SISKIYOU SUMMIT
June 19, 1929: "A vast amount of supplies to be used in the construction of a huge beacon light at the summit ranch on the Siskiyous by the Richfield Oil company, has already been hauled to the site of the beacon. K.B. Fergeson, Richfield representative, spent several days in this city making arrangements for preliminary construction work. The beacon light is one of a series being installed by the Richfield company." (Ashland Daily Tidings)(HUGE BEACON TO BE CONSTRUCTED)
June 20, 1929: "Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Norris proprietor of the Summit Ranch Lodge and service station, located on the Pacific Highway on the summit of the Siskiyou mountains has lately leased the service station and garage to the Richfield Oil company of California. The company will install attractive improvements at once, and a force of workmen has already commenced work upon them, A steel tower, 125 feet high will be erected, electrically lighted, and displaying a huge beacon on its top, and illuminations on the sides, advertising the company. The old service station and garage will be torn down, and in their stead attractive up-to-date buildings will be erected, displaying for sale all types of Richfield products. When completed and ready for business, the new station will be one of the finest and best equipped on the Pacific Highway between Canada and Mexico.
Across the highway from the station, Mr. Norris will operate a confectionery store, lunch counter, and tea room for the accommodation of tourists."
(Ashland Daily Tidings)(SUMMIT RANCH TO BE BUSY PLACE)
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 19, 1929: "The beacon light which is being erected at the Siskiyou Summit by the Richfield Oil Company will go into operation the first of the month, according to Guy Good of the X-L Electric who is in charge of installing the NEON lights.
The steel tower which is 125 feet high is now finished and work is being done this week on the nine letters on either side of the tower which spells "R-I-C-H-F-I-E-L-D," each being eight feet high and five feet wide. The beacon light will be installed at the top of the tower some time within the next week, marking completion of the work.
Copco is building a power line four and a half miles long to the site of the beacon light. The transmission line carries 11,000 volts and the voltage is "stepped up" again to 32,00 volts for the NEON sign which will light the monster sign. Lights will be turned on and off by an automotive stop clock."
(Ashland Daily Tidings)(BEACON LIGHT NEARLY DONE)
October 1, 1929: Certification of private light: :Ashland, Oreg.---The Richfield Oil Co. of California is operating on Siskiyou Summit, 9 miles south of Ashland, a 24-inch beacon, 8,000,000 candlepower, six revolutions per minute (on SF-S airway), elevation of main beam above horizon 1 degree, latitude 42 degree 2' 00", longitude 122 degree 36' 00"; altitude 4,615 feet. A 24-inch directional projector, 8,000,000 candlepower, points to the nearest airport, Hornbrook Intermediate Field, 10 miles distant." (Air Commerce Bulletin, Vol. 1,No. 7)
December 9, 1929: "Construction of an attractive service station at the Siskiyou Summit as a part of the summit project which was started last summer, with the erection of the huge Richfield beacon light, is well toward completion at the present time.
The service station is being constructed identical with those at other points where Richfield beacons have been installed, a Dutch architecture carried out in detail.
A vast amount of excavating and filling work was necessary before actual construction of the service station could be started and this was done during the summer months.
Within another month the new service station should be complete." (Ashland Daily Tidings)(NEW STATION NEARLY DONE)
January 6, 1930: "The attractive Richfield station at the summit of the Siskiyous is nearing completion, according to O.H. Bailey of the contracting firm of Bailey and Spitzmiller, general contractors for the project.
The Richfield company has constructed these attractive service stations through California, Oregon and Washington. In southern and central California they were constructed on the low, mission style architecture, while in northern California and through Oregon, the attractive Gothic architecture is followed.
The summit project was started more than six months ago and involved the wrecking of the old camp ground at the summit, the blasting away of a hill, and making an immense fill in a deep canyon. The erection of the 125 foot beacon tower was the first unit of the project to be completed, this tower with the illuminated Richfield advertising, and distance information, is surmounted by a beacon light similar to others constructed by the government in this territory.
The service station is directly across the highway from the beacon tower. The Gothic structure is 18 by 60 feet, and is built in three units. The center portion of the building is used as a salesroom, with all first class equipment.
