ROSEBURG
January 22, 1929: "A three-acre tract of land three miles north of Roseburg on the pacific Highway, was purchased by the Richfield Oil company today and will be used as a site for one of the company's proposed combination serviced stations and airway beacons. The beacon will be two miles north of the Roseburg airport and will have a lighted arrow pointing to the landing field, according to M.L. Gordon, the company's representative." (Morning Oregonian)
March 27, 1929: " Construction work is being started today on the Richfield air beacon three miles north of Roseburg. Kerby B. Ferguson, of Richfield Oil company, who was in the city today, completed all final arrangements and supervised the laying out of foundation for which excavation was started today.
The first work will be the construction of the concrete forms for the steel tower, gasoline pumps and service station, which will form the first unit to be constructed.
Steel for the 85-foot beacon tower is expected to arrive within a few days and the tower will be built as soon as the concrete base is ready to support the weight.
The beacon and station will be located on the Pacific highway 3 miles north of town on a 4 acre tract recently acquired by the company. The tower will be set out by the road and behind it will be placed the gasoline pumps, while at the rear of the lot will be a completely equipped service station, rest rooms and oil house. Each tower forms the nucleus for an ideal village consisting of the service station, roadside hotel, restaurant, etc. Just how extensive the improvements will be here has not yet been decided as the company is at present building only the towers and service stations and will add the additional units later.
There are to be forty beacons between Los Angeles and Seattle and hotels will be provided at 20 of these. Whether or not a hotel will be erected at the local station depends entirely upon the trade that develops and the prospects for the future.
Surmounting the 85-foot tower will be a rocking beacon. This powerful light will swing in an arc of 180 degrees. The light will rock back and forth from horizontal through the vertical position instead of rotating, as in the case with government beacons.
On each side of the tower, in giant neon lights, will appear the word "Richfield," with a key letter to designate to the flier his position. Thus the station will serve both the fliers and motorists, guiding the one and providing service for the other.
The stations are being built at such intervals that a flier is constantly in sight of one of the giant lights.
Buildings are to be of concrete and steel construction with stucco and will be built on a Spanish style of architecture.
The location is ideal, being just in a curve of the road so that motorists can see the place for a long distance. The grounds and buildings will be beautified and will be heavily floodlighted.
Construction work is to be rushed so that the beacon will probably be in operation within the next few weeks.
Aviators during the coming summer should have no difficulty in spotting Roseburg at night, for in addition to the Richfield beacon now under construction the government is preparing to erect a huge rotating beacon on the summit of Mt Nebo and a field beacon is expected at the airport north of town. The government contract is expected to be announced within a very short time. Arrangements have already been made with the California-Oregon Power company for construction of necessary power lines for the local beacons. both the Richfield and the government lights, and the company is also preparing to build lines necessary to connect up the beacons at emergency fields along the route." (Roseburg News-Review)(WORK STARTED ON AIR BEACON NORTH OF CITY)
March 27, 1929: "Aviators during the coming summer should have no difficulty in spotting Roseburg at night, for in addition to the Richfield beacon now under construction the government is preparing to erect a huge rotating beacon on the summit of Mt. Nebo and a field beacon is expected at the airport north of town. The government contract is expected to be announced within a very short time. Arrangements have already been made with the California-Oregon Power company for construction of necessary power lines for the local beacons, both the Richfield and the government lights, and the company is also preparing to build lines necessary to connect up the beacons at emergency fields along the route." (The News-Review)
May 17, 1929: "Above (a drawing) is an architect's drawing of the new Richfield beacon tower, "Lane of Light" service station, which is to be erected on the Pacific highway about three miles north of Roseburg. The foundations for the tower are already in place and additional work is to be undertaken in the very near future. This English-Norman design, a sharp contrast to the low, rambling Spanish stations built for the project in California, was decided upon as a tribute to the more rugged beauty of mountain, mesa and sea of the colorful Pacific Northwest. These stations will rise at the base of 125-foot Richfield neon lighted beacon towers at the following points: Blaine, Stanwood, Seattle, Tacoma, Centrailia and Longview, all in Washington; Crown Point, Salem, Portland, Eugene, Roseburg and Grants Pass in Oregon. All, it is anticipated, will be completed within 90 days." (Roseburg News-Review)(RICHFIELD BEACON AND SERVICE STATION TO BE ERECTED ON HIGHWAY NORTH OF ROSEBURG SOON)
June 23, 1929: "Airway-highway beacon towers being erected by the Richfield Oil company in Oregon, Washington and California are nearing completion and several of the Oregon towers are ready for tourist inspection. Towers at Crown Point, Salem, Roseburg, Grants Pass and Siskiyou Summit are among the Oregon towers already up and equipped with neon tubing." (The Sunday Oregonian)
July 17, 1929: "Construction of the service station in connection with the Richfield beacon, located north of Roseburg on the Pacific highway, was started this morning. J.W. Freak, Richfield contractor from Tacoma, accompanied by H.R. Lohrer, Jr., Frank Misho and Fred Amerman, foreman, arrived in the city last night, and secured materials for preliminary work this morning.
