On a remote mountaintop overlooking this primitive landscape stands the Bear Mountain Lookout
Complex on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Alpine Ranger District.
It has withstood the test of time since the early twentieth century.
The lookout tower visitors see today was constructed by the Civilian Conservations Corps, likely
by those stationed at the Blue CCC camp.
The air motor steel tower and cab replaced the wooden platform lookout used in years
prior.
We may never know how many forest fires were detected from this beautiful vantage point
and we may never get to hear all of the incredible stories from the brave men and women who worked
here, but the one thing we do know is that the Bear Mountain Lookout Complex has earned
its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
My name is Stephanie Welch; I am the Alpine District archaeologist here on the Apache-Sitgreaves
National Forests and we are here overlooking the Blue Primitive Area and Bear Mountain,
and we're going to talk about the National Historic Preservation Act and some of the
preservation work we are doing at the Bear Mountain Lookout Complex.
The National Historic Preservation Act, signed into law in 1966, has four different aspects
of preservation associated with it.
There's preservation itself, which stops the clock.
There is rehabilitation, which brings the clock into the future.
There's the reconstruction, which completely restores the clock, takes you back to the
beginning and then we have chosen restoration for Bear Mountain Lookout Complex.
Restoration allows us to take the clock back to a certain time.
The earliest cabin in the Lookout Complex at Bear Mountain, we call the 1928 Cabin.
However, I'm inclined to think that it's probably about a decade older than we think.
We can test that through dendrochronology.
We're planning on taking samples from the original log cabin and counting the rings
to determine when that cabin was actually constructed.
If we have a lookout tower that was constructed by 1918, it's likely that that cabin dates
closer to that 1918 date range than 1928.
The second cabin at Bear Mountain Lookout Complex, we call the 1940s Cabin.
Similar to the 1928 Cabin, it may even be older than the 1940s.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps known as the CCC constructed the air
motor tower that we see today at Bear Mountain Lookout.
The 1940s cabin was likely constructed by the CCC while they were doing construction
on the lookout tower.
We plan on doing dendrochronology samples on the 1940s cabin as well so we can narrow
down the dates of construction.
Part of the restoration process includes selecting a period of significance.
A period of significance is determined through background research and availability of information.
In the case of Bear Mountain, we're looking at the possibility of the 1950s or 1960s as
the period of significance.
Another important aspect of that restoration process is the removal of all materials that
post date that period of significance.
That means removing any plastic materials that have made their way up to Bear Mountain
Lookout Complex and any of the features that were added to the complex after the period
of significance.
There is an extensive amount of restoration work that needs to be completed at Bear Mountain
Lookout.
Access poses a particular constraint.
You can only reach Bear Mountain on foot or using livestock on an approximately seven
mile trail with a 3,000 foot elevation change.
When we do the work at Bear Mountain, we need to approach it through phased implementation.
That means it'll take several seasons to complete the restoration work that we need
to do.
In Spring 2017, we plan to start reconstructing the corral, repairing the fences and the gutters
on the old cabins to make sure that we can still provide water into the cistern.
The restoration effort at the Bear Mountain Lookout Complex will be extensive and your
help is needed.
The Passport in Time program or PIT, as it is known provides volunteers with the
opportunity to assist with this important work.
As a PIT volunteer, you contribute to vital environmental and historic research on public
lands.
Your participation helps not only to protect and conserve the sites, memories and objects
that chronicle our collective past, but also to understand the human story in North America
and to ensure that story is told to our children and grandchildren.
If you're interested in getting involved as a volunteer, go to the website at passportintime.com
to get started today.