APGAR MOUNTAIN
Flathead County - Glacier National Park - 32N-19W-22
July 1, 1930: The lookout that was destroyed in the big 1929 burn was replaced by this date. (Report of the Director of the National Park Service)
July 20, 1937: "The Flathead Forest this morning reported a hangover lightning fire occurring about three miles north of Coram about 9 o'clock last evening. It was discovered by Lookout Mortenson, located at the Apgar lookout station in Glacier park and was quickly brought under control by a crew under the direction of Ranger McDowell of the Coram ranger station. It covered less than a quarter of an acre." (The Daily Inter Lake)
January 2, 1948: "Word has just been received that Mr. and Mrs. William Worf are parents of a son the Worfs were lookouts on Apgar mountain during June. A war vet he is a Montana state university forestry student." (Hungry Horse News)
June 23, 1950: "Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. McCarraher will be the first lookouts stationed in Glacier national park this summer. They will take the trail to Apgar lookout as soon as the present rainy spell id over.
McCarraher is a Michigan state college forestry student. Glacier has 13 mountain top lookout stations to spot for forest fires. Ten of the lookouts will have married couples." (Hungry Horse News)
June 7, 1951: "Park officials hope to have all lookouts equipped with FM radio sending and receiving sets sometime this summer. One thing holding up the project is the necessity for wiring Apgar lookout, located near park headquarters, for power. Apgar will be the main station for lookout radios.
If the system works out, phone lines now providing communication to the lookouts will be taken out after a few years. But for the time being, the radio will operate in conjunction with the phone system." (The Daily Inter Lake)
July 13, 1951: "A 2 1/2 mile long powerline is to be started up Apgar mountain in Glacier national park in connection with the new FM radio installations.
Apgar lookout about 2,500 feet up and to west of the park headquarters is to be the location of the master station for the new FM radio communications network being installed in Glacier.
The Apgar radio station will include three 48-foot high towers, and overnight quarters for a maintenance crew.
To connect with the new Apgar mountain powerline, Flathead REA Co-op crews are starting to build a 1,200 foot long extension across Apgar flat.
Glacier's new FM radio network will include about 80 sets at mountain top lookout stations, in patrol cars, with trail crews and at ranger stations." (Hungry Horse News)
July 24, 1951: "A four-man construction crew is starting work on a radio relay station atop Apgar mountain west of park headquarters.
This will be the main relay station for the network of 13 lookout radio sets now being installed in the park.
Three aluminum towers will be constructed near Apgar lookout, and a transmission line will run down the side of the mountain and across the flats to park headquarters. This line will be placed underground.
First work of the construction crew now will probably be clearing right-of-way for the line." (The Daily Inter Lake)
July 27, 1951: "Start has been made on digging an 18" trench for the underground cable to Apgar lookout. This is to provide power for radio communication and operation of a relay station.
Standby radios with heavy duty batteries are to be installed in Apgar, Numa Ridge, Swiftcurrent, Reynolds and Scalplock lookouts for use during the coming fire season." (Hungry Horse News)
July 30, 1951: "Another blaze, burning in a snag on Apgar mountain, was extinguished Saturday by Apgar Lookout Malcolm Weed and Fireguard Don Dayton from park headquarters. This fire was caused by a lightning strike Saturday afternoon." (The Daily Inter Lake)
June 8, 1952: "The radio sets for lookouts are not difficult to place. With a new battery unit in use this year the lookout radio installation is only a job of packing it up the mountain rather than placing aerials and other bulky equipment.
The Apgar Mountain repeat station is aimed chiefly at relay of messages originating and arriving at the West Glacier park headquarters.
An entire building, 16 x 20 feet, on Apgar houses the relay station. Parts for the station were hauled up the mountain behind a special narrow gauge trail tractor. It pulled several trailer loads of equipment up the mountain." (The Daily Inter Lake)
June 27, 1952: "First of 13 lookouts in Glacier national park to be manned this summer is Apgar mountain with Dr, and Mrs. Edwin C. Moore of the University of Idaho at the station. Above normal June rainfall is resulting in lookouts going to their stations later." (Hungry Horse News)
July 3, 1953: "First of the 13 lookout posts in Glacier National Park was manned this week. Lookouts are Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hauber, Chicago. The post is on Apgar mountain at the foot of Lake McDonald.
Deep snow at higher elevations and wet June weather is resulting in lookout posts being manned later this summer." (Hungry Horse News)
July 4, 1954: "Lookouts in Glacier National Park are being posted ;just as fast as snow will permit,' Lynn Coffin, park assistant chief ranger in charge of fire control, said Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bert White of Columbia Falls have already taken up quarters on Apgar Mountain." (The Daily Inter Lake)
July 9, 1954: "First of the ten lookouts manned was Apgar where Mr. and Mrs. Bert White, Columbia Falls, are stationed. The Apgar post is serving as a communications center for lookouts. All of the stations have direct FM radio hookups. Apgar also has a telephone line. Telephone service to the other lookouts has been discontinued effective this year." (Hungry Horse News)
June 23, 1955: "First Glacier National Park lookout is to be posted Friday, park officials said today.
Park rangers said Mr. and Mrs. Charles Howard would man Apgar Lookout as the park started its build up to full scale fire fighting strength." (The Daily Inter Lake)
August 18, 1967: The lookout on Apgar Mountain was evacuated when strong winds pushed the Huckleberry-Apgar Mountain fire as a precaution that the fire should spread. (The Daily Inter Lake)
National Geodetic Survey
DESIGNATION - APGAR LOOKOUT
PID - TN0780
STATE/COUNTY- MT/FLATHEAD
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - MC GEE MEADOW (1994)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1963 (JCC)
THE STATION WAS RECOVERED. THE LOOKOUT HOUSE APPEARS TO BE
IN GOOD CONDITION.