Cottonwood Butte Fire Lookout

This fairly isolated mountain that has a road to the top. Although it has good prominence, there are limited views from the top. In fact, I did not take a single picture at the summit.

In 1952, a frame cabin was built with electricity. The use was for radio relay and forest fire detection in the Craig Mountain Fire District, headquarters at Craigmont. The first lookouts in the structure that year were Mr. and Mrs. Wood, Lewiston.

In 1955, the Air Force put in a communications installation, adding to the fire lookout station and a Highway Department radio station on the summit.

In 1989, it was still being staffed.

In 1966, a new metal roof was installed on the lookout building.

In 1994, the lookout was gone.

A 1955 USGS party reported that a 1945 reference benchmark they had placed was now under a USFS lookout house but had been protected by a wooden box built around it.

A 1957 USGS party called the lookout a State Division of forestry lookout house, instead of a USFS lookout.