Authorities Investigating Vandalism to Historic Cabin on RR-Siskiyou Forest
The US Forest Service is investigating the recent vandalism of a historic cabin located on the Gold Beach Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Forest Service personnel discovered that Packer's Cabin had been broken into and vandalized.
The quaint three-bedroom historic cabin is located approximately 90 minutes from Brookings. Damage was extensive including removal of the doors, window frames and shutters, plus lots of graffiti and trash. The cabin is a recreational rental. It had been temporarily closed due to roof damage and the need to replace the woodstove.
Packer's Cabin was originally built around 1930 and served as the headquarters for the Forest Service packer who supplied fire lookouts and field crews by horse or mule pack trains. The structure is believed to have been built by the Civilian Conservation Corps to replace an earlier structure during the Great Depression.
Back in the 1930s and 40s, many of the fire lookouts were in extremely remote locations, often only accessible by horse, mule or foot as there were no roads to these sites. Workers staffing the lookouts lived there the entire fire season.
Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Gold Beach Ranger District at (541)-247-3600.
