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 Siskiyou Smokejumper Base parachute loft, circa 1950 |
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Siskiyou Smokejumper BaseParachute Loft Preservation ProjectHistoric Parachute Loft Restoration Project Week – June 22-26 PRESS RELEASE June 12 (250kb pdf)
About 20 retired smokejumpers and community members worked for five days to repair windows and sills and paint the building. Funding for the project was provided through donations from local residents and contributions from local businesses.
The long term objectives of this and future projects will be to make the parachute loft and the historic smokejumper base a cultural tourism attraction. There are plans to put a new roof on the parachute loft next summer with volunteers and a grant from the Oregon Heritage Fund.
SPECIAL THANKS Donations of materials: Illinois Valley Building Supply Special thanks: Mike Harris of Harris Woodworking for preparing window boxes in his shop; Daryl and Alex Ponder of Down and Out Seamless Rain Gutters for installation of rain gutters around the building; Dave Valenzuela, Principal of Evergreen Elementary for loaning tables during the project week; Wild River Pizza for giving us a deal on their micro brews; Taylors Sausage for giving us a break on purchases; Kathy Lombardo for bringing a plate of cookies; Cheryl Johnson for bringing more home made cookies; Dennis Parker of Precision Glass for helping us with glass panes and window frame parts. Volunteers who
donated time working on the loft: Visitors who
we all enjoyed seeing
CONDITION OF THE BUILDING PRIOR TO THE PRESERVATION PROJECT South side of building
East and south side of building
West side of building
North side of building
MONDAY, 22 June 2009 (names are in image title) Rotted wood was removed from the windows along the south side of the building.
Saws were set up to cut lumber for rebuilding window sills.
Reconstruction of window sills on the south side of the building began in the afternoon.
Windows had significant rot on some boards and new wood was cut to stabilized the other wood in the frame. Paint was scraped off and windows cleaned of old paint.
Most of the south side of the building was scraped to removed old paint.
A display was set up for visiting public.
TUESDAY, 22 June 2009 (names are in image title) Rotted shingles replaced under windows and over reconstructed window sills.
Upper windows and vents removed and rebuilt.
Reconstruction and painting of lower windows continues.
Scraping of old paint continues.
Cleaning window panes and reinstalling them into frames
First coat of primer is put on the south side of the building
Crew photo
Kneeling L-R: Sharon Westcott, Jack
McCornack, Stan Collins, KG Sheley, Chuck Sheley, Jerry John,
Roger Brandt, (seated front: Jed Emonds)
Standing L-R: Don and Teressa Cramer, Troop Emonds, Mike Hardy, Don Bisson, Tommy Albert, Garry Peters, Mike Mann, Ron Lufkin, Jim Fritz, (uncertain)
WEDNESDAY, 23 June 2009 (names are in image title) Scraping off old paint continues
Reconstruction of structure continues
Primer is painted on the rest of the building
Painting frames and sills
The press visits
THURSDAY, 25 June 2009 (names are in image title) Window panes puttied into place and frames painted
Some final scraping of old paint.
Final coat of paint goes on.
Door repair
Installation of window boxes and windows.
Painting window sills
Cleanup
Running errands, calling for supplies
Commissioner Dwight Ellis visits and gives the group a certificate of appreciation from the Commissioners
Commissioner Sandi Cassanelli visits and joins in with the work party
Hal Ewing and others stop to visit
Group photo
Kneeling L-R:
KG Sheley, Patricia Brandt, Jack McCornack,
Sharon Westcott, Gary Buck,
FRIDAY, 26 June 2009 (names are in image title) Window and sills caulked and painted.
Commissioner Dave Toler visits the project.
Channel 10 visits
Paul Block visits
Jed's celebration poppers
Some art work.
Nearing the end of the project
Cleanup the project site
The finished loft
Photo of loft after construction in 1950.
The loft as it appears now. MONDAY, 6 July 2009 (names are in image title) Daryl Ponder and his son Alex Ponder from Down and Out Seamless Rain Gutters installed rain gutters on the loft. Forming the gutters from sheet metal.
Installation of rain gutters
Gutter pipes
Wolf Emonds stops by on his way to the hangar
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Preservation
work on the nation’s oldest smokejumper parachute loft was conducted
during the week of June 22-23. The historic building is located at
Illinois Valley Airport about four and a half miles south of Cave
Junction, Oregon.
