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1940

1939 or 1940/41        The film “Sun Down” starring Jean Tierney, Bruce Cabot and Harry Harey, and produced by Walter Wranger is filmed on the waters of Crater Lake.  The theme was a gun smuggling ring in East Africa.  A large amount of lumber was put down at the Wineglass for props.  A seaplane was used to haul equipment, the actors, and the film crew down to the Lake.  The plane was moored in Fumarole Bay for several days.  All Lake tours were canceled so that the MIN would be available to transport the movie crew and actors around to various points on the shore.  Following the filming, Paul Herron packed much of the lumber out of the lake on his back in order to build household furniture with the salvaged wood. (Story from Paul Heron – 1978)

Filmed near Phantom Ship, on shore. Several scenes show the float plane near shore. It was being used to “smuggle” guns into parts of Africa prior to WW2. Odd place to film a movie. Lots of work for only about four minutes of screen time. Some of the West Rim looks kike it was superimposed as the back drop.

Apparently filmed in Africa, London and CL. Turns out the CL scenes last a minute or so. Seems like a lot of work for such short screen time. They could have used any lake in the world. There is so little shoreline to stand on, so the feat was remarkable. The seaplane was used as a prop with the “baddies” shown off loading smuggled guns. Phantom Ship appears in one quick scene, so they must have used the old lake trail area by the lodge. Also, Sun Notch is seen in the background of another scene, so they must have been using the Lake Trail beneath the old Café/Cafeteria/store. Or perhaps even the Island.

It’s set during WWII with the help of Miss Zia’s to fight the Nazis. Below is someone else’s review of it:  I found SUNDOWN to be an enjoyable film. It seems sort of a cross between a jungle flick and a World War II espionage thriller, a kind of a TARZAN VRS THE NAZI’S. The story involves the British trying to prevent the Germans from secretly supplying the native Africans with weapons for a rebellion. Plenty of action and political incorrectness, plus Gene Tierney’s ever so sexy overbite. Simply a must for Bruce Cabot fans everywhere.

You can watch it here,:?http://www.imdb.com/video/internet-archive/vi3516400153/

1930’s and 1940’s               Story persists that a dish was placed in the Lake below Sinnott Memorial Overlook to show how clear the Lake is.  Some say it was a dinner plate from the lodge.  (A drawing of the Lodge could be seen on the plate.)  Others claim the disc was 10 feet in diameter.  Depth of the “plate” in the Lake varies from 10 feet up to 150 feet beneath the surface.

Fish taken from the Lake: 

1937 – 1302,

1938 – 1424,

1939 – 976

1940 – 4188,

1941 – 7301,

1942 – 300,

1946 – 97,

1947 – 23,

1948 – 15,

1949 – 250 (13 Rainbows and 227 Salmon),

1950 – 690 with 229 fishermen reporting.

1940      Paul Rockwood, of the National Park Laboratories, Western Division, Emeryville, California, produces three paintings, under the direction of geologist Howell Williams, showing the various phases of Mt. Mazama’s eruptions.

April 8                 1940   Highway crews digging beneath lava flows near Flounce Rock south of Prospect find a skeleton sitting in a hole 36 inches in diameter. The skeleton was removed to the   University of Oregon. The find is being studied by Dr. L. H. Cressman, and Dr. Warren Smith of the U of O.

A similar skeleton was found in 1924 within 2 feet of where the present skeleton  discovery was made.

Hydraulic miners are asked to be on the outlook for any bones and artifacts that they may uncover while water blasting in their search for gold.

Dear Larry —

The remains recovered by Dr. Cressman were repatriated under the Native American Graves Protections and Repatriation Act.  I don’t recall hearing about the second set, which appears to have gone to California.  I am copying Dr. Brian O’Neill of our archaeological research division on the email — he does a lot of work in southwest Oregon and had looked into this report.  I think he in the field right now so there may be a delay in hearing from him.

Pamela Endzweig <endzweig@uoregon.edu>

Re: Indian skeletons found beneath Mazama ash

July 12, 2012

To: Larry Smith twinhiker@gmail.com

 Cc: Brian L. O’Neill boneill@uoregon.edu

A human skeleton was found in the pumice deposits south of Prospect Oregon, during construction of the Medford-Bend Highway. Cresernan writes that the position of the skeleton, with the bones, and its depth in the pumice, 6 feet, argues against aboriginal burial. The bones were in an excellent state of preservation, but no mention was made of charring, if the individual were overwhelmed by the avalanche. If the skeleton were that of an individual caught by the avalanche, then it attests the presence of people in the Rogue River Valley 6,500 years ago (see page 18) Archaeological Surveys of Crater Lake National Park and Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon by Wilbur A. Davis 1963.

June 15                  1940      Rescue of two men off Garfield Peak, down toward the Lake.

August 16              1940      Search for and the rescue of three lost boys from the Crater Wall.

Summer                1940      Last plant made in park streams: 30,919 Rainbow; 66,350 Eastern Brook.

837 anglers on Lake with 4,188 fish taken.  85,020 Rainbow liberated in the Lake.

Summer                1940      Burt Simmons, of 3209 Monmouth, Pleasanton, California, and former crew member, tells of the landing of sea planes on Crater Lake as they practiced hiding from the Japanese attack.  The sea planes practiced landing on several Cascade Mountain lakes.  The story was kept very quiet for security purposes.  (Story related to the author in the early 1980s.)

Summer                1940      Over 900 truckloads of peat, topsoil and sand are spread around Rim Village

October 30            1940      Lake level reaches an all time low of 6,162.2 feet, a fluctuation of 16.245 feet over a 48 year period. Gaines 15 feet back by 1958.

Winter                    1940      Cluster office is established each winter in Medford, serving Crater Lake, Lava Beds and Oregon Caves. Chief Ranger maintains a winter Park office, for visitor contact, in Klamath Falls, the Gateway City.  Radio contact is made with each Park area from Medford several times during the day.

Season                  1940      Visitation:  252,482

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