ABERNATHY MOUNTAIN
Cowlitz County - State Division of Forestry - 10S-3W-18
1929: "Ten new lookouts were established in the western part of the state and some twenty-odd miles of telephone line were constructed. This work was done in cooperation with the Washington Forest Fire Association. The Long-Bell Lumber Company established a lookout on Abernathy mountain in Cowlitz county. We cooperate in the operation of this lookout." (Division of Forestry Annual Report)
May 6, 1932: "Mr. Wallace also stated that May 15 work would be started on the erection of a 100-foot tower on Mt Abernathy, south of Ryderwood, where a lookout will be stationed." (The Chehalis Bee-Nugget)
1932: "One new lookout tower was erected this year, located on Abernathy Mountain in Cowlitz County. It is 92 feet high and, with its location on top of the mountain, furnishes a commanding view of a large territory--much greater than could be seen from the old lookout house on the ground in the same location. This lookout tower is located in the area planted to forest trees by the Long-Bell Lumber Company and gives not only added security to this young growth, but also to a large adjoining district. The tower was erected by our regular wardens under the direction of Mr. C.S. Cowan, Chief Fire Warden of the Washington Forest Fire Association. Mr. Vandercook, superintendent of logging operations for the Long-Bell Lumber Company, gave substantial assistance in delivering the corner post timbers and other material to the end of their logging road on the side of the mountain. He also sent a bulldozer caterpillar tractor to grade roads around three abandoned trestles. The tower was completed in the early part of the summer and was in service most of the fire season." (Division of Forestry Annual Report)
July 15, 1938: "Major C.S. Cowan, chief warden for the Washington Forest Association, telephoned from a lookout tower atop Mt Abernathy that the fire had sent one tentacle behind the mountain and that flames were raging on three sides, endangering 300 firefighters. He said two men were reported missing on the fire lines were found safe.
'We'll probably take the lookout man out of this station this afternoon,' he said. 'It's hard to get him in out of the area, because the fire is running into canyons and in almost inaccessible places.'" (Centralia Daily Chronicle)
December 7, 1939: "Increased visibility will be obtained from the 85-foot fire lookout being built by the enrollees of CCC company 937 under supervision of Foreman Frank Davis and Engineer John Baker on a high promontory overlooking the hills and valleys near Ryderwood.
This tower will be constructed of creosoted timber, bolted together with rings that give additional strength to the building. A winch will be used to hoist the heavy timbers and enable the men to bolt the various levels together without danger from the high winds that blow across the summit of the elevation.
A room for the lookout will be built at the top of the tower, being 14 feet square and containing his living quarters and office, with telephone and instruments useful in platting fires that may spring up in the miles of territory covered by this station.
Building the stairway as the construction goes up, the hand rails are the only uncreosoted timber used in the tower. Many thousand feet of timbers are required, and the bolts and nails used will weigh more than a ton. This will be one of the most modern towers constructed by the state forestry department and is counted upon for much fire detection work." (The Centralia Daily Chronicle)
March 28, 1940: "Under leadership of Foreman Frank Davis, a crew of 15 CCC enrollees of Camp Doty left this week for the side camp maintained by company 937 near Ryderwood. These men will complete the lookout tower on one of the big hills above the camp, building the house for the forest service lookout and completing other details that were left unfinished when the winter weather made roads impassable and the had to be abandoned for the winter." (The Centralia Daily Chronicle)
May 28, 1940: "Foreman Frank Davis and his crew of CCC company have completed the 85-foot Abernathy tower overlooking the many miles of country above Ryderwood, and have finished clearing away the construction debris, painting shutters and doing the other last minute jobs before the forest service lookout moves into the tower.
Built of creosoted timbers, this tower stands on a high point commanding a wide view. It replaces another and smaller tower built several years ago and pronounced by the state division of forestry as unsafe. The old tower, which stands at the foot of the hill, will be torn down, and the house that stands at the foot of the hill will be moved to the site selected near the new location.
A house has been built on the top of the tower, 14 feet square and fitted with furniture necessary for the use of the man stationed there to watch for fires in that area. High winds proved quite a handicap to the builders, as some of the gales were so strong they tore the planks from the scaffolding in the early stages of construction.
Signs of a rustic nature, made of cedar planks, have been posted, giving the name of Abernathy Lookout Tower and to warn all people against trespassing on the tower at any time." (The Centralia Daily Chronicle)
1940: "During 1940 the old lookout tower on Abernathy Mountain, Cowlitz county, was dismantled and replaced by a new 83 foot ring-connected tower." (Annual report of the Division of Forestry)
October 1950: The 90-foot tower was destroyed by high winds. (Longview Daily News)
1951: A 40-foot timber tower with a 14'x14' cab constructed. (Biennial Report of the Forestry Division)
July 1, 1952: "Cliff Helm obtained the job of lookout as a result of a strange quirk. The former lookout was arrested by a game warden during his first day on the job. He killed a grouse out of season---and in the presence of the official." (Longview Daily News)
June 20, 1962: "Leland Peterson of Bellevue, moved into his 'summer home' atop Abernathy lookout tower last week to begin his lonely fire watch over wooded areas around Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock and Ryderwood." (Longview Daily News)
May 21, 1963: "A State Department of Natural Resources official notified the Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office Monday that windows have been broken out of the Abernathy lookout tower during the past two weeks, and fire fighting tools have been taken from the Elks Creek area." (Longview Daily News)
June 10, 1963: "Jodie G. Bynak, a Tacoma woman, has moved into the Abernathy lookout in the Abernathy Forest Association area located in northern Cowlitz County. She moved to the station in late May." (Longview Daily News)
June 4, 1964: "Leland Peterson of Bellevue has moved into the Abernathy lookout tower for the summer months, according to the Kelso Office of the Department of Natural Resources.
Peterson will use a radio to report fires spotted in the Abernathy Forest. He is a veteran lookout watchman having served in the Abernathy area previous years." (Longview Daily News)
June 18, 1964: "Personnel changes have been made at two of the local forest lookout towers.
Miss Carol Williams of Toledo will occupy the Abernathy tower for the summer." (Longview Daily News)
June 4, 1969: "There won't be a poem written about it, like 'Aye, tear her tattered ensign down,' but the tower is being dismantled, and the Department of Natural Resources men feel badly about it.
'We hate to see it go,' said Assistant Administrator Wimpy Clark. 'We depended on it for so many years.'
But aircraft have taken over the fire watch duties, and the tower, located in an area south of Ryderwood and west of Castle Rock, hasn't been manned since 1966. It had served the department well from 1939.
It was vandalism that eventually determined the fate of the Abernathy tower. According to Clark, the tower 'has been shot up, torn up and beat up.'
Lookout towers have long been a prime target for vandals, Clark said, and this year all those in the Kelso district will be torn down save one." (Longview Daily News)