Off the main salesroom, is a storage room, in which hot water tanks are located. On either side are rest rooms, one for men and one for women. The ladies' rest room is elaborately equipped with full length mirrors, etc. Hot and cold water will be available at all times.
A canopy extends over the gas pumps, insuring protection from the weather.
The landscaping of the grounds at the summit will greatly enhance the natural beauty of the spot. A semi-circle 160 feet across will be laid out and bordered with shrubbery. All space inside the semi-circle will be paved.
The building is being finished in white with the woodwork a mottled black and gold. " (Ashland Daily Tidings)(LOCAL CONTRACTORS COMPLETING PROJECT AT SUMMIT OF SISKIYOUS)
April 12, 1930: "Representing an investment of in the neighborhood of $40,000 the new Richfield airway beacon service unit at the summit of the Siskiyous has been completed and Friday (April 11) afternoon was opened for business.
Twenty-four hour service, with four men regularly employed at the station, is to be maintained. H.A. Hiserman is in charge with Lawrence Clark, Holt Wordrip and Lyle Schoppert as assistants.
Installation of standard Richfield type equipment and fixtures at the service station was completed this week.
The 125 foot Richfield neon lighted tower surmounted by a revolving beacon was completed last fall and has been in operation during the winter months. Flood lights, lighting the service station and grounds, were in operation for the first time last night.
The service station is of standard Norman type architecture used in the northern airway beacon units of the Richfield company. A landscaping expert has laid out the grounds in circular lines about the station. Shrubbery borders the station and the grounds in pleasing effect.
The building is of stucco. The sales room is located in the center and modernly equipped comfort stations on either side. Full length mirror and a dressing table mirror are features of the ladies' rest room, which is modernly equipped.
The interior finish of the station is in a gray, interior lighting fixtures in antique design further carry out the harmony of old Normandy finish.
A canopy extends from the sales room over the two modern service pumps. Standard Richfield equipment automatic air pressure pumps for gasoline and oils. All oil is drawn from the exterior service equipment instead of from the oil drums which are on the interior of the sales room.
The station is supplied with water from a spring 2100 feet back of the station. A pressure pump at the spring forces the water into a storage tank on the hill above the station, this tank location providing gravity for abundant pressure for the service station.
The summit station is located directly opposite the Norris summit ranch. The hillside was cut away to provide the station site while a big fill was made to provide the beacon tower site on the opposite side of the road. A flood light on the beacon tower, two flood lights on the grounds, and yard lights of harmonizing design furnish effective illumination for the station at night time.
This unit is leased and operated by T.A. Winter of Los Angeles.
This is the twenty-third of the airway beacon service stations to be completed by the Richfield company. They were designed primarily to aid aviators in night flying, augmenting the government airway beacons." (Ashland Daily Tidings)(RICHFIELD SISKIYOU SUMMIT BEACON SERVICE STATION IS OPENED FOR BUSINESS FRIDAY"
October 5, 1939: "Construction of one of the most spectacular jobs of the new Siskiyou Highway is now in progress, with a crew of 106 men being employed at Siskiyou summit of the Pacific Highway by the Roy L. Houk Construction company of Salem.
At the summit, where the new highway crosses the old, the largest highway cut in Oregon will be completed, after removal of 280,000 yards of earth.
At present, work is progressing on a detour, which will be of quality exacted in many permanent roads. The detour, which now is being rocked, proceeds from the right hand side of the present road, through a deep cut back of Norris' Lodge at the summit, and continues down the south side of the Siskiyous.
The new highway will take off nearer the summit, cross the present road near the Richfield station, which is now closed, and, at various places between the hilltop and the California line, will intersect the present route.
A near city of trailers extends from the bank of the Richfield station, around the Norris camp and north to the Colestin road. Russell's Summit camp and Norris' Lodge are crowded with workers and their families. The big Richfield beacon, which was visible for many miles, has been removed.
Five RD8 caterpillar tractors now are working in the big cut. Also two power shovels, five trucks and a jackhammer crew are at work." (Ashland Daily Tidings)(NEW HIGHWAY CUT IS BIGGEST ON STATE ROADS)