Mr. Freak states that local labor and materials will be used as far as possible, if suitable prices are obtained, and he is today arranging to contract for the materials to be used, and is employing laborers. It is expected to use about 30 men continuously for the ensuing 60 days.
The service station, which is to cost approximately $35,000 will be one of the most elaborate on the Pacific coast, Mr. Freak states. The California stations were built along a Spanish type of architecture, but those in the Pacific Northwest are to be of the rugged Norman type with high sloping roofs, gabled wings and wide porches. The central portion of the building will contain the supply room, and in front will be the canopy over the gasoline pumps, where cars will be serviced. In each side wing will be located restrooms, which will be fitted with lounging chairs, dressing tables, smoking stands, etc., with toilets and washrooms adjoining. These lounge rooms Will be attractively furnished.
The station at Roseburg and at Grants Pass will be built simultaneously and will be the first in the state, Mr. Freak says.
The Richfield company also plans to make these beacon sites a small community in themselves. It is planned to add hotels at each place, and this concession has already been let. The Richfield company will erect the buildings, which will be operated by a company already formed. Erection of the hotel at Roseburg will be started within the next six months.
The company has acquired a 4-acre tract north of Roseburg, and has already erected the beacon tower, on which the huge neon sign is now operating. The buildings will be constructed in a semi circle, with the exception of the service station, which will occupy a space 35 by 70 feet in the center. The building is being constructed on a very substantial plan, using heavy concrete base with steel skeleton, covered with stucco.
The Richfield company is experimenting with different types of revolving beacons, which are to be mounted on top of the 125-foot towers, and within a few weeks expects to contract for the purchase and installation of these powerful lights, which are being installed at 50-mile intervals along the entire coast to furnish a guide for night fliers." (Roseburg News-Review)(SERVICE STATION UNIT OF BEACON SITE GOING UP)
September 21, 1929: "But a drive is being made against the great Richfield beacons which seems to be ill considered, is the big tower north of Roseburg any harder to look at than a tall windmill? And sometime it will be a great help to aviators flying at night. The Richfield service station being built beside it is architecturally one of the most beautiful ever built, and the whole plant will be an ornament to the highway." (The News-Review)
September 28, 1929: "The local telephone company is building a new line from here to the Richfield station, between Roseburg and Winchester." (The News-Review)
October 1, 1929: "The fire department was called out yesterday afternoon to extinguish a fire at the new Richfield beacon station north of Roseburg.. The huge mixing pot in which asphalt was being heated for the driveways caught fire, causing a very hot blaze. Nearby barrels of asphalt, a woodpile and materials were burned, and the fire threatened to spread through the grass over the entire territory, but was held in check by use of a garden hose. The new building was also threatened. The fire department sent out a truck loaded with chemicals and managed to extinguish the blaze after a hard fight. The mixer was destroyed and several barrels of asphalt lost." (The News-Review)
October 1, 1929: Certification of private lights: "Roseburg, Oreg.---The Richfield Oil Co. of California is operating a 24-inch beacon, 8,000,000 candlepower, six revolutions per minute (on SF-S airway), elevation of main beam above horizon 1 degree, located 4 miles north of Roseburg post office on Pacific Highway, latitude 43 degree 16' 00", longitude 123 degree 21' 30"; altitude 1,500 feet. This beacon is mounted on top of a 125-foot tower, red neon signs are on two sides of the tower with the word "Richfield," the third side having initials "R.B." in neon 15-foot letters. A 24-inch directional projector, 8,000,000 candlepower, points to the Roseburg Airport, 2 miles north, which will be lighted for night flying." (Air Commerce Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2)
