REGIONS: ORIGIN SITE ~ Southwest WA, PLANNED RE-LO SITE ~ Southwest WA
The planned move of the Powderhorn Lookout from Davis Peak near Woodland to Clark College in Vancouver, Washington is probably a TYPE 4 Failed Re-Location as the move apparently never happened.
The entries for the Powderhorn (Davis) Lookout in the FFLA’s www.firelookout.org and Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page (www.firelookout.com) web sites are similar. The FFLA entry reads: The first lookout on this site was an L-4 cab built in 1931. In the 1940s, this was replaced with a two-story 10’x18′ smokehouse, which was in turn replaced in 1960 with a 20′ wooden DNR live-in tower. It was scheduled to be moved to Clark College campus in Vancouver as an exhibit in 1970, but the project never happened. There is still some question as to whether the move occurred or not as the entry in the Third Edition of Ray Kresek’s FIRE LOOKOUTS OF THE NORTHWEST reads: (moved to Clark College campus in Vancouver for exhibit) and the 2015 Revision to his Lookout Inventory reads (moved to Vancouver).
[NOTE: I darkened and underlined the words in the paragraph above for emphasis.]
All of these references agree that the first Powderhorn Lookout was built atop Davis Peak in 1931 and that two others have followed. The entry in Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page reads: “Established in 1931 with an L-4 cab, a 2-story 10×18′ “smokehouse”, built in the 1940’s, was followed by a 20′ wooden DNR live-in tower in 1960.”
Ron Kemnow’s washingtonlookouts.weebly.com website contains the following entry: August 18, 1969: “Powderhorn, about nine miles northeast of Woodland, is one of five lookouts in the Battle Ground district that has been discontinued because of the use of air patrols. This lookout will most likely be burned.” (The Oregonian)
Clark College, the planned RE-LOCATION SITE was founded in 1937 and moved to its current 101 acre Vancouver campus in 1951. A visit to the campus and more research is needed to determine if the move ever happened. Unless my follow-up research indicates that the move actually occurred, I am listing this a Failed Move.
Planned Move of the Powderhorn 3rd Lookout to Clark College
We Have Not Visited Clark College ~ the Planned LO RE-LOCATION SITE
To be done.
Our Visit to the Powderhorn Lookout Site ~ the ORIGIN SITE for the Failed Move
Peggy and I visited the Powderhorn Lookout Site on October 8, 2021. The fire lookout had been replaced by a communications tower. Ther were some lookout artifacts remaining atop Davis Peak.
