LEMHI COUNTY

GRANITE  MOUNTAIN

Salmon National Forest
26N-21E-28

1923:  From an Interview with Ralph Dean, an early lookout, stated that the lookout consisted of a tent and alidade.  A telephone line connected the lookout to the Main Forest service line that went into Gibbonsville.

​June 29, 1923:   "Roy Vandeventer will take charge of the lookout station on granite mountain soon."   (The Idaho Recorder)

June 11, 1924:   "Ralph Dean will have charge of the lookout station on Granite mountain."   (Salmon Herald)

1924:  A Salmon Forest lookout report states that no horses were kept at this station.  This was the only case on the Forest were the smokechaser did not use horses due to the terrain and water and pasture conditions, therefore the smokechaser must travel the country on foot.

1934:   L-4 cab.  (Kresek)

August 7, 1935:   "Mrs. Jas. Donlan and daughters spent Sunday at Granite mountain lookout.  Mrs. Donlan remaining a few days with her husband who is stationed there."   (Recorder Herald)

August 2, 1939:   "Mrs. Virgil Allen and baby spent the weekend in Salmon from Granite Mt. lookout where Mr. Allen is stationed this summer."   (Recorder Herald)

June 19, 1940:   "An annual fire training school will be held at Granite Mountain above Gibbonsville, June 19, 20, and 21.  The purpose is to train Salmon fire guards in the latest methods of fire suppression, lookout duties, orienting, and reading maps, fire finders, and use of the compass for finding small fires."   (Recorder Herald)

July 7, 1943:   "Chloe and Joy Bradley are now stationed at Granite Mt. Lookout where they operate the lookout station and the fire weather instruments.  Their smoke chaser packs are ready and at first curl of smoke they will 'take off' as the first regular women smokechasers on the Salmon."   (Recorder Herald)

September 8, 1943:   "Mrs. Herbert Bradley and daughter Joy returned to Salmon yesterday from Granite lookout where they spent the summer.  Mrs. Bradley was in charge of the station.  She said they enjoyed the experience hugely."   (Recorder Herald)

August 16, 1944:   "Miss Lulu Johnson spent Saturday night and Sunday with Mrs. Bradley and Joy at Granite Mountain lookout."   (recorder Herald)

July 13, 1950:   "High frequency radio has been installed at Granite."   (Recorder Herald)

July 12, 1951:   "The Granite Mountain post has not yet been manned, but Mr. and Mrs. Mayo Call of Afton, Wyo., have been selected for the job and will be out a little later in the season to take over the duties there."   (The Recorder-Herald)

June 29, 1959: "The regular fire fighting school for summer personnel of the Salmon National Forest was completed at the Granite Mountain lookout, according to Howard Shaw, forest service supervisor.
     Thirty-three persons were enrolled for the course, which is administered by staff members of the forest headquarters in Salmon." (The Post-Register)

June 13, 2002:   "June 5 marked the beginning of the Granite Mountain Lookout restoration project.  Forest Service crews cleaned up broken glass and removed the old railings and the old restroom.
      The work involves wood roof and shingle replacement, removal of exterior lead-based paint and sealing, removal and rebuilding, new outhouse construction and installation of a lightning protection system.
      All the work, with the exception of the lightning protection system, is expected to be completed in 2002."   (The Recorder-Herald)