October 5, 1929: "J.W. Feak of the Feak Construction company is here as the head of the construction work being done at the new Richfield station, located between Roseburg and Winchester. The Feak company has built the Richfield stations in Grants Pass; Longview, Wash.; Weed, Calif., and Roseburg." (The News-Review)
October 25, 1929: "Official opening of the new Richfield service station north of this city has been set for 8 o'clock Saturday evening, according to an announcement made today.
The public will be permitted to go through the new structure. .The building, which is the second of its kind to be opened in southern Oregon, is one of a chain of 36 constructed by the oil company between the Mexican and Canadian lines. The total investment which the company placed in the enterprise will reach ten million dollars.
The Roseburg station has been leased by T.A. Winter, recently of Los Angeles. Personnel of the station includes Mr. Winter, G.S. McBee, A.A, Creswell, B.C. Woods and W.B. Hrynchuk, all experienced service station men. Mr. McBee will act as manager." (The News-Review)
October 22, 1929: "Mr. and Mrs. G.S. McBee have arrived in Roseburg from Los Angeles to make their home. Mr. McBee will be manager of the Richfield station between Roseburg and Winchester." (The News-Review)
November 11, 1929: "George J. Carpenter, Long Beach, Calif., landscape gardener, is improving the grounds at the beacon tower for the Richfield station near Winchester. He is making his headquarters at the Hotel Umpqua." (The News-Review)
November 12, 1929: "One of the beauty spots along the highway just north of town will be seen in the grounds at the Richfield beacon light and station near Winchester, where the landscape gardener is planting ornamental trees and shrubbery and laying out flower beds. The shrubbery that is being used was locally grown by C.F. Moyer, of the Dillard garden section. The shrubbery for the plant near Grants Pass was also supplied from the Moyer place." (The News-Review)
November 20, 1929: "When B.C. Woods, attendant at the new Richfield service station north of this city (Roseburg), refused to open the cash register for three holdup men at 7:45 0'clock last night, he was attacked and knocked unconscious.
Woods was in the station alone when three men drove up in a light coupe headed north. They asked him to check their oil and all of them got out of the car and went into the lobby of the station.
Upon completing his inspection of the car Woods went in the room and the three made no move to continue on their journey. After loitering around for a few minutes the trio noted that Woods was moving toward the telephone.
'What are you going to do?' demanded one of them.
'Why, nothing.' Woods replied.
'Well you'd better get busy and open that cash register,' another chimed in.
'What you fellows had better do is get out of here while you can,' the service station man told them.
Whereupon one of them walked up from behind him and struck him on the head with some kind of dull instrument. He was not injured seriously but was unconscious for several minutes.
The robbers failed to get any money from the cash register. They were unable to open it, as Woods had the keys to the till in his pocket, and he was not searched by the assailants." (The News-Review)
November 25, 1929: " Installation of two 8-million candlepower beacons on top of the 125-foot Richfield tower, two miles north of Roseburg, is being completed today by the Richfield electrical crew. The lights are to be turned on at dusk tonight, and will be put into immediate use to aid night flying on the coast route.
One of the lights will revolve, throwing a horizontal beam, and will be visible for 100 miles in any direction. The other will be stationary and throw and throw a beam of light in the direction of the municipal airport.
