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1970
June 1970 The Crater Lake Community School closes due to decreasing enrollment. The school is consolidated with the Klamath County School District.
Victoria (Vicky) Nelson enters on duty as the Park’s new Post Office attendant, a position she holds for over 15 years. Vicky drives to the Park each day from Chiloquin.
A long row of old wooden garages, built in the l930’s and located in front of the Stone Houses, is burned down. The fire crew used the occasion as a practice drill. Thousands of rusty, burnt and bent nails left in the newly created parking area.
June 26 1970 The first major car clout of the season occurs in Mazama Campground. The clout netted over $1,000.
June 27 1970 Most National Park Campgrounds begin charging camping fees for the first time. Lost Creek Campground remains a free camp.
July 11 1970 Chief Ranger (and Acting Superintendent and Area Manager) transfers to Grand Coulee National Recreation Area.
July 12 1970 Einar Johnson appointed as Crater Lake’s 18th Superintendent.
July 18 1970 A VW bug rolls on Goodbye Curve. No injuries, but the violators were arrested for speeding, reckless driving, stolen government property and underage drinking.
July 23 1970 Youth Falls Down Cliff – A 16-year old Salem youth who started down an abandoned trail to Crater Lake tumbled down a steep cliff into the water Wednesday, but escaped with relatively minor injuries. A park spokesman said Mark Ferrin, son of Dr. and Mrs. Allen Ferrin, Salem, disregarded both the warning signs and his father’s warning and started down the old lake trail just below Rim Village. After the youth had been gone about an hour, his father notified rangers who started a search and found the youth semi-conscious at the edge of the lake. A tourist launch was used to take him across the lake to a better road and a park vehicle took him halfway to Klamath Falls before being met by an ambulance. He was reported in good condition with cuts, bruises and possible minor fractures. Rangers did not know how far he slid down the cliff before falling the final 25 feet though the air to the shallow edge of the lake. His father and another doctor gave first aid to the boy. (Date of article – The Bulletin)
August 1970 Letter, written in a fake childish hand – received at Park Headquarters. The box containing the blood soaked letter was dripping body fluids. The postal lady came rushing into Larry Smith’s Dispatch Office exclaiming, “There is blood dripping from a box that arrived this morning in the mail!” Larry opened the box and found a smashed body of a golden mantle ground squirrel and this note.
Dear Superintendent,
Me and my family were at Crader (sic) Lake last week and I took home this squirrel. I feel real bad about it. Could you please put him back where I found him laying asleep in the road in front of the Lodge. So when he wakes up he will not be scared and can find home O.K. Thanks. Love Bobbie Baker
August 17 1970 Skull of F-6-F Hellcat pilot found by Seasonal Ranger David Panebaker, one half mile from the 1945 crash site near Mt. Scott. Navy identifies the Hell Cat’s pilot as Ens. Frank R. Lupo, 22, of Newark, N.J. David Panebaker had become lost while searching for the crash site. While sitting on a log wondering which direction to continue exploring, David had a feeling that something or somebody was looking at him. As he glanced about the trees, David discovered the skull “staring” back at him from beneath a nearby log.
Letter from David Panebaker written – November 10, 1993
I remember going to the crash site with the investigators from the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station (and Larry Smith). The aircraft was found at the base of a vertical rock face. The engine was separate from the main debris pile and had rolled down the hillside a short distance. (Most likely the debris had been pushed over the cliff edge over the years by souvenir hunters.) There were no large structural members remaining. A barrel from the aircraft’s machine gun was embedded in some of the rocks in the cliff face. I recall a portion of blue wing with a white star on it.
We scoured the debris pile and sound no identifiable serial number for the aircraft. Then we found a portion of the instrument panel with holes where the gauges had been located. (Editor Note: The panel had been dropped along the access trail some years previously by Jessie Jack – the young son of Ranger Marion Jack. Jessie had wanted it as a souvenir, but soon tired of carrying it and tossed it out into the forest.) On the back portion of the panel in the area where the compass must have been located we found a small piece of folded paper attached. A number was written in pencil. The paper was carefully unfolded and we found it to have compass alignment information. It also contained the aircraft serial number, which ultimately lead to information, which identified the skull. Before we left the navy sprayed yellow paint on pieces of the aircraft to signify that it had been investigated.
8-23-70 Mail Tribunes
Human Skull May Be Last Link in 25-year Mystery
It was about 11 a.m. On Dec. 3, 1945, when a flight of Navy Hellcat fighters approached the Crater Lake area.
They belonged to Navel Air Group 5, VF 5, and were on their way from Pasco, Wash. To Brown Field, near San Diego, Calif.
One of these fliers was Ensign Les Farrell now living in Medford.
Farrell said Friday he remembered approaching the area which was shrouded in heavy clouds. The planes rose to about 22,000 feet to avoid the clouds.
Over the radio, Farrell said, he heard one of the pilots saying that his external belly tank had run dry and that he was switching to a full tank.
That was the last ever heard from this pilot. Farrell said in 1945 the term, “jet stream” was still unknown, but he believed the reason for running short on gas was that the planes were fighting a jet stream head-on and it cut at least 150 miles per hour off the planes’ speed.
The planes had to interrupt their flight south. Farrell, who later retired from the Navy as a commander, said he landed in North Bend. Others landed in Medford and in Klamath Falls.
One plane didn’t land at either of these fields. It crashed into Crater Lake National Park.
Twelve of the Hellcats, which landed in Klamath Falls, searched for several days, but nothing was found of the missing aircraft. After the Navy called off the search, private planes continued, but in vain.
While it was impossible to determine when the wreck was found originally, rangers at the park say they have known for a long time of the wreck. The Navy confirmed this.
But what brings the story to light again, the finding of a human skull last week by an off-duty park ranger.
