When you stand on the edge of the aspen grove near the Glade Guard Station, it is easy to hear the tales of history whispering through the quaking leaves.
Come listen to our stories, the leaves beckon. Come immerse yourself in the past of this place.
Now, thanks to the hard work of the U.S. Forest Service and a group of unique volunteers, members of the public will have an opportunity to share in the guard stations history.
The Glade Guard Station, located roughly 15 miles north of McPhee Reservoir, has been the subject of a three-year restoration project aimed at repurposing the complex, which includes a guard station, garage, outhouse and barn.
Before the project started the (U.S. Forest Service) was going to just burn it down, said David Singer, with Silverton Restoration Consulting. They saw it as a liability. The project has allowed us to save this piece of San Juan National Forest history.
Rather than a liability, the work project is turning the guard station into an asset for the forest service as a rental facility to be shared with the public.
It was really viewed as an attractive nuisance, said Julie Coleman, heritage team leader for the forest service. This really is a great resource and piece of our history that the public is going to be able to enjoy now that we have saved it.
The Glade Guard Station was first commissioned by the forest service in 1906, shortly after the formation of the San Juan forest. The station is one of the oldest forest service buildings in Colorado and is listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
The original log cabin was replaced by the current ranger house in 1916. It was remodeled in 1936 and 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
While the CCC camp was located at the site, corps members built an outhouse and woodshed and made improvements to a natural spring located near the house.
In the mid-1940s, after the completion of the Dolores Public Lands Office, the Glade Guard Station lost its usefulness to the forest service. It has stood abandoned since the 1970s.
The restoration project came together thanks to a serendipitous confluence of available funding and volunteer labor. Restoration costs have run close to $20,000 a year, according to Singer. Funds have come from the Colorado Historical Fund, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Gates Family Foundation, the Bacon Family Foundation, and the Ballantine Family Fund. Fundraising is coordinated by the Dominquez Archaeological Research Group.
Everything really came into alignment to be able to do this, Coleman said. We were able to write some grants and get some (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) money and then the workers came.
The workers, who have volunteered time since 2008 to complete the Glade project, are another piece of the guard stations intriguing story. The crew comprises members of the National Smokejumper Association, men who spent their youths in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s protecting the forest. Now, they spend their time preserving the forests history.
We really want to aid the forest service or (U.S. Bureau of Land Management) in maintaining some of these sites, said Rich Hildebrand, 65, the squad leader. Our real interest is the historic preservation aspect of the project.
Volunteers from the association spent a week in 2008, 2009 and this year providing labor for the Glade project. Nine of this years volunteers were former smokejumpers. Three were nonjumping associates of the group.
The volunteers are all retired and pursued a variety of career paths after their time as smokejumpers. The oldest member of the team was 78-year-old Ron Siple. All of the volunteers enjoy spending their time in the forest once again.
It is a great time to relive the old days while protecting the forest and preserving the history, said Warren Pierce, a jumper in 1964 in Cape Junction, Ore. It is a good way to get out and do something beneficial.
Over the past three years, a great deal of work has been completed on the project. In 2008 and 2009, the volunteers repaired the stone foundation, replaced the roof and restored the exterior of the guard building; repaired the interior and exterior of the outbuildings; and did maintenance work around the property. This year, the focus was the restoration of the barn and construction of a new corral.
The next step is the renovation of the guard station interior, which will be completed by a private firm this summer. Costs will range from $90,000 to $130,000. The property should be ready for rental either this fall or next spring.
Coleman is excited to see the years of work come to fruition.
It is going to be cool for the public to have that experience of staying at the station, Coleman said. Weve made a lasting impact and contribution. It is great.
Reach Kimberly Benedict at [email protected].
