Across Idaho’s ridgelines and mountaintops stand the sentinels of a remarkable era: fire lookout towers that once served as the eyes of Idaho’s forests. Some still stand proudly and are in use today as active fire protection; others have faded into memory, but each one has a story, and more importantly, each one was staffed by people whose lives and experiences deserve to be remembered.
During a visit to Dominion Mountain Lookout in the St Joe National Forest, in the ruins of the fallen tower, we found an inscription in the cement of a footing that was inscribed “C.E. NELSON 33”.
Using that bit of information, we were able to find several newspaper articles in the archives about Charles Nelson. An article from the Sanders County Independent-Ledger from July 26, 1933, mentions that “Charles Nelson has been placed on Dominion Peak on the State Line at the head of Silver Creek south of Saltese as Lookout and Patrolman.”
Idaho Fire Lookouts is a two-person effort dedicated to researching, documenting, and preserving the history of every fire lookout tower in the state. We are proud, self-proclaimed “lookout nerds.”
We have connected with current and former lookouts, families, and enthusiasts who have generously shared their time, stories, and collections. The work has proven so absorbing that it has become something of an obsession, the best kind, we promise.
We are focusing on identifying and cataloging the names and years of service of the men and women who staffed, and continue to staff, the lookout towers. These individuals spent long seasons alone or nearly alone, scanning the horizon for smoke, recording weather observations, and quietly playing a critical role in protecting Idaho’s forests. In many cases, their names and service records have been lost or remain incomplete.
Who staffed these towers, and why has so much of their history disappeared?
On top of Blacktail Mountain, the site of a fire lookout tower that was destroyed in 1941, you can see more than just a gorgeous view of Priest Lake. Today, you can still find the original standing alidade table, once used to sight wildfires during the tower’s active years 1932-1941. But even more exciting, you can find an inscription carved into the rock, “Bill Stobie June 25 to Sept 1, 1936.”
While Bill was likely the lookout stationed here that summer in 1936, we have been unable to find any other information about Bill. We’ve scoured newspapers, historical records, ancestry websites, and more, but we’re stumped.
The Search continues.
Our friend Grace Schwenk, who staffs Granite Peak in the Payette National Forest, shared with us a notebook that has been carefully maintained by generations of lookouts, documenting their names with a recap of their season, dating from 1966 to the present day.
This work has taken us into museum archives, national photo collections, and historic newspaper records. We’ve spent countless hours studying books on the subject, transcribing fire lookout diaries and radio logs, and meeting with fire lookout historians who have generously opened their collections to us.
Despite those incredible resources, much is left in the dark. We hope a plea to the public can help shine a light on our search. We are looking for current and former lookouts, family members, or friends who may have information to share with us about what they know.
Even small details, a name, a year, a tower location, or a memory passed down through the family can help fill important gaps in the historical record.
Idaho Fire Lookouts is also actively searching for photographs of lookout towers in Idaho. Many sites have little to no photographic documentation, particularly from their early years. Old photo albums, slide collections, scrapbooks, or boxes stored away in attics and basements may hold images that have never been publicly shared.
Each new name, story, or photograph helps bring the history into sharper focus and ensures that the people who once stood watch over Idaho’s landscapes are not forgotten.
Those with information, memories, or photographs, or who know someone who might, are encouraged to contact us at contact@idahofirelookouts.com
Chuck Kator was L.O. on Sunset Peak 1968. I know he spent several summers on that tower.
Thank you so much Lawrence for your time and help with this project! By chance do you know if Chuck is still around?
I manned Trinity LO, Mtn.Home District,Boise N.F., in 1959, my wife and I and our 3 month old son were there in 1960. No power, 5 milk cans of water a week, wood “ sheep herders stove” . Washed diapers by hand an hung them to dry on clothes line under the cat walk. Our car wouldn’t pull the last 2 miles to the lookout so the Ranger pulled us to the top with the jeep. I closed the lookout on Aug.28, with 6 inches of snow on the shutters when I dropped them down. Great memories!
Ralph thank you so much for your time and help with this project! Diapers – so you and your wife were raising tiny humans at Trinity? What was that like?
I know a guy who man hall mountain lookout. His name is Winston Cook. He has some great stories.
Thank you Jeff! Any idea roughly what years Winston staffed Hall? We would LOVE to hear his stories!!!!!!!
My grandparents, Helen and Orville “Friday” Blessinger, spent 39 years on Tripod, Packer John and Squaw Butte outside Emmett. When they retired, they presented them with a plaque signed by the regional heads of the Forest Service and the BLM. It had a drawing of grandparents looking out over his forefinger.
In presenting them with the plaq, it came after someone researched the history of lookouts and found they had served longer than anyone in U.S. history.
Here’s a link to a story on them that I wrote for the Idaho Statesman.
Reporter’s grandparents spent nearly 4 decades spotting Idaho fires | Idaho Statesman https://share.google/odNsdYZpAZs7pv5TK
I have memories and pictures I could share with some digging as well as maybe names of fellow lookouts on the Pierce district of the Clearwater NF from 1979-1981. But it will take some deep diving for both.
Barbara thank you so much for sharing this with us and helping us with this project!!!! Absolutely WOULD LOVE to hear/see your memories and photos! Thank you SO much!
PS…I was on Austin Ridge 1979 and on Clarke Mountain 1980-81.
