Bly Ranger Station - Bly, OR
N 42° 24.038 W 121° 02.725
10T E 660857 N 4696110
This older CCC-built Bly Ranger Station is located in downtown Bly, OR.
Waymark Code: WMFA4X
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 09/18/2012
Views: 1
Welcome to the
Bly Ranger Station. This complex sits in a beautifully maintained area in downtown Bly and showcases a very rustic feel throughout the premises.
The following excerpt comes from a plaque hanging on the wall inside the ranger office and says:
The stone wall and seven stone and wood buildings were of contemporary rustic design. They are an outstanding example of the blending of locally obtained wood and stone into attractive, functional and enduring works.
They were constructed by by young men of CCC Company 966, mostly from Oregon, and Company 6442, from Louisiana. Construction was under the leadership of local experienced men. All building have been in continuous use since construction.
From Wikipedia.org:
The Bly Ranger Station is a United States Forest Service compound that serves as the headquarters for the Bly Ranger District which is an administrative subdivision of the Fremont National Forest. It is located in the small unincorporated community of Bly in southcentral Oregon. The ranger station was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1936 and 1942. Today, the seven original buildings are still used by the Bly Ranger District. The compound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1981.
The following text comes from the Self Guided Tour Pamphlet that you can pick up when visiting:
“The Civilian Conservation Corps and local experienced men, under the supervision of the U.S. Forest Service, constructed the Bly Ranger Station compound between 1936 and 1942. The compound, made up of both administrative and residential buildings, continues to service and house employees of the Fremont National Forest to this day.
The Bly Ranger Station compound is on the National Register of Historic Places (March 11, 1981). Historically and architecturally, the Bly Ranger Station compound is important to the community of Bly and to the residents of the Sprague River Valley. As administrative headquarters of the Bly Ranger District, it represents the physical facilities required by the U.S. Forest Service to execute its responsibilities in managing the economically valuable land-based resources of that portion of the Fremont National Forest. As a Civilian Conservation Corps works project, the compound illustrates the achievements of an unprecedented direct aid work relief program established by the Federal Government in response to the Depression. Exemplifying the comprehensive site planning of the period, the Bly Ranger Station Compound also embodies the distinctive characteristics of the rustic style of architecture.”
This ranger station was recently given a grant for rehabilitation of its facility and is in the process of having its buildings renovated to reflect the original condition this ranger station operated in when it was first opened in 1937.
I've also included some old pictures from 1938 of the ranger station that I found in a US National Register of Historic Places registration form.
Take a walk around this rustic place and enjoy the scenery!