FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • WASHINGTON
  • ASOTIN COUNTY
    • Big Butte
    • Saddle Butte
    • Smoothing Iron
  • CHELAN COUNTY
    • Alpine
    • Baldy Mountain
    • Basalt Mountain
    • Beehive Mountain
    • Big Hill
    • Boulder Butte
    • Boundary Butte
    • Byrd Point
    • Carne Mountain
    • Chelan
    • Chelan Butte
    • Chumstick Mountain
    • Cougar Mountain
    • Dirty Face Ridge
    • Domke Mountain
    • Duncan Hill
    • Estes Butte
    • French Ridge
    • Goman Peak
    • Goode Ridge
    • Harriets Peak
    • Horton Butte
    • Icicle Ridge
    • Jack Ridge
    • Junction Ridge
    • Junior Point
    • Keystone Point
    • Klone Peak
    • Lorraine
    • McCue Ridge
    • McGregor Mountain
    • Mission Peak
    • Mount David
    • Mount Stuart
    • Nelson Butte
    • Poe Mountain
    • Pyramid Mountain
    • Rock Mountain
    • Slide Ridge
    • Soda Springs
    • Steliko Point
    • Stiletto Ridge
    • Stormy Mountain
    • Sugarloaf Peak
    • Three Brothers
    • Tiptop
    • Tumwater Mountain
    • Tyee Mountain
    • Vie Mountain
  • CLALLAM COUNTY
    • Baada Point
    • Blue Mountain
    • Blyn
    • Bogachiel Peak
    • Burma Point
    • Burnt Mountain
    • Crow's Nest
    • Dodger Point
    • Ellis
    • Foothills
    • Gunderson Mountain
    • Hurricane Ridge
    • Hyas Mountain
    • Ice Cream Cone Mountain
    • Kloshe Nanitch
    • Mt Pleasant
    • Mt Townsend
    • Mt Zion
    • Muller Mountain
    • Neah Bay (AWS)
    • Ned Hill
    • North Point
    • Ozette Lake (AWS)
    • Pyramid Mountain (AWS)
    • Pysht
    • Sekiu Mountain
    • Solduc Mountain
    • Sooes Mountain
    • Striped Peak
    • Twin
  • CLARK COUNTY
    • Green Knob
    • Larch Mountain
  • COLUMBIA COUNTY
    • Griffin Peak
    • Jumpoff joe
    • Oregon Butte
    • Paradise Ridge
    • Table Rock
    • Thorne Point
  • COWLITZ COUNTY
    • Abernathy Mountain
    • Devils Burn
    • Elk Mountain
    • Elk Rock
    • Gilbert, Ted
    • Lam Mountain
    • Meridian Mountain
    • Powderhorn
    • Signal Peak
    • Wolf Point
  • DOUGLAS COUNTY
    • Badger Mountain
  • FERRY COUNTY
    • Barnaby Butte
    • Bisbee Mountain
    • Bodie Mountain
    • Cody Butte
    • Columbia Mountain
    • Copper Butte
    • Franson Peak
    • Gold Mountain
    • Graves Mountain
    • Grizzly Mountain
    • Jackknife Mountain
    • Johnny George
    • Keller Butte
    • Little Vulcan Mountain
    • Lynx Creek
    • Marble Mountain
    • Moon Mountain
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Scalawag Ridge
    • Sheep Mountain
    • South Huckleberry
    • Stahley Peak
    • Taylor Ridge
    • Thirteenmile
    • Togo Mountain
    • Twin Sisters
    • Vulcan Mountain
    • Wapaloosie Mountain
    • White Mountain
    • Whitestone Ridge
  • GARFIELD COUNTY
    • Clearwater
    • Diamond Peak
  • GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
    • Anderson Butte
    • Artic
    • Brittain
    • Burnt Hill
    • Byles
    • Chester Ridge
    • Colonel Bob
    • Cook Creek Tree
    • Deep Creek
    • Drake (Reed Hill)
    • Gobbler Knob
    • Higley Peak
    • Hobi Peak
    • Humptulips Ridge
    • Kelly
    • Lem
    • Lone Mountain
    • Macafee Hill
    • Minot Peak
    • Mobray
    • Moclips
    • Point Grenville
    • Prices Peak
    • Salmon River
    • Twin Peak
    • Vesta
    • Weatherwax
  • JEFFERSON COUNTY
    • Big Quilcene
    • Clearwater
    • Elk Creek
    • Finley Peak
    • Geodetic Hill
    • Hoh (Oil City)
    • Kloockman Rock
    • Ludden Peak
    • Mount Constance
    • Mount Jupiter
    • Mount Octopus
    • Mount Walker
    • Owl Mountain
