First Thought Fire Lookout Site

First Thought Lookout was on the rim of an old remnant volcano.

In 1914, local newspapers report of a lookout station being established on First Thought Hill above Orient. Another lookout was placed on another high mountain on the west side of Kettle river. From these lookouts the view covered the entire valley and a large area of the Colville national forest. The First Thought station was to be equipped with a telephone and the two lookouts will communicate by seismograph signals.

In 1915, at the end of the season, the Republic News-Miner reported that guards would be relieved from duty and that lookout towers for fire detectives were built on Sherman, Bonaparte, Vulcan and First Thought mountains.

In 1916, a 35-foot pole platform was built with a log shelter at the base.

In 1920, the lookout was Stanley Pierce.

In 1921, the lookout was Stanley Pierce.

In 1925, a 76-foot pole tower was built with a 6-foot by 6-foot cab on top. The work was done by Rangers R.E. Foote and Vincent, and L.L. Hougland. A hip roof was put on with an 18-inch deck left open until after the shingling were done. The sheeting and shingling were done from the inside using the open deck on the finish of the shingling and putting on the ridge boards. A watertight lid covers the open deck. This tower stood at 76 feet high, from ground to roof according to L.L. Hougland. This was the highest tower ever constructed on this Forest at the time. The man who was chosen to serve as lookout on this point, Walter Spaid, is accustomed to high climbing. The tower was designated as the Colville Design. This same design was used with lesser heights on Churchill, Marble, Jackknife and later on Taylor Ridge and Vulcan Mountain.

In 1928, the lookout was Keith Miller from Republic. He replaced Fred Dahl, who had been doing maintenance work at First Thought but was transferred to Mineral Mountain Lookout. A few weeks later, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Miller drove from Republic for a few days visit with their son Keith who was the lookout. A few weeks after that, Wheelock Smith spent a few days visiting Keith at the lookout.

In 1929, the lookout person was again Keith Miller, who goes to school in Pulman as a Forestry student at W.S.U.

In 1934, panoramic photos were taken and written on the photos as taken from 80 feet plus 3 feet. It is likely the camera man got on the roof of this high tower.

In 1946, concrete was poured for the footings of a steel tower with an L-4 cab.

In 1947, a 40-foot steel Aermotor tower with an L-4 cab was built. The steel framework came from a parachute jump training tower at the U.S. Navy’s Farragut recruit base on Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho.

In 1948, the lookout was William Zimmer.

In 1950, the lookout was Grant Buck

In 1951, the lookout was Mr. & Mrs. Bob White

In 1952, the lookout was Mrs. Paul Stevens

In 1953, the lookout was Mrs. Marilyn Buck who attended guard school at Republic.

In 1954, the lookout was Mr. & Mrs. Chester Hoof

In 1955, the lookout was John R. Sullivan

In 1956, the lookout was Blair Turner

In 1985, the lookout was purchased by the Orient Improvement Clubs with plans to move it to the Orient Community Park for a historical point of interest.

In 1986, after several dates to airlift the lookout failed, the cab was successfully set down by a crane onto a trailer and moved to Orient Community Park.

First Thought Lookout Site