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Oregon Historic Sites Database

address: Hwy 20 historic name:Santiam Pass Ski Lodge
Sisters, Linn County current/other names:Santiam Organization Building; Santiam Ski Lodge
assoc addresses:Santiam Pass
block/lot/tax lot:
location descr:NFD 894 Rd, near Sno-Park; Hwy 20, near NFD 2690 Rd. twnshp/rng/sect/qtr sect:13S 7.5 23
resource type:Building height (stories):2.5 total elig resources:4 total inelig resources:2
elig evaluation: eligible/significant NR Status: Individually Listed
prim constr date:1940 second date: date indiv listed:10/18/2018
primary orig use: Resort orig use comments:
second orig use: Vacant/Not in use
primary style: Rustic prim style comments:
secondary style: sec style comments:
primary siding: Vertical Board siding comments:
secondary siding: Stone:Other/Undefined
plan type: architect:William Parke; Wesley Gilmore;
builder:US Forest Service
comments/notes:
Survey/Grouping Included In: Type of Grouping Date Listed Date Compiled
   Willamette National Forest National Forest
Farmstead/Cluster Name:McKenzie Ranger District
NR date listed: 10/18/2018
ILS survey date:
RLS survey date: 03/10/2008
106 Project(s): None
Special Assess Project(s): None
Federal Tax Project(s): None
(Includes expanded description of the building/property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings and alterations)
The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is found on the Santiam Pass on Highway 20 in the McKenzie River Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest, Linn County, Oregon. The lodge was constructed between July 1939 and February 1940 by partnership with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as an element of the Three Fingered Jack Winter Sports Area development of the late 1930s. The Three Fingered Jack Winter Sports Area was created as a conceptual area that was considered, “the most logical area between Mount Hood and Crater Lake to develop joint use by Willamette Valley communities, and possibly Bend, Redmond, and other central Oregon communities”. This development also included the original Hoodoo Ski Bowl, built in 1938 , that remains open seasonally for the original purpose intended —winter sports recreational — under a special-use permit with the USDA Forest Service (USFS). The two and one–half story Santiam Lodge building was originally designed as a ski lodge that could accommodate approximately sixty guests. Built in the Rustic style, an architectural style known for embracing a philosophy that is cohesive with the surrounding environment by using materials derived from local sources with a simple or natural finish, the property is an excellent example of the Rustic style of architecture as expressed in the Pacific Northwest landscape and materials on public lands. Rooms within the lodge included dormitory quarters, a dining room, a lounge and specialized ski–related rooms, such as a waxing room and storage for skis and related gear. Local stone was quarried from nearby Hogg Rock to construct the ground floor and chimneys. The second floor and attic story were framed with local timber in a regional expression of Rustic style. Original outbuildings included a double bay garage and a pump house, however, only the garage remains as the pump house was consumed in the 2003 Booth and Bear Fire. Conversions to make all season use possible to the lodge occurred in 1958 under a special–use permit for the Presbytery of the Willamette Church group. The alterations —such as modifications to the stairways, exits, and the electrical system— were made primarily for safety and compliance with current public building codes. This permit was terminated in 1986 and has not been renewed. Although the lodge has been vacant, it receives periodic maintenance by the Forest Service and remains in good condition. The lodge retains a clear feeling and association with the New Deal era. It retains its integrity of design, materials, workmanship, setting, and location. The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge historic property (Forest Service #06180700002) consists of two contributing buildings, two contributing sites, one non-contributing structure, and one non-contributing site. The two contributing buildings are the ski lodge (1939) and the garage (1940). The two contributing sites are a short trail west of the ski lodge that connects the property to the more extensive local trail network and an original road that historically provided access to the lodge. The non-contributing structure is the series of concrete foundations that were once a flight of steps between the garage and lodge. There is also a non-contributing graded and cleared area of an unknown function west of the lodge (see Figure 2).
(Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period - preferably to the present)
The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A and C. The period of significance extends from 1939, with the construction of the main lodge and garage, to 1958, the last year that the Santiam Lodge was used in the capacity of a ski lodge for public recreation purposes. The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is locally significant under Criterion A for its association with outdoor recreation and under Criterion C in the area of architecture. Under Criterion A, the lodge property is representative of an important period of development that shaped public lands to facilitate access and usage for outdoor recreation for the general public. This property is the result of collaborative efforts by the USDA Forest Service with Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) labor. The Santiam Lodge was instrumental in creating a place for citizens to sleep and get meals in the mountains at a reasonable cost while they participated in winter sports activities around the area. It was operated in the capacity of winter ski lodge from 1939 until 1958. Under Criterion C, the historic property embodies elements of a regional manifestation of late Rustic style architecture. This property is one of the few remaining extant Rustic ski lodge facilities built by the USDA Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest during the intensive building program between 1939 and 1941. The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge represents Forest Service objectives for outdoor recreation envisioned in the 1930s — a response to the demand from the public for outdoor recreation opportunities in general, and winter sports areas in particular. The Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, embedded within the larger cultural landscape of the Three Fingered Jack Recreation Area , is significant as a planned and built manifestation of the intentions to facilitate public access to outdoor recreation in the Central Cascades of Oregon. Implementation of this development was made possible by the involvement of labor provided by the CCC. As part of the rural recreation trend of the 1930s, the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is also a distinctive example of Rustic design philosophy and architecture, blending with the landscape by using roughly finished local materials as built in the Cascade Mountains. It retains integrity of location and setting. It also retains integrity of materials, design, and workmanship, as the original foundation, siding, roofing, as well as interior features, are all in relatively good condition or have been repaired and replaced in-kind.
Title Records Census Records Property Tax Records Local Histories
Sanborn Maps Biographical Sources SHPO Files Interviews
Obituaries Newspapers State Archives Historic Photographs
City Directories Building Permits State Library
Local Library: University Library:Oregon State, U of O, U of California
Historical Society: Other Respository:
Bibliography:
“About | Leavenworth Winter Sports Club.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. https://www.skileavenworth.com/about. Allen, E. John B. 1985. “Values and Sport: The Development of New England Skiing 1870-1940.” The Oral History Review 13:55–76. Atwood, Kay, Sally Donovan, Dennis Gray, and Ward Tonsfeldt. 2005. “Utility and Service Combined with Beauty: A Contextual and Architectural History of the USDA Forest Service Region 6: 1905-1960.” USDA Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Region (Oregon and Washington). Brandenfels, Naomi. 2015a. “Santiam Lodge National Register Reconnaissance Inspection Field Notes.” ———. 2015b. “Oral Interview with Jim Harrang.” Burgess, R.C. 1940. “Report on Santiam Highway Recreation Plan, Willamette National Forest, Santiam Highway Unit.” Eugene, Oregon: USDA Forest Service. Capital Journal. 1940. “Winter Sports Exhibition Will Be a Big Feature,” February 3, 1940. Cimino, Stephanie. 2008. “Santiam Lodge.” University of Oregon. Clark, Cleon L. 1987. History of the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road. Deschutes County Historical Society. Coleman, Annie Gilbert. 2004. Ski Style: Sport and Style in the Rockies. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press. Cox, James B. 1988. “White Branch Youth Camp National Register of Historic Places Determination of Eligibility.” Willamette National Forest- McKenzie Ranger District. Cutler, Phoebe. 1985. The Public Landscape of the New Deal. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Denning, Andrew. 