Bagby Guard Station, historic government building in Oregon, USA
Bagby Guard Station is a small ranger station in Clackamas County built from round logs in 1913. The simple structure measures roughly 24 by 16 feet with wood shingle roofing, and all materials were sourced and processed on site.
Forest worker Phillip Putz built the original cabin in 1913 to house fire crews during summer months. After World War II, improved forest roads reduced the need for such stations, but this one was replaced with a new structure in 1974 and restored by volunteers in 2006.
The station served as a hub for forest workers and remains a symbol of the region's forest management heritage. Visitors can observe how practical and functional early forest protection efforts were through the straightforward log construction.
The station is accessible only by hiking as no roads lead directly to it, with a gentle 1.5-mile trail through the forest taking roughly half an hour. The site remains open year-round, though winter snow occasionally blocks access roads and can make the hike more challenging.
All round logs used in construction were cut, peeled, and processed directly on site, making it a pure example of local resource utilization. This hands-on approach allowed the building to blend seamlessly into the surrounding forest while enduring a century of mountain weather.
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