    • Quilcene Ranger Station
    • Shine
    • Skidder Hill
    • Twin Lakes
    • Webb Mountain (Lower)
    • Webb Mountain (Upper)
  • KING COUNTY
    • Bare Mountain
    • Beckler Peak
    • Camp Waskowitz
    • Canyon
    • Cascade
    • Cedar Mountain
    • Cedar Point
    • Christoff
    • Cleveland Mountain
    • Colquhoun Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • Granite Mountain
    • Grass Mountain
    • Humphrey Mountain
    • Kelly Butte
    • Little Mountain
    • Maloney Ridge
    • McClellan Butte
    • McDonald
    • Meadow Mountain
    • Mount Sawyer
    • Mount Si
    • Nordrum Mountain
    • Pinnacle Peak
    • Platts
    • Proffitts Point
    • Pyramid Peak
    • Rattlesnake Ridge
    • Snoqualmie
    • Snowshoe Butte
    • Stampede Pass
    • Surprise Mountain
    • Tiger Mountain
    • Windy Mountain
  • KITSAP COUNTY
    • Bangor
    • Gold Mountain
    • Green Mountain
    • Kitsap
  • KITTITAS COUNTY
    • Bald Mountain
    • Big Creek
    • Davis Mountain
    • Devil's Slide
    • Easton Ridge
    • Elbow Peak
    • Fish Lake
    • Frost Mountain
    • Goat Peak
    • Jolly Mountain
    • Koppen Mountain
    • Lion Rock
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Manastash Ridge
    • Martin
    • Mount Lillian
    • Naneum Point
    • North Ridge
    • Peoh Point
    • Polallie Mountain
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Red Mountain
    • Red Top Mountain
    • Roaring Ridge
    • Stafford Creek
    • Taneum Point
    • Teanaway Butte
    • Thorp Mountain
  • KLICKITAT COUNTY
    • Dymond Gap
    • Grayback Mountain
    • Lorena Butte
    • Meadow Butte
    • Monte Cristo
    • Nestor Peak
    • Simcoe Butte
    • Sopelia
    • Twin Buttes (Lorena)
  • LEWIS COUNTY
    • Baw Faw Peak
    • Burley Mountain
    • Cascade Creek
    • Cispus Mountain
    • Clam Mountain
    • Coyote Mountain
    • Doty
    • Dry Creek
    • Goat Ridge
    • Hamilton Butte
    • Hawkeye
    • High Rock
    • Huckleberry Mountain2
    • Hunters Cabin
    • Kiona Peak
    • Kosmos Hill
    • Ladd Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Lookout Point
    • Lost Lake
    • Lucas Creek
    • Nannie Peak
    • National
    • Newaukum
    • Pleasant Valley
    • Pompey Peak
    • Purcell Mountain
    • Rockies (Little)
    • South Point
    • Stahl Peak
    • Tatoosh Ridge
    • Tongue Mountain
    • Tower Rock
    • Tumac
    • Twin Sisters
    • Vanson Peak
    • Watch Mountain
    • West Fork Tilton
    • Windy Knob
  • MASON COUNTY
    • Dayton Peak
    • Dennie Ahl
    • Dow Mountain
    • Dusk Peak
    • Grisdale Hill
    • Jefferson Ridge
    • Lightning Peak
    • Mason Lake
    • Mount Lincoln
    • Simpson
    • South Mountain
    • Tahuya
  • OKANOGAN COUNTY
    • Aeneas Mountain
    • Armstrong Mountain
    • Bailey Mountain
    • Big Hill
    • Billy Goat Peak
    • Black Ridge
    • Blue Goat Mountain
    • Bridge Creek
    • Buck Mountain
    • Buckhorn Mountain
    • Bunker Hill
    • Burch Mountain
    • Buttermilk Butte
    • Chiliwist Butte
    • Cooper Mountain
    • Cornell Butte
    • Corral Butte
    • Diamond Point
    • Doe Mountain
    • Dollar Watch Mountain
    • Driveway Butte
    • Dugout Mountain
    • Fir Mountain
    • First Butte
    • Funk Mountain
    • Gardner Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • Goat Peak
    • Gold Ridge
    • Granite Mountain
    • Jackass Butte
    • Juniper Point
    • Knowlton Knob
    • Leecher Mountain
    • Lincoln Butte
    • Little Buck Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McClure Mountain
    • Mebee Pass
    • Midnight Mountain
    • Milton Mountain
