Frontier Life

At the turn of the century, as the wild frontier rapidly shifted to settled land, the Forest Reserves became an integral part of life in the region. Forest Rangers improved and maintained hundreds of miles of trails and roads, scouted and managed timber sales, enforced laws, supervised road and trail construction crews, assisted travelers and residents, and helped with fire control. District Ranger C.B. "Mac" McFarland became one of the most influential and beloved rangers with the Forest Service. He began his career on the Cascade National Forest Reserve in 1909, later part of the Willamette National Forest, and in 1912 lived and worked at the West Boundary Ranger Station, now beneath Lookout Point Reservoir. Known for his size and strength, he met Ruth Hyland in 1918 and later married her; she shared his devotion to ranger life, running the West Boundary telephone system, administering first aid, packing supplies, and supervising fire crews alongside him. The first Forest Reserve Rangers were frontiersmen and cowboys valued for independence, woodcraft, strength, and practical ability, but in the 1930s they were gradually replaced by young men educated in forestry schools. Old-style rangers such as C.B. McFarland often viewed these Technical Rangers skeptically and taught them practical skills such as shooting, riding, cooking, surveying, and reading cattle brands.

Oregon · United States