Interviewer
Beth Hodder, Kjell Petersen
Files
Description
Gene Miller describes growing up in Montana’s Swan Valley and how that helped him decide to become a U.S. Forest Service lookout. Miller talks about his 38-year tenure as a lookout, including on Priscilla Peak, three lookout towers as a relief staffer, and then 37 years on Blue Mountain. He tells about several fire incidents, including the inside phone melting after a lightning strike and igniting a fire under the lookout. He recalls a diverse range of visitors to the tower including Russian and Chinese delegations, pot smokers, an arsonist who was starting fires along the road, and the Hells Angels.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Subjects: Pricilla Peak Lookout; Blue Mountain Lookout; Lolo National Forest; Fire lookout; Fire fighting, Montana; Wildlife; Lightning strikes; Arsonists; Hells Angels; Foreign delegations
Personal Names: Gene Miller Corporate Names: U.S. Forest Service
Geographical Names: Montana; Lolo National Forest; Sundance Ridge; Swan Valley
Occupations: Fire lookouts; Delegates; Motorcyclists
Original Date
2-4-2021
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Northwest Montana Lookout Association Oral History Project, OH 453, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Northwest Montana Lookout Association. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 453-012
Media Type
Moving Image; Sound; Text
Digital Format
video/3gpp; application/pdf; text/plain
Run Time
01:34:12 minutes
Local Filename
OH_453_012.3gp; OH_453_012.pdf; OH_453_012.srt
Citation
Miller, A. Eugene, "Gene Miller Interview, February 4, 2021" (2021). Northwest Montana Lookout Association Oral History Project. 12.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/nwmt-ffla/12