IDAHO COUNTY
FISH BUTTE
Clearwater National Forest
35N-8E-36
35N-8E-36
August 1934: "The Fish Butte lookout had spot fires all around it so the lookout, McHone, fled to the Lochsa Ranger Station and helped in the activities there. The lookout building burned." (The Clearwater Story, Clearwater National Forest)
May 9, 1958: Jack Parsell first went to work for the Forest Service in the summer of 1917 as a lookout on Fish Butte on the old Selway Forest.
Jack's only method of communication on the first lookout was a heliograph. He would flash signals to a lookout 15 miles away. (Ravalli Republic)
1981: The first seasonal lookout at this point was a cedar bark shelter located about 3/4 mile northwest of the observation point. Several years earlier the Butte was used as a patrol lookout and a post was set at the summit for the map-board.
In 1919 the lookouts set up their tent camp a short distance below the observation point. In the beginning a heliograph was used as communications with Coolwater Lookout. A telephone line was completed that summer and connected Fish Butte to Kooskia.
"In 1921 and '22 a log cabin about 14'x16' in size was built on a little bench about 150' NW from the top of the peak. The log cabin served as lookout quarters until 1930.
In 1930 enough of the granite boulders on top of the butte were blasted off to provide a flat place for a cabin. On the flattened area, District carpenter Earnest Hartman and Fish Butte lookout Lloyd McHone erected the 14-foot square, 8-foot-high log base. Atop the base they assembled the 14 x 14 pre-cut, glass enclosed combination observatory and living quarters from material that had been packed to the point by mule train. Construction cost was $471.00.
There was no catwalk around the outside to raise shutters and secure the shutter braces, working on a rickety pole stepladder, a man working alone had to be both an acrobat and a daredevil.
This cabin was manned through the 1953 season, then dismantled after a new cabin was completed. Logs were saved for wood stove and the remaining debris was burned."
In 1953 a steep, narrow road was built from Fish Butte Saddle to the lookout to help facilitate the moving of materials for the new lookout.
"Dynamite was used to flatten more of the rock along side the old cabin, on this site the new structure was built. It had a concrete floor and an eight foot high understory of concrete blocks on which the modified L-4 lookout cabin was put together. All the lumber was cut to full length for a sturdier building. Total cost of material and construction was $2531.00.
The lookout was last used in the late 1960's or early 1970's and then abandoned." (Louis Hartig, 'Historic Facilities of the Lochsa Ranger District' - 1981)