The Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Historic District in Cave Junction, Oregon was recently expanded to include the crew residence area, recognizing the 1954 barracks, bathhouse, and exercise area as part of this historically significant site. Reflective of the early developmental stage of Forest Service smokejumping, the Siskiyou Smokejumber Base served as an example for operations and training along the Pacific Coast, influencing the development of bases in Redding, California and Redmond, Oregon. The portion of the facility previously listed on November 17, 2006 includes the core resources most closely related to firefighting activities, including the Parachute Loft. The inclusion of the historically-associated crew residence area immediately south of the listed district provides a greater historic and physical context for the district as a whole, illustrating the daily activities associated with housing, feeding, training, and entertaining fire crews stationed at the base. The Siskiyou Smokejumper Base currently operates as a museum and is open to the public. Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the boundary increase at their June 2014 meeting. Over 55 properties in Josephine County are now listed in the National Register, which is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. More information about the National Register and recent Oregon lists is online at www.oregonheritage.org (click on “National Register” at left of page).
