Description

This area includes 3 other cabins. all within a couple hundred feet of each other : Congo Gulch Miners Retreat Hilltop Hideaway This provides great flexibility for larger groups. Caretaker s Cabin is located at historic Fremont Powerhouse complex. The surrounding valleys once teamed with mining activity primarily gold. Around 1903, local mines began to notice a decline in earnings and promoted construction of a cheaper power source,in an effort to operate the mines more economically. As a result, the Fremont Powerhouse was constructed and began operation in 1908. Two dams were constructed at Olive Lake and water from the lake was piped through an eight-mile-long wood and steel pipeline to the powerhouse to generate the much-needed electrical power. The houses were constructed to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline for breaks and kept the powerhouse operating. After 59 years of continuous service, the powerhouse generated its last electrical power in October 1967. In 1968, the California Pacific Utilities Company donated the entire complex to the U.S. Forest Service. Caretaker s Cabin is a large house located the farthest north of all the structures. This cabin has 6 rooms: large kitchen, bathroom, dining room, parlor, and 2 upstairs bedrooms. Beds are bunk beds and mattresses on the floor. The kitchen is equipped with a wide variety of cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery, and silverware. Cleaning supplies are also provided. Entry to the cabin is by combination lock on the north-side door. To obtain the combination number, please call the district office at 541 427 3231 from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday - Friday. The District will check the reservation database to confirm caller s identification before releasing the combination. There is also an off-site caretaker who can assist if there are problems with the lock, heater, etc. He is not a repairman however. Information on how to reach him is posted on each cabin door.