    • Monument 83
    • Moses Mountain
    • Mount Annie
    • Mount Bonaparte
    • Mount Hull
    • Muckamuck Mountain
    • North Creek Butte
    • North Twenty-mile
    • Okanogan Post Office
    • Old Baldy
    • Omak Mountain
    • Oval Peak
    • Pearygin Peak
    • Point Defiance
    • Remmels peak
    • Robinson Pass
    • Setting sun
    • Skull & Crossbones
    • Slate Peak
    • South Creek Butte
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Sweetgrass Butte
    • Thrapp Mountain
    • Tiffany Peak
    • Tunk Mountain
    • War Creek Ridge
    • Washington Butte
    • Whitmore Mountain
    • Windy Peak
    • Winthrop
  • PACIFIC COUNTY
    • Blaney Mountain
    • Burt
    • Cowan Point
    • Hull Creek
    • K O Point
    • Packsack Mountain
    • Squally Jim
    • Trap Creek
  • PEND OREILLE COUNTY
    • Aladdin Mountain
    • Baldy (Current)
    • Bead Lake Mountain
    • Boundary Mountain
    • Boyer Mountain
    • Cee Cee Ah
    • Cook Mountain..
    • Crowell Ridge
    • Diamond Peak
    • Diamond Peak Patrol
    • Dry Canyon
    • Fourth of July
    • Galena Point
    • Gibraltar Rock
    • Gleason Mountain
    • Goose Creek Point
    • Granite Peak
    • Grassy Top
    • Grouse Knob
    • Gypsy Peak
    • Hall Mountain
    • Hanks
    • Hanlon Mountain
    • Harvey Creek
    • High Rock
    • Huckleberry Mountain..
    • Indian Mountain
    • Jackson Mountain
    • Kalispell Rock
    • Kings Mountain
    • Leola Peak
    • Linton Mountain
    • Little Blue Grouse
    • Little Roundtop
    • Mill Creek Point
    • Molybdenite Mountain
    • Monumental Mountain
    • Moon Hill
    • No Name Peak
    • North Baldy Mountain
    • Ojibway
    • Orwig Hump
    • Pass Creek Ridge
    • Pelke Divide
    • Prouty Peak
    • Roundtop Mountain
    • Russian Ridge
    • Saddle Mountain
    • Salmo Mountain
    • Sand Creek
    • Scrabbler Mountain
    • Shedroof
    • Skookum Peak
    • Slate Creek
    • Slumber Mountain
    • Snyder Hill
    • South Baldy Mountain
    • South Fork Mountain
    • Squaw Valley
    • Sullivan Mountain
    • Thomas Mountain.
    • Thunder Mountain
    • Tillicum Peak
    • Timber Mountain
    • Winchester Peak
    • Yokum Lake
  • PIERCE COUNTY
    • Anvil Rock
    • Bearhead Mountain
    • Carbon Ridge
    • Clear West Peak
    • Colonade
    • Crystal Lake
    • Crystal Mountain
    • Electron
    • Garrison Hill
    • Glacierview
    • Gobblers Knob
    • Goodman Hill
    • McGuire Creek
    • Mount Beljica
    • Mount Fremont
    • Mutton Mountain
    • Nisqually
    • Noble Knob
    • Norse Peak
    • O'Farrell (South Prairie)
    • Ohop
    • Old Desolate
    • Pack Forest
    • Purdy
    • Puyallup Ridge
    • Saint Paul
    • Shriner Peak
    • Sunset Park
    • Suntop Mountain
    • Tolmie Peak
    • Windy Knoll
  • SAN JUAN COUNTY
    • Mount Constitution
    • Little Summit
  • SKAGIT COUNTY
    • Bacon Point
    • Devils Mountain
    • Dock Butte
    • Finney Point
    • Frailey Mountain
    • Gee Point
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Hidden Lake
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Little Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McMurray
    • Mount Higgins
    • Mount Josephine
    • North Mountain
    • Rinker Point
    • Samish
    • Sauk Mountain
    • Texas Pond
    • Wickersham
  • SKAMANIA COUNTY
    • Aldrich Butte
    • Badger Peak
    • Beacon Rock
    • Big Huckleberry
    • Breezy Point
    • Bunker Hill
    • Burnt Peak
    • Clear Creek
    • Coldwater Peak
    • Council Bluff
    • Dark Cabin
    • Dog Mountain
    • Flattop
    • Flattop (West)
    • French Butte