The lights are automatically operated by a time clock, and are turned on at dusk and off at dawn.
A 32-volt incandescent globe is used, burning 1,000 watts. There are two globes in each lamp, and if one burns out the other is turned on automatically. A 28 inch plate glass reflector is used with a focusing apparatus that gives a long, highly penetrating beam, visible for a great distance.
The lights were put in place this morning and were given a temporary electrical hookup for the tests to be made tonight. The final wiring and adjustments will be completed tomorrow after the lights are used tonight.
Beacons have been installed at Siskiyou and Grants Pass, and the crew will go to Eugene Wednesday to put in the lights at the tower there." (Roseburg News-Review)(RICHFIELD TOWER BEACONS WILL BE FLASHED TONIGHT)
November 25, 1929: "A transient giving the name of John H. Thomas was arrested last night by Ray Rausch of the city police force charged with carrying a concealed weapon and was turned over to Sheriff Jackson. Thomas was carrying a blackjack and it was thought that he might have been implicated in the attempted robbery at the Richfield beacon station is being made to mlearn whether he is connected with that crime." (The News-Review)
November 26, 1929: "Two 8,000,000 candle power beacons installed by the Richfield Oil company on its tower two miles north of Roseburg were lighted tonight. One of the beacons is of the revolving type and the other is stationary and points to the municipal airport a mile away. The beacon is being installed to aid in night flying on the coast route." (The Morning Oregonian)
January 8, 1930: "The fire department also turned out for an alarm shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday morning. Someone saw the stationary Richfield beacon shinning on a cloud of smoke, giving every indication of a big blaze." (The News-Review)
April 5, 1932: "Calvin Barrios, Harold Peters and Barney Reynolds, transients, were sentenced to 15 days each in the county jail today, following their pleas of guilty to charges of petty larceny. They are charged with having stolen several minor articles from the Richfield beacon service station." (The News-Review)
March 4, 1935: "The Richfield Beacon station north of Roseburg, was burglarizes Sunday night, according to a report made to the sheriff's office. A radio set, clothing and several personal items, belonging to employees at the station, were taken. Sheriff Percy Webb and deputies are conducting an investigation." (The News-Review)
April 20, 1942: "A crew of workmen from the Douglas Forest Protective association, under the direction of Ira Mann, foreman, is engaged in razing the Richfield beacon tower, located four miles north of Roseburg and will relocate the tower at Bell lookout, near Elkton.
The beacon tower has not been used for many months and recently was purchased by the forest protective association. Fred Southwick, supervising warden, reports.
The 125-foot steel structure will be placed on a new base atop Bell mountain, five miles east of Elkton. The tower will support a standard forest lookout station, which commands view of a large part of the coast range forest area in Douglas county. The present station is located on top of two tall fir trees which were topped to provide a base for the lookout. The supporting trees, Mr. Southwick reports, are showing signs of rot, making further use of the present facilities dangerous. The steel tower is expected to provide a permanent installation.
It is anticipated that it will require from a week or ten days to remove the tower from its present location and to transport it to Elkton, where another two weeks will be required in erection. A roadway to the base permits easy transportation." (Roseburg News-Review)(RICHFIELD BEACON TOWER WILL BE MOVED TO LOOKOUT)
In 1942 the Douglas Forest Protective Association purchased the tower, complete with signs and all the electrical, dismantled it and reconstructed it as a fire lookout on Bell Mountain near Elkton, Oregon. The tower was 125 feet tall with a 8x8 observation cab and had an elevator operated by a hand crank to raise and lower the lookout person. At the end of the fire season the elevator was locked at the top and person closing the lookout climbed down one of the tower legs, in the spring the opposite, climb the tower to unlock the elevator. On October 12, 1962, during the Columbus Day Storm the top of the tower was damaged, the following year it was repaired and somewhat shorter at 105 feet and the elevator was replaced with stairs. In 1978 the tower was sold for salvage and removed.