Quartz Mountain Lookout Site
Lookout Elevation: 4,799 feet
Hiking Distance: Have not visited yet
Elevation Gain: Have not visited yet
County: Ferry
WillhiteWeb.com
Looking North 1934
Looking Southeast 1934
Looking Southwest 1934
In July 1932, the Republic News-Miner reported that men and teams were at work skidding timbers for the 40-foot tower on Quartz Mountain. The paper reported in September that Ranger Hougland was out on Quartz mountain that week raising a lookout tower.
In 1933, a 40-foot pole tower with L-4 cab was built. The Republic News-Miner reported “The Forest Service recently completed a lookout tower on Quartz mountain. The tower is about 50 feet high and the glass enclosed room at the top, where the lookout man on duty lives, is 16 feet square. The tower is securely braced and protected by lightning ground rods of copper. The lookout is easily reached from Republic and as visitors are welcome it makes a good trip. One leaves the main San Poil highway at the Forest Service sign 'Nine Mile Road' and crosses the San Poil river and continues on up a good mountain road for five miles by car which puts you within one and a half miles of the tower. The trail on up is good with very little steep climbing. Wonderful views of the country can be had from this mountain top and Glenn Campbell, the lookout on duty there, assures us that visitors are always more than welcome.”
In 1934, men of the McMann camp completed construction of the Quartz Mountain road which leads from over the Nine-Mile road to Quartz Mountain Lookout. A garage and storehouse for the use of the Lookout-Fireman during the fire season was also constructed at the end of the road.
In 1935, high on the top of Quartz mountain in the lookout, Lawrence Sprengel of Republic, stationed there, and Miss Adella Courter, of Republic, were married by the Rev. G.F. Graham. Mr. and Mrs. Sprengel stayed at the station until called in after the forest fire season.
In 1942, Quartz was used by the Aircraft Warning Service, starting on May 9, 1942. It was deactivated on July 1, 1943.
In 1950 the lookout was Mr. & Mrs. D.J. Pfantuch.
In 1951 to 1953 the lookout was Betty Fuchs & Julian Lyons.
In 1954 the lookout was Rosemary Reilly.
In 1955 the lookout was Carol & Loyd Stafford.
In 1955, a 53-foot tower with L-4 cab from Churchill Mountain was moved to Quartz.
In 1959, the L-4 cab was removed, the tower trimmed to 30 feet, and an R-6 flat cab affixed to the top.
In 1977, the lookout was used for the last season for fire.
In 1997, on October 7, an arson burned the 30-foot tower and cab.
Building the tower in 1932
Quartz Mountain in 1988
Quartz Mountain Tower
1935 Republic Recreation Map
Early Recreation Guide
Aircraft Warning Service docs and maps
In Chelan National Forest, on National Forest land, an existing station, conditioned, to retain for the forest service, decommissioned 7/1/1943, sleeping quarters added with AWS funds.