    • Grassy Knoll
    • Gumboot
    • Horseshoe Ridge
    • House Rock
    • Huffman Peak
    • Little Baldy
    • Little Huckleberry
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Madcat Meadow
    • McCoy Peak
    • Mount Mitchell
    • Mount Saint Helens
    • Mowich Butte
    • Observation Peak
    • Point 3670
    • Red Mountain
    • Silver Star Mountain
    • Siouxon Peak
    • Sleeping Beauty
    • Smith Creek Butte
    • Spencer Butte
    • Steamboat Mountain
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Summit Guard Station
    • Summit Prairie
    • Sunrise Peak
    • Switchback Mountain
    • Three Corner Rock
    • Twin Butte
  • SNOHOMISH COUNTY
    • Bannock Mountain
    • Barlow Pass
    • Basin
    • Benchmark Mountain
    • Blackjack Ridge
    • Blue Mountain
    • Circle Peak
    • Dan Creek Guard Station
    • Darrington Ranger Station
    • Evergreen Mountain
    • French Point
    • Galena Mountain
    • Glacier Ridge
    • Gold Hill
    • Green Mountain
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Heybrook
    • High Rocks
    • Johnson Mountain
    • Jumbo Mountain
    • Kodak Peak
    • Miners Ridge
    • Mount Pilchuck
    • Mount Pugh
    • North Fork Bench
    • Red Mountain (Ridge)
    • Sauk Guard Station
    • Stillaguamish
    • Sulphur Mountain
    • Three Fingers
    • Whitechuck Bench
    • Whitechuck Mountain
  • SPOKANE COUNTY
    • Lookout Mountain (Point)
    • Mica Peak
    • Mount Spokane
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Turnbull
  • STEVENS COUNTY
    • Abercrombie Mountain
    • Addy Mountain
    • Blue Grouse Mountain
    • Calispel Peak
    • Chewelah Peak
    • Churchill Mountain
    • Cliff Ridge
    • Colbath Mountain
    • Dunn Mountain
    • Eagle Mountain
    • Electric Point
    • First Thought Mountain
    • Flagstaff
    • Frisco Mountain (Peak)
    • Goddards Creek
    • Gold Mountain
    • Green Mountain.
    • Johnson Peak
    • Leadpoint Mountain
    • Miller Mountain
    • Mineral Mountain
    • Monumental Mountain
    • Nelson Peak
    • Old Dominion
    • Onion Mountain
    • Rogers Mountain
    • Scoop Mountain
    • Sherwood Mountain
    • Spirit Point
    • Spokane Mountain
    • Stranger Mountain
    • Swede Pass
    • Tower Mountain
    • Wellpinit Mountain
  • THURSTON COUNTY
    • Capitol Peak
    • Crawford Mountain
    • Deschutes Tower
    • Miller Hill
    • Porcupine Ridge
    • Rainier Tower
    • Rock Candy Mountain
  • WAHKIAKUM COUNTY
    • Incline Mountain
  • WHATCOM COUNTY
    • Anderson Butte
    • Baker Lake (Point)
    • Barometer Mountain
    • Black Rock
    • Blue Canyon
    • Cady Point
    • Church Mountain
    • Copper Mountain
    • Crater Mountain
    • Deming
    • Desolation Peak
    • Devils Dome
    • Dillard Point
    • Easy Ridge
    • Entwhistle
    • Excelsior Point
    • Galbraith
    • Goat Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Nooksack
    • Park Butte
    • Roland Point
    • Sourdough Mountain
    • South Twin
    • Sulphur Butte
    • Whatcom Peak
    • Winchester Peak
  • YAKIMA COUNTY
    • American Ridge
    • Bear Creek Mountain
    • Blue Slide
    • Cleman Mountain
    • Clover Springs
    • Darland Mountain
    • Edgar Rock
    • Goat Butte
    • Hagerty Butte
    • Jennies Butte
    • Jumpoff
    • Lakeview Mountain
    • Little Bald Mountain
    • McKays Butte
    • Midway
    • Miners Ridge
    • Mount Adams
    • Mount Aix
    • Panther Creek
    • Pine Mountain
    • Ravens Roost
    • Round Mountain
    • Satus Peak
    • Sedge Ridge
    • Signal Peak
    • Timberwolf Mountain
  • General & Misc., Washington
  • INDEX
SKAMANIA COUNTY

