MISSOULA COUNTY
MOUNT SENTINEL
University of Montana / Missoula National Forest
December 27, 1914: "During the coming months, the students will build, on the summit of Sentinel, a modern look-out station, connected to the local district offices by telephone; experiments will be carried on from this vantage point in fire detection, orientation, etc. Combining the observations taken at this station with those from Squaw Peak station, it will be possible, by means of telescopic instruments, to tell the exact location to a quarter section of any fire that may break out within 50 miles of Missoula." (The Daily Missoulian)
August 12, 1915: "The forestry lookout station which was built last spring on the summit of Mount Sentinel by the University of Montana is in practical use this summer. The station commands a view of three forest reserves, the Bitter Root, Missoula and Hell Gate and the watchman stationed there looks over a great area. The federal forestry service is receiving practical benefit from the co-operation within the university here." (The Enterprise)
December 22, 1916: "The Montana Forest School is probably the only forest school in the where a lookout tower in actual use for purposes of fire protection in the forest, is located on the campus of the school. This lookout station is located on the highest point of Mount Sentinel just back of the forest school building. The station is in practical use during all of the summer months by the rangers of the government forest service. It stands near the boundary of the Missoula national forest, which at this point extends almost into the campus of the university. The nearest boundaries of the Lolo national forest and the Bitter Root national forest are located just across the narrow valley a few miles west and south of the university, and the Mount Sentinel lookout station overlooks probably as many acres of valuable forest land as any other station in use by the government.
Much of the training and practice work in fire protection which is given to the students is conducted in the Mount Sentinel lookout station.
The station is reached from the university by two miles of graded trail, which was constructed by the students as part of their training in forest improvement work." (The Ronan Pioneer)
November 6, 1928: "Fire thought to have been started by hikers near or in the forestry lookout station on the summit of Mount Sentinel late Sunday evening completely destroyed the building, it was learned at Missoula forest headquarters yesterday morning. The blaze was noticed about 8:30 o'clock Sunday evening by officials of the Missoula forest district who thought it merely a large bonfire of some hikers. This morning, however, it was discovered that the lookout station was not in it usual place on the highest point of Mount Sentinel on the Hell Gate canyon side.
The lookout was constructed by the forest service in 1914 as a protective station and was used only that one season. The following year the building was damaged in general by7 hikers. The lookout was found rather unsatisfactory the first year of it existence and since that time the Miller mountain, Sheep mountain and Petty creek lookouts have been used." (The Daily Missoulian)