2015. Skiing into Modernity: A Cultural and Environmental History. Oakland: University of California Press. Elliot, Roy. 1963. White Magic in the Mountains. Self. Eugene Daily News. 1939. “Recreation Camp Plans Progress,” October 5, 1939. Fuller, Robert K. 1978. “Bend Skyliner’s Lodge National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.” National Forest Service. Good, Albert H. 1990. Patterns from the Golden Age of Rustic Design: Park and Recreation Structures from the 1930s. Lanham: Graybooks. Goodall, Harrison. 2000. “Preservation Plan: Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, Willamette National Forest.” Conservation Services. ———. 2008. “Attached Notes on File at the Willamette National Forest.” Guttman, Allen. 2004. From Ritual to Record: The Nature of Modern Sports. New York: Columbia University Press. Johnson, Susan. 2012. “Leavenworth Ski Hill Historic District National Register Nomination Form.” National Register of Historic Places. Lindberg-Muir, Catherine. 1989. Santiam Pass Ski Lodge: An Evaluation of Historic Significance. Eugene, Oregon: USDA Willamette National Forest. McClelland, Linda Flint. 1998. Building the National Parks: Historic Landscape Design and Construction. New York: Johns Hopkins University Press. Neilsen, Lawrence E, Doug Newman, and George McCart. 1985. Pioneer Roads in Central Oregon. Bend: Maverick Publications. “Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest - American Ridge Lodge.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/recarea/?recid=58099. Oregon State Highways Parks and Recreation Branch. 1973. “Timberline Lodge National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.” Parke, W.N. 1938. “Winter Sports Area Survey in the Santiam Pass Region.” United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service- Willamette National Forest. Rakestraw, Lawrence, and Mary Rakestraw. 1991. The History of the Willamette Forest. Eugene, Oregon: USDA Willamette National Forest. Reams, Robert. 2018. “Santiam Lodge Restoration and Permit Issuance Cultural Resource Inventory Survey Report.” R2017061804100. McKenzie River Ranger District: USFS Willamette National Forest. Roosevelt, Franklin D. 1933. Executive Order 6101 Starting the Civilian Conservation Corps. Rousseau, Jean Jacques. 1992. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality [Discours Sur L’origin et Les Fondements de L’inelegalite Parmi Les Hommes]. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. “Skyliner Lodge | High Desert Education Service District.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. http://www.hdesd.org/about/skyliner-lodge/. Throop, Elizabeth Gail. 2004. “Recreation in the National Forests- Oregon and Washington 1940-1945.” USDA Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Region (Portland, Oregon). Tweed, William C., Laura E. Soulliere, and Henry G. Law. 1977a. Rustic Architecture 1916-1942. Western Regional Office: National Park Service- Division of Cultural Management. ———. 1977b. Rustic Architecture 1916-1942. Western Regional Office: National Park Service- Division of Cultural Management. United States Department of Agriculture. 1933. Region-6 Lands Handbook. Portland, Oregon: USDA Forest Service. ———. 1939. “Winter Sports Areas Season 1938-1939 in the National Forests of Washington & Oregon.” Region 6. ———. 1966. “Santiam Pass Winter Recreation Area Map.” Northwest Region: Willamette National Forest. Weber, Max. 1978. Economy and Society [Wirtsschaft Und Gesellschaft]. Translated by Guenther Ross and Claus Wittich. Oakland: University of California Press. “About | Leavenworth Winter Sports Club.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. https://www.skileavenworth.com/about. Allen, E. John B. 1985. “Values and Sport: The Development of New England Skiing 1870-1940.” The Oral History Review 13:55–76. Atwood, Kay, Sally Donovan, Dennis Gray, and Ward Tonsfeldt. 2005. “Utility and Service Combined with Beauty: A Contextual and Architectural History of the USDA Forest Service Region 6: 1905-1960.” USDA Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Region (Oregon and Washington). Brandenfels, Naomi. 2015a. “Santiam Lodge National Register Reconnaissance Inspection Field Notes.” ———. 2015b. “Oral Interview with Jim Harrang.” Burgess, R.C. 1940. “Report on Santiam Highway Recreation Plan, Willamette National Forest, Santiam Highway Unit.” Eugene, Oregon: USDA Forest Service. Capital Journal. 1940. “Winter Sports Exhibition Will Be a Big Feature,” February 3, 1940. Cimino, Stephanie. 