MOUNT SAINT HELENS

Gifford Pinchot National Forest
8N-5E-9
March 14, 1916:  "A.E. Cohoon, supervisor of the Columbia National Forest and T.H. Sherrard, supervisor of the Oregon National Forest, met with their respective district rangers in the offices of the local forester yesterday.
     Among other plans outlined for the coming summer campaign for fire prevention and control, a discussion sprang up as to the advisability of putting another lookout station on one of the snow-capped peaks.  The lookout station that was maintained by the forest service on the summit of Mount Hood has proved such an efficient means for the detection of incipient fires that the proposal to install one on the summit of St. Helens met with favor."  (Morning Oregonian)

March 19, 1916:
  "The Forestry Department, acting on the success of the lookout station which was built on Mount Hood last summer, has decided to build a similar one on the summit of Mount St. Helens during the coming summer.
     Lumber will have to be hauled in wagons to the snow-line or as near as possible, then transported on sleds or the backs of men to the summit."  (The Sunday Oregonian)

July 9, 1916:  "This summer a lookout station on the summit of Mount St. Helens will serve as a means of locating forest fires by the Forest Patrol Service employes.  At least a lookout has been erected for that purpose, but if the rains continue as they have it will be little used.
     The building will be of angle iron.  It will be covered with sheet steel and will be 8 x 10 in size.  It will be heated with coal oil stoves during cold spells.  Edward Robinson, patrolman at Spirit Lake, will be stationed at the summit and a telephone line will connect the station with patrol stations in the forest."  (Morning Oregonian)

July 13, 1916:   "This summer a lookout station on the summit of Mt. St. Helens will serve as a means of locating forest fires by the forest patrol service employes."   (The Lynden Tribune)

July 20, 1916:  "The materials for a forest service lookout house at the top of Mount St. Helens has just been shipped to Castlerock, Wash., according to F.H. Brundage, supervisor of the Columbia National forest.  From Castlerock it will be hauled 55 miles to a point south of Spirit Lake.
     The remaining three miles to the summit, which has an elevation of 9750 feet, present the most difficult part of the problem.  It is planned to haul the sections up over snow and ice of the steep slopes by means of a steel cable, using rocks for counter-weight.
     The lookout house is a wooden structure 12 feet square, with a cupola six feet square.  All the material for the house is cut and ready to be put together by the forest officers without the help of a carpenter.  The lower part of the building will be used for living quarters.
     The cupola is equipped with a map table and map and a fire finder or lookout protractor.  The station will have telephone connection with the outside world.
     The whole building will be securely anchored to the rocks by means of four steel cables."  (Morning Oregonian)

