History
President Theodore Roosevelt created the Siskiyou National Forest in 1906. In 1909, six ranger districts were established to manage specific areas within the National Forest. The Galice Ranger District was responsible for Forest Service lands in the Rogue River canyon including timber sales, trail construction, and fire suppression activities. Jesse P. Dewitt became the first district ranger. Because the Forest Service had trouble securing permission to build a ranger’s residence at the Rand site (which was owned by a local mining company), Dewitt was forced to live in a tent for eight years, from 1909 until 1916. In 1916, the mining company finally agreed to rent a small parcel of land to the Forest Service for one dollar per year. Construction on the ranger’s residence, district office, and a barn began in 1917. In 1932, the Rand mining claim expired, and the Forest Service took permanent control of the ranger station property.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was created in 1933. That same year, a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established at Rand. Known as Camp 1650, it was initially manned by 18 enrollees. While most of the Rand area projects were managed by the Forest Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps workers constructed buildings, built roads and trails, and developed campgrounds in the surrounding National Forest. The Civilian Conservation Corps troops also helped Forest Service employees fight wildfires during the summer months.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built their own barracks and camp support structures adjacent to the Rand Ranger Station. The Civilian Conservation Corps camp eventually housed over 200 enrollees. They also made many improvements to the Forest Service side of the compound. This included remodeling existing buildings and constructing new structures. They improved the landscaping around ranger station and built masonry retaining walls at the site. The Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Rand was closed in August 1941.
Following World War II, the Rand Ranger Station continued as the headquarters for Forest Service operations in the Rogue River canyon. During the postwar period, the Rogue River became a very popular area for fishing, hiking, camping, and boating. In 1958, the Forest Service added a new ranger residence and a bunkhouse for seasonal employees. In 1963, the Siskiyou National Forest closed the Rand Ranger Station and moved the Galice Ranger District headquarters to Grants Pass. The Rand complex was left unused except for several buildings that were leased by Oregon Board of Forestry and Bureau of Public Roads.
In 1970, the Bureau of Land Management acquired the Rand property from the Forest Service. Since then, the Bureau of Land Management has uses the site to issue float permits for the Rogue River, which is officially designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. In 1996, the Bureau of Land Management’s visitor center that occupies the old ranger station office was named the Smullin Visitor Center in honor of William B. Smullin, a well known radio and television executive from southern Oregon.
While all of the buildings from Civilian Conservation Corps camp are now gone, the Forest Service structures built by Civilian Conservation Corps still exist and are in good condition. In fact, the Rand Ranger Station has changed very little since it was built; as a result, it provides visitors a glimpse into the past. Because of the rustic architecture of its buildings and the site's unique historic value as an early Forest Service ranger station, the 95-acre (380,000 m2) Rand compound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 10 June 1999.
Read more about this topic: Rand Ranger Station
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