While the wreckage was found, no trace of the pilot was ever discovered.
A team of naval investigations from Whidbey Island (Washington) Naval Air Station was at the scene Thursday; led to the wreck site by ranger Larry Smith. They confirmed that it is the wreckage of the missing Hellcat fighter.
Lt. (j.g.) Steve Black, Whidbey Island information officer, said Friday, the name of the pilot is known to the Navy, but it has not as yet been ascertained whether the found skull was that of the pilot.
He explained that the name could not be released until there was positive identification. This was to be made from the skull’s dental structure. (Ed. Note: there were only three teeth remaining, with the lower jaw missing after 25 years.)
Lt. Black said the reason for not releasing is that the man probably still has relatives living somewhere and it would be premature to give them hope that some of the remains of their missing kin was finally found.
September 10, 1971 – Ashland Daily Tidings – The personal effects of a Navy pilot who crashed in Crater Lake National Park more than 25 years ago were found this week by two park employees.
Some bones and flight equipment were found by Bob Misterek, 23, of Beaverton, and Paul Asntesson, 19, of Mt. View, California, about a quarter of a mile from the site of the crash, near the picnic grounds. Five uniform buttons, a rubber life raft, leather jacket, earphones, parachute, a religious medal and a first aid kit were recovered. The Navy Hellcat crashed Dec. 3, 1945, in a storm on a flight from Pasco, Washington to San Diego. In August last year the pilot’s skull was found and identified by the Navy. The wreckage of the plane had been found years earlier, but there was no sign of the pilot until last year.
A salvage request – from Don Corder of Klamath Falls – requesting rights to salvage the Crusader Jet from off of Timber Crater (1962 crash) and the Hellcat from off of Bear Butte.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Crater Lake National Park
Post Office Box 7
Crater Lake, Oregon 97601
November 28, 1978
Don Corder
1443 Tamera Dr.
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Dear Don:
I’m Sorry for the delay in writing to you. The past month has been extremely busy and I’ve been out of the Park. I have received a letter from the Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District, Seattle, Washington, in regards to the two naval craft here in the Park. He reports that the sole authority for removing such craft rests with the Secretary of the Navy. The Commandant has forwarded the Park’s letter to the Secretary for action.
I will keep you informed of further action.
Mark E. Forbes Park Ranger
29 Dec 1978
Department of the Navy
Office of Information
Washington, D.C. 20361
Jan 23, 1979
Mr. Donald F. Corder
1443 Tamera Drive
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Dear Mr. Corder:
Thank you for your recent letter to the Honorable W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Secretary of the Navy, regarding two planes that crashed in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The Secretary has asked that I respond on his behalf.
Under copy of this letter, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your letter to the activity having jurisdiction over such matters. Their address is as follows:
Naval Air Systems Command
Air 950C
Navy Department
Washington, D.C. 20361
You will be hearing from a representative of that activity in the very near future
Sincerely,
Evelyn H. Crickenberger
Assistant Head,
Research and Public Inquiries Section
Department of the Navy
Naval Air Systems Command
Washington, D.C. 20361
Jan 23, 1979
Mr. Donald F. Corder
1443 Tamera Drive
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Dear Mr. Corder:
Your letter of 4 Dec. 1978 to the Secretary of the Navy regarding two Navy aircraft that crashed in Crater Lake National Park, OR has been refereed to Naval Air Systems Command for reply.
The aircraft are F-6F BUNO 79804 and F-8A BUNO 143708. In reply to Crater Lake National Park letter of 31 Oct 1978 Naval Air Systems Command letter 4121C3/JDB Ser 592 of Dec 1978 authorized Crater Lake National Park to dispose of the aircraft as scrap and furnished demilitarization instructions. Authorization to remove the aircraft or parts of the aircraft from the Park, must be obtained from Crater Lake National Park.
We regret that the reply to you could not be more favorable.
Sincerely,
- Wallace, JR.
Head, Supply Policy & Programs Branch
====================================
ED NOTE: Don Corder eventually did receive permission to remove the two Naval aircraft. It took him two summers packing out the pieces and parts by horse back. Most likely the engine of the Crusader jet is still at Timber Crater because of its size and weight. When the jet dead sticked in, it was torn apart by the trees of Timber Crater, sprinkling parts for half a mile. The engine, because of its shear weight, went the farthest, finally coming to rest against an outcropping of earth and rock. The crash caused a small forest fire that was promptly controlled.
Labor Day 1970 Fatal heart attack in Rim Village.
September 1970 Third major car clout in Mazama Campground since June.
Guy Hartel, age 70, retires to Klamath Falls, after working 20 years as an equipment operator and on road repair.
Fall 1970 Backcountry fire roads closed to all vehicle travel, including the Pacific Crest Trail. All roadless areas of the Park and the old fire roads are proposed as Wilderness Trails.
Self service gas pumps installed at the service station for year-round operation, but soon ruled illegal and locked up because of Oregon’s ban on self-serve stations.
Some time in the early 1970s. District Ranger Larry Hakel (later Chief Ranger at Shenandoah National Park) tells of the time he received a call about a bear roaming the Rim Campground. As Larry arrived from Annie Spring, Chief Ranger Buck Evans pulled to a stop in front of Larry The bear by this time was treed. Chief Evans calmly rolled down his vehicle window – pointed his gun out the window and, to Hakel’s horror, shoots the bear. (Story from Larry Hakel – August 25, 2002)
Season 1970 Major extension of Cafeteria Building front. Torn off in 2004.
Early 1970’s The boat crew, led by Lodge owner’s son, Mike Peyton, turns Crater Lake into their own private lake by water skiing behind the launches and fishing after hours around Phantom Ship with Daddy’s 60 passenger launch.
Visitation 1970 534,962 visitors
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