1916:  "In conjunction with the Forest Service, twelve miles of telephone line were put up, connecting our patrol system with the Government Lookout, recently established on Mt. St. Helens.  The man stationed at this point has an observation covering Clarke, Skamania, Cowlitz and part of Lewis Counties.  The real benefit of this to our Association and the State is apparent.  The lookout system has undergone a wonderful development in the past few years.  There is no doubt as to its value in patrol."  (9th Annual Report of the Washington Forest Fire Association)

February 11, 1918:
  "Oregon is about to lose its pre-eminence in having the highest forest service lookout station in the country, according to George H. Cecil, district forester.  The lookout station on the top of Mount Hood, where Elijah Coalman has achieved fame for a number of thrilling exploits, has heretofore been the highest in the country, but plans are now under way, Mr. Cecil says, for the establishment of a lookout station on the top of Mount St. Helens, 1000 feet higher.  The elevation of Mount St. Helens is 12,370 feet."  (Oregonian)

August 1919:  "John Walker, a temporary employee on the Columbia, was caught in a rock slide while repairing the telephone line to the St. Helens lookout house, and so badly injured that he died before medical aid could reach him."  (Six Twenty-Six)

July 21, 1922:
  "Did you ever think of going to the telephone and calling up the man at the top of Mount St Helens?  It can be done and doubtless the man who lives there in the tiny little house on top of the mountain during the summer time would be quite surprised to have someone from the blistering valley at Chehalis ring him up on a hot day and ask 'How's the weather up there, Mr. Ranger?'  He would probably say it was just a trifle fresh and that he would be willing to swap and make it '50-50' with the dweller in the valley.
     The house on top of the mountain is 12x12 feet with a lookout cupola and instruments to determine the location of fires.  From the first of July until early fall one of the forest service men lives there and during the clear hours of the day spends his time watching the country spread out before him for fires.  When there is indication of fire at any point within his vision the spot is located by use of the instruments and word telephoned to headquarters.  In this way early information is often obtained of a tiny fire and the rangers are able to put it out before it gains headway.
     The least possible quantity of metal is used in constructing the lookout house or for the comfort of its occupant, for fear of the lightning that may be attracted by it.  A coal oil lamp furnishes heat for cooking and warmth.  It required 7000 pounds of timber and other material for the house and equipment and all of this had to be taken up the mountain a little at a time.  It was packed up on horses and mules as far as the animals could travel.  Above that point it was dragged up by using counterweights.  A bundle of material was fastened to the end of a long rope, away up on the mountain, was run through a pulley fastened to a projecting rock and huge stones fastened to the rope and the stones came down the mountain side while the load of lumber or other material went up.  In this way the material for the lookout's house was gradually taken up."  (The Chehalis Bee-Nugget)

July 27, 1924:  "Glen H. Meissner, lookout on Mount St. Helens, reported 16 fires last Wednesday, among which was the stock show buildings in Portland.  At present Spirit lake is covered with a light cloud of smoke from a fire 35 miles away toward Mount Adams."  (The Sunday Oregonian)

September 6, 1924:
  "Charles Newell, county fire warden, was notified last night that a small fire was burning in the northeast corner of Cowlitz county on the Green river watershed.  It is near the Cowlitz-Skamania county line.  The fire lookout on Mount St. Helens discovered the fire.  Rain last night is believed to have checked it."  (Morning Oregonian)

September 1926:  "Kenneth Macdonald, whose eagle eye searches the treetops for miles around for smoke, has been having a good run of visitors this year."  (Six Twenty-Six)

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May 1980:   The last remnant of the lookout was removed with the eruption of the mountain.

REX'S FIRE LOOKOUT PAGE
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Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association.

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