National Register of Historic Places

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase)

Cave Junction, Josephine County, Oregon
Listed
November 24, 2014
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
14000960

About this property

Illinois Valley Airport (FAA LID: 3S4) is a county-owned public-use airport located four miles (6.4 km) southwest of the central business district of Cave Junction, a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The Illinois Valley Airport, also known as the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, or even the Cave Junction Airport, was built by the US Forest Service. It operated from 1943 to 1981 as a smokejumper base, during which time the smokejumpers parachuted on 1445 fires for 5390 fire jumps, or about 142 jumps per year. The Smokejumper Base is currently operating as the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum and free tours of the museum are available daily from March 15 to November 15. Major building restoration projects and ground maintenance have been performed by community members and retired smokejumper volunteers over the course of several years. Lunar orbiter commander Stuart Roosa was a firefighter at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base in 1954. In 1971, Roosa took a packet of Douglas Fir seeds with him to the moon, and when he returned the Forest Service planted these "Moon Trees" across the US, including two at the Illinois Valley Airport. The smokejumpers cared for these trees, but after their departure, both trees died. The Moon Tree Run (10k) was held annually to honor Roosa's achievement when the site was operating as a fire base. The Moon Tree Run has only recently begun to be held once again thanks to volunteer efforts. The mixed terrain race is similar to the original race course and there is also a 5k race offered. Illinois Valley Airport covers an area of 175 acres (71 ha) which contains one asphalt paved runway (18/36) measuring 4,807 x 75 ft (1,465 x 23 m). For the 12-month period ending May 11, 2021, the airport had 6,000 aircraft operations, all of which were general aviation. The airport has a specialty flight school offering primary flight training specifically for light sport and ultralight airplane and gyroplane. The school known as Captain Drake's Family Aerial Adventures, offers complete training packages including housing for out of town clients. fixed-base operator, aircraft rentals and instruction, hangar rentals, and a small campground. All other services are four miles (6 km) north in Cave Junction. FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker

Location

Cave Junction, Josephine County, Oregon
42.10302, -123.68130

Categories

CONSERVATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base
Listed
0.1 mi
Logan Cut
Industrial
1.1 mi
Old Placer Mine
Industrial
2.5 mi
Deep Gravel Mine
Industrial
2.9 mi
Esterly Pit No. 2-Llano De Oro Mine
Industrial
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase) listed on the National Register?

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 24, 2014.

What type of historic resource is Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase)?

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase) is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase)?

The period of significance for Siskiyou Smokejumper Base (Boundary Increase) is recorded as the listed era.

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