2008. “Santiam Lodge.” University of Oregon. Clark, Cleon L. 1987. History of the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road. Deschutes County Historical Society. Coleman, Annie Gilbert. 2004. Ski Style: Sport and Style in the Rockies. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press. Cox, James B. 1988. “White Branch Youth Camp National Register of Historic Places Determination of Eligibility.” Willamette National Forest- McKenzie Ranger District. Cutler, Phoebe. 1985. The Public Landscape of the New Deal. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Denning, Andrew. 2015. Skiing into Modernity: A Cultural and Environmental History. Oakland: University of California Press. Elliot, Roy. 1963. White Magic in the Mountains. Self. Eugene Daily News. 1939. “Recreation Camp Plans Progress,” October 5, 1939. Fuller, Robert K. 1978. “Bend Skyliner’s Lodge National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.” National Forest Service. Good, Albert H. 1990. Patterns from the Golden Age of Rustic Design: Park and Recreation Structures from the 1930s. Lanham: Graybooks. Goodall, Harrison. 2000. “Preservation Plan: Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, Willamette National Forest.” Conservation Services. ———. 2008. “Attached Notes on File at the Willamette National Forest.” Guttman, Allen. 2004. From Ritual to Record: The Nature of Modern Sports. New York: Columbia University Press. Johnson, Susan. 2012. “Leavenworth Ski Hill Historic District National Register Nomination Form.” National Register of Historic Places. Lindberg-Muir, Catherine. 1989. Santiam Pass Ski Lodge: An Evaluation of Historic Significance. Eugene, Oregon: USDA Willamette National Forest. McClelland, Linda Flint. 1998. Building the National Parks: Historic Landscape Design and Construction. New York: Johns Hopkins University Press. Neilsen, Lawrence E, Doug Newman, and George McCart. 1985. Pioneer Roads in Central Oregon. Bend: Maverick Publications. “Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest - American Ridge Lodge.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/recarea/?recid=58099. Oregon State Highways Parks and Recreation Branch. 1973. “Timberline Lodge National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.” Parke, W.N. 1938. “Winter Sports Area Survey in the Santiam Pass Region.” United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service- Willamette National Forest. Rakestraw, Lawrence, and Mary Rakestraw. 1991. The History of the Willamette Forest. Eugene, Oregon: USDA Willamette National Forest. Reams, Robert. 2018. “Santiam Lodge Restoration and Permit Issuance Cultural Resource Inventory Survey Report.” R2017061804100. McKenzie River Ranger District: USFS Willamette National Forest. Roosevelt, Franklin D. 1933. Executive Order 6101 Starting the Civilian Conservation Corps. Rousseau, Jean Jacques. 1992. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality [Discours Sur L’origin et Les Fondements de L’inelegalite Parmi Les Hommes]. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. “Skyliner Lodge | High Desert Education Service District.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2016. http://www.hdesd.org/about/skyliner-lodge/. Throop, Elizabeth Gail. 2004. “Recreation in the National Forests- Oregon and Washington 1940-1945.” USDA Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Region (Portland, Oregon). Tweed, William C., Laura E. Soulliere, and Henry G. Law. 1977a. Rustic Architecture 1916-1942. Western Regional Office: National Park Service- Division of Cultural Management. ———. 1977b. Rustic Architecture 1916-1942. Western Regional Office: National Park Service- Division of Cultural Management. United States Department of Agriculture. 1933. Region-6 Lands Handbook. Portland, Oregon: USDA Forest Service. ———. 1939. “Winter Sports Areas Season 1938-1939 in the National Forests of Washington & Oregon.” Region 6. ———. 1966. “Santiam Pass Winter Recreation Area Map.” Northwest Region: Willamette National Forest. Weber, Max. 1978. Economy and Society [Wirtsschaft Und Gesellschaft]. Translated by Guenther Ross and Claus Wittich. Oakland: University of California Press. Wenzl, Alexandra. 2016. “Damage Assessment Report Santiam Pass Ski Lodge Willamette National Forest DRAFT.” Damage Assessment 201606. Mount Hood National Forest: USDA National Forest Service. Williams, Gerald. 2009. The U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. “Winter Sports Areas in the National Forests of Washington and Oregon.” 1941. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service- Willamette National Forest.