SKAMANIA COUNTY
MOUNT SAINT HELENS
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
8N-5E-9
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)
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)
May 1980: The last remnant of the lookout was removed with the eruption of the mountain.
