WYOMING LOOKOUTS
WARREN PEAKS
Crook County
Black Hills National Forest
52N-63W-20
Black Hills National Forest
52N-63W-20
May 14, 1938: "Theodore Krueger, supervisor of the Black Hills national forest with headquarters in Deadwood, stated yesterday that plans had been made for fire control over the forest during the summer and fall months when the fire hazard is at its peak.
A new fire lookout station will be constructed on Warren peak, in the Bear Lodge unit of the forest within a short time. The 20-foot steel tower on top of the peak which is 6,700 feet above sea level, will give rangers an opportunity to watch the northwest corner of the Black Hills forest and the entire Bear Lodge district. Six miles of telephone line will be constructed, to connect the lookout with Sundance, Wyo. A small lookout house also will be constructed. the work will be done by a CCC side camp at Sundance and will be finished so that the tower may be used late in the summer." (Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
A new fire lookout station will be constructed on Warren peak, in the Bear Lodge unit of the forest within a short time. The 20-foot steel tower on top of the peak which is 6,700 feet above sea level, will give rangers an opportunity to watch the northwest corner of the Black Hills forest and the entire Bear Lodge district. Six miles of telephone line will be constructed, to connect the lookout with Sundance, Wyo. A small lookout house also will be constructed. the work will be done by a CCC side camp at Sundance and will be finished so that the tower may be used late in the summer." (Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
March 9, 1939: "In 1937 a visibility survey of the Black Hills national forest was made to determine the best locations for fire lookout stations. The results of this survey showed that Warren peak, seven miles north of Sundance, in the Bear Lodge, was one of the best lookout points in the entire forest. It not only affords a splendid view of the Bear Lodge mountains, but also overlooks a big acreage of the west slope of the Black Hills, including the Black Buttes, Inyan Kara, Sand creek and other west slope drainages. Late in the fall of 1938 final approval; of the building plans for the Warren peak lookout station was received by Ranger T.R. Cochran.
In November, work was started on a wooden lookout cabin. Due to weather conditions the job could not be completed in 1938 and work was discontinued December 1. As soon as the forest road is open in April this year, the building will be rushed to completion in order to have it ready for the 1939 fire season.
The building is fourteen feet square and consists of one room that will serve as the lookout station and also living quarters for the lookout. Beneath this room is another for car and other storage. The lookout room is glassed enclosed and is surrounded by a three-foot catwalk extending entirely around the building where the lookout will spend most of his time scanning the forest for smoke.
A new metallic telephone line, constructed in 1938, connects the lookout cabin with the Sundance ranger station.
The lookout will be manned about May 15 by a qualified applicant chosen by the supervisor of the Black Hills forest. This man must be a forest school graduate.
It is expected that this increase in the detection system of the forest will aid very materially in reducing fire losses." (The Weekly Pioneer-Times)
In November, work was started on a wooden lookout cabin. Due to weather conditions the job could not be completed in 1938 and work was discontinued December 1. As soon as the forest road is open in April this year, the building will be rushed to completion in order to have it ready for the 1939 fire season.
The building is fourteen feet square and consists of one room that will serve as the lookout station and also living quarters for the lookout. Beneath this room is another for car and other storage. The lookout room is glassed enclosed and is surrounded by a three-foot catwalk extending entirely around the building where the lookout will spend most of his time scanning the forest for smoke.
A new metallic telephone line, constructed in 1938, connects the lookout cabin with the Sundance ranger station.
The lookout will be manned about May 15 by a qualified applicant chosen by the supervisor of the Black Hills forest. This man must be a forest school graduate.
It is expected that this increase in the detection system of the forest will aid very materially in reducing fire losses." (The Weekly Pioneer-Times)
August 10, 1939: "While talking over the telephone at the new lookout station on Warren's peak Monday, Ranger T.R. Cochran was struck by a bolt of lightning that traveled down the telephone line. He was knocked over backwards down the slope and suffered painful bruises about one knee, ankle and foot. Just how long he was unconscious is not known." (The Weekly Pioneer-Times)
August 31, 1939: "Work on the new forest service lookout station on Warren peak was recently completed. The first lookout to occupy this new station is Lyman Ellsbury, son of Mert Ellsbury at Aladdin. Lyman is a forestry graduate of Fort Collins agricultural college and has had other work in the service, coming here from the experiment station at Fort Collins. He was recently married to a Fort Collins girl and unlike most forest service lookouts is now equipped with a cook and dishwasher." (The Weekly Pioneer-Times)
June 7, 1941: "Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Classick, and daughter, Maurine, left this week for Sundance where they will make their future home. Mr. Classick will be fire lookout for the Black Hills national forest at the lookout on Warren's peak near Sundance." (Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
April 19, 1942: "Due to the unusual hot, dry weather and a high fire hazard in dry grass, the forest service has opened the Warren peak lookout a month earlier than usual. Maurice Classick, who acted as lookout in 1941 is again employed. He opened the lookout cabin April 14 and will now be on watch for the fires. The earliest lightning fire on record occurred during the storm last week. Damage was not great as local help soon discovered and extinguished the blaze." (Casper Star-Tribune)
September 9, 1959: "A $1,634,762 contract has been awarded Purvis Construction Co., Yardley, Wash., for construction of the operation area of the aircraft communication and warning station at Sundance, Wyo., Rep. Keith Thompson (R-Wyo) said on Tuesday.
In a statement released here, Thomson said the Omaha District of the Corps of Engineers had awarded the contract.
The work includes construction of an aircraft communication and warning building, heating plant, emergency power plant, technical supply building, control building, garage, lookout tower, radar tower, reinforced concrete water storage tank, water supply, sewage system, electrical distribution system, roads, paving and fencing." (Billings Gazette)
May 12, 1960: "Now under construction is the new steel lookout tower of the Forest Service. Located on a peak one mile east of Warren Peak, the new tower will rise 54 feet." (The Sundance Times)
1960: The lookout duties were moved approximately a half mile to the east when the U.S. Air Force erected an installation on the site of the original lookout. The current 54'6" steel tower with a CL-100 cab was constructed at that time.
September 14, 1983: "A Crook County burglary committed in 1973, but never reported, has been cleared up to the satisfaction of all parties.
According to a report from the Crook County Sheriff's Office, a letter was received from a man in Florida reporting the theft and seeking to make restitution.
U.S. Forest personnel confirmed that the burglary of the lookout tower on Warren Peak had indeed taken place. Stolen items included a guitar, a radio, two windows and a canteen belonging to three separate owners.
When contacted, none of the parties wished to prosecute and restitution was made." (Casper Star-Tribune)
