for the rest of the summer." (The Arlington Times)
1953: The lookout refurbished.
