In 1910, The National Forest Ranger at Odessa, on Klamath Lake’s Pelican Bay, was W. F. Neff. Most rangers were more isolated, but Neff had regular launch service and telephone lines. His wife was the postmaster and the area social organizer.
Neff regularly reported his activities to headquarters, leaving a detailed account for future generations to read. In the spring, he planted oak and hickory seeds, and by October many trees had sprouted.
When he saw that loggers on a timber sale he supervised had left high stumps and marketable logs on the ground, he scaled their board feet double and charged the loggers.
Neff surveyed and rented the first summer home lots at Rocky Point.
In August, the Cat Hill fire started. Neff went to Klamath Falls to buy supplies and hire 17 men and four wagons and teams. He cooked for the crew and escorted them to the fire lines.
In November his three children had diphtheria, but recuperated in town.
He also weatherproofed the house, split shakes for a new barn, pigpen and chicken house and kept five stoves burning all winter to ward off below-zero temperatures.
Source: Brown, Carrol. History of the Rogue River National Forest. Vol. 1. , Rogue River National Forest, 1965, pp. 106-08.
2 vols.
