Later History of the Tower Hat Point Fire Lookout Tower, Imnaha Oregon
The tower was hit by lightning three times while Jimmy Wilson was on duty. Jimmy likened the blast to a sound "like a load of dynamite going off'.
The P.O. Saddle Fire in 1934 occurred during Jimmy's tenure at Hat Point. Jimmy reported the fire, and helped Ranger Grady Miller coordinate the supply airdrop. This was the first time the Forest Service used the airdrop strategy. Parachute cargos were skids of food stuffs and other supplies. The target was adjacent to a temporary cook shack. The cook, a man named Alan was to stand in the field, and wave a red flag for the pilots to zero in for their drop. All went well, eggs were packed between loafs of bread, and not a shell was cracked. Then came a skid load of ketchup, and the parachute was a "Streamer". The skid hit the ground at the site where Alan had last been spotted, but all that could be seen was a huge red stain. Fortunately, Alan had spotted the streamer and ran until he was a safe distance away from the drop zone. The red stain was only ketchup.
There was an "Indian Grave" at Hat Point. Jimmy had seen the mound of rocks, and "dug in them until I found beads and arrowheads". Jimmy, then built a large log cross which he placed at the grave. He said, "Then I carved a big arrowhead, and hung it pointing down, and I painted Indian Grave on it. The tourists sure liked that spot". Eventually someone stole the arrowhead, and the cross was removed.
During the P.O. Saddle Fire, Jim's sister Violet Wilson rode her horse up to Hat Point to visit with Jim and Murrielle. Ranger Grady Miller asked her to help him round up the stock. Grady had a large pack train on the site, and needed to move them out of harms way. Violet, dressed in jeans, work shirt, boots and her long hair tucked up under her hat, pitched in like any cowpuncher would. After the stock had been put up, Grady asked Violet to join the crew for supper. The fire crew at that time was made up of about thirty CCC people from the State of Delaware. As Violet showed up at the table, washed up and minus her hat, one of the CCC boys shouted out, "Geeze Guys, It's a Goil!".
The other Forest Service Crew members reported to have built tower Number 2 were: Carpenter Bob Reems, Charlie and Bob Warnock and Ranger Grady Miller.
The most notable visitor to Hat Point while Jimmy and Murrielle were stationed there was Lawyer Bill Douglass, (United States Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglass).
The third Hat Point Lookout Tower was built in 1948 by Ray Rahn Construction. This time, the structure was prefabricated by Timber Structures Inc. in Portland, Oregon. The prefabricated materials were shipped to the site. The foundation blocks were set next to the existing tower. The new tower legs were assembled on the ground, and again, pulleys were attached to the existing tower which was used as a gin pole to raise ("pull up") the new tower structure. After the present tower was erected, the old ninety-foot single log tower was taken down.
Wesley Olsen (Ole) Served as Fire Guard at Hat Point from 1986 through 1992. Mr. Olsen was born at LaCenter, Washington March 17, 1923. His first two years at Hat Point were as a Forest Service volunteer. In 1986 he was given the GS-3 grade, and became a paid Forest Service employee. Ole lived in the cabin while on duty at hat point. The spartan cabin also becomes home to various firefighters from time to time. Ole says "they are glad to get there, in out of the weather for a few hours". Ole reported thirteen to fifteen fires a year except for the bad fire year 1989, when he reported fifty-four fires.
Fires are still located by zeroing in on the smoke with an Osborn Fire Finder, locating known landmarks and plotting Range, Township and Section. Forest Service Fire Dispatch is notified, and told what appears to be burning, size of the smoke plume, and any other pertinent information. At this point Dispatch takes over the fire. The fire Guard is then used to relay information when ground communication get bogged down. Communication today is via a Bendix-King radio with repeater system to fire dispatch at Enterprise, Oregon.
Ole reports the first time lightning hit the tower, it sparkled so with static electricity you could see stars, and the noise was deafening. The second time the tower was hit while he was in it, the radio antenna was melted, the ground wire hummed, and a pin hole was burned in the propane line. The third strike he experienced, the hit was on the ground, about 1/4 mile away, and Ole and a visitor from Sweden both felt "a little zap in the hands". Ole felt safe in the tower since a new ground block has been installed on the radio antenna, "As long as you close the door".
Olsen has written a memoir: Days and Times at Hat Point, an unpublished manuscript, Copyright 1993, Wesley Olsen. This manuscript is furnished as personal communication to William D. Yehle, MA. Herein, Mr. Olsen details his contacts with tourists from all over the world who are visiting Hat Point.
