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 Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. 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