I worked on the Pierce District in 1981. I was asked to tie a bowline knot between an outhouse and a helicopter that was down on the North Fork. It was the most serious test of one of my knots I’ve ever had. I watch the outhouse spin all the way up to the Clarke Mtn. LO, somehow arriving intact.
LOL! I bet that was QUITE a sight!
I have some information for Schafer Peak. Corresponded with Paul Mace, who staffed Schafer back in the 50’s. He shared stories with me that i will dig out and get to you. Very funny stuff. I used to have a website named conradslookouts.com but it’s been defunct for years now.
-Conrad
Thank you so much for your comment Conrad! Would LOVE to read/see any of the stories that Paul Mace shared with you, that would be absolutely fantastic! We tried to look up your website on the WaybackTimeMachine web archive but couldnt find it (that search can be hit or miss). Would love to hear more about your website too!
So if i read this correctly you are looking for information on lookouts and people that worked and lived there?
Kimama Lookout Burley? maybe?
We absolutely are!!!!!!!!! Any and all info about fire lookouts in the state of Idaho!
My dad and mom, Bob and Phylis Dudley manned the lookout on Mason Butte by Southwick in the summer of 1950.
Rob Dudley.
Robert – Thank you SO MUCH for your help with this project! Did your mom and dad ever share with you any stories about their time on the tower?
I was on Gisborn Lookout on the Idaho Panhandle for the summer of 1984.
Awesome! Thank you so much Dwaine!
Tom McQuade senior staffed Huckleberry Lookout in the St. Joe NF when he was 16-I believe that would have been 1944. Andi McQuade who was a former smokejumper staffed Middle Sisters Lookout, also on the St. Joe, in 1995 with her baby twins Mark and Megan Emerson.
Megan – thank you so much! So you were one of those babies on Middle Sister? How old were you, do you remember anything from that summer?
I was one of those babies and we were only a few months old. I don’t remember any of it!
Beaver Ridge, Diablo and Bear Mountain Powell Ranger District 1966-71
Bill thank you so much! By any chance do you recall which years you were on each tower?
In the summer of 1965 I (Robert Smith) manned the lookout on Ulysses Mountain on the Indianola District of the Salmon National Forest. I first went through fire school where I met the smokechasers and the seven other lookouts for the Indianola District. Then I went to the lookout, one of the few which could be reached by car. I spent the summer there alone with brief visits to bring me supplies. My water source was a spring about a quarter mile down the hill. The district was kind enough to provide me with three five gallon milk cans of water in the beginning. I kept them filled by carrying a five gallon backpack water can up from the spring. The lookout was a 90 foot tower with a cabin at its base. In addition to looking for fires, I recorded wind speed, and rainfall (there was none). I reported several fires. One fire I reported at about 5:00 PM the smokechasers said they could not find it at the location I reported. I told them I could still see the smoke. Eventually they found the fire. It was burning 30 feet off of the ground in a Ponderosa Pine tree. Even though I was alone most of the time it was a good summer. I came off of the lookout at the end of the season to return to the University Of Idaho where I was studying Forestry
Robert – thank you so much! Love hearing stories like yours – thank you so much for sharing with us!
Robert – Thank you so much – we so appreciate your time and help with this project! Did you have many/any visitors at the tower that summer?
Hello and thank you for tackling this fun project. I served three seasons on two different lookouts between 1971 and 1975. ’71 and ’72 on Faset Peak (approx. 6 miles south via crow from Packsaddle Mt. 1975 I manned (personed) Roman Nose Peak. You may contact me for more info re: other lookouts of which I have some additional information.
One person that comes to mind is Larry Smith of Sandpoint, who was on a lookout in Idaho in 1948. He recently left his home of many years and, I believe is in assisted living here or Coeurd’Alene.
David thank you SO MUCH! Would absolutely love to talk with you more about your time on Faset and Roman Nose! Do you know if Larry Smith might be open to visitors?
2012 i staffed Pilot Peak on the Payette
2013, 14, 15 Minor’s Peak, hike in
2016 Carey Dome
All on the Payette
Sharon – thank you SO MUCH!
1984/85 I’m a challis national Forest I recall four lookouts first was Mark Cummins on Twin Peaks. Second was Ed Bachel on sleeping deer and there was Nicole Lefavor on little soldier and lastly Carmen McRae on roughneck
Thank you SO MUCH!
In the summer of 1957, my Junior year at Caldwell HS in Caldwell, Idaho, I was hired by Clearwater Timber Protective Association (CTPA). I was the first worker hired for the summer to arrive at Headquarters, Idaho. I spent the first 3 weeks clearing roads from Headquarters to Bertha Hill and Elk Mtn Lookouts. We had a D-6 Cat, road grader and dump truck. We cleared slides, snow banks and trees. We traveled daily from Headquarters to our equipment. After the roads were opened, I was stationed at Bertha Hill Camp as first responder to lightening strikes, road maintenance and crank up phone lines from Bertha and Elk Mtn Lookouts to Headquarters.
The next summer, 1958, I came back to CTPA and Bertha Hill. At the start of the summer, the old wooden lookout was pulled over by our camp boss with his power wagon. A metal tower had been taken down from another location and moved to Bertha Hill. I was involved in work on putting up the new lookout. The main worker on the new lookout was an iron worker from Lewiston. When I left September 1st to return to school the lookout was about two-thirds up.
Dayton Snyder was the lookout at Bertha Hill in the late 40’s through the 50’s. Dayton worked for CTPA a number of years. He lived in Weippe, ID, during the off season.
Thank you for sharing, this is great information and we will be adding it to our database!