BRITISH COLUMBIA LOOKOUTS
GOAT MOUNTAIN
Kootenay - Boundary
October 25, 1913: "The telephone system outlined at the beginning of the season was an ambitious one, comprising nearly 600 miles of line. Construction work on more than half the entire programme has been begun, and six of the lines, representing 67 miles of line, are already in working order. One of these lines extend from Creston to Goat Mountain Lookout, 3 miles." (The Daily Colonist)
1913: "Goat Mount Look-out Station and Cabin, 3 1/2 miles of trail and 32 miles of telephone line." Under a "List of permanent improvement projects" (Annual Report of the British Columbia Forest Service - 1913)
June 16, 1916: "The new lookout station on Goat Mountain, which is used by the fire warden's department, is now completed and looms up quite plainly from the road. George Hendren was the master mechanic on the work." (Creston Review)
July 7, 1916: "Henry Hamilton, who is in charge of the fire warden's lookout on Goat Mountain, went on duty for the season on Saturday. New and commodious quarters have been erected this year for the watchman." (Creston Review)
1916: Under improvements on the Cranbrook District : new work, a 12 x 18 cabin. (Report of the Forest Branch, Department of Lands)
July 20, 1917: "The fire lookout station on Goat Mountain was re-opened on Monday for the season, with Henry Hamilton again in charge." (Creston Review)
June 6, 1919: "Two more returned soldiers will be on employ of the provincial government starting this month, as fire wardens. It is announced that Geo. Seymour will patrol the West Creston country, and that Jack Smith will be at the lookout on Goat Mountain. F,H. Pym of Cranbrook, who supervises this work in East Kootenay, was here a couple of days the fore part of the week." (Creston Review)
June 11, 1920: "G. Seymour and Jack Smith were put on duty last week as fire patrolmen at Corn Creek and lookout respectively. At Corn Creek a new trail has been built this spring to facilitate patrolling the country between there and the boundary, in which there is a very heavy stand of white pine and spruce--estimated by some at 800 million feet." (Creston Review)
July 22, 1921: "Norman Moore, district forester of East Kootenay, of Cranbrook, was here a couple of days the latter part of the week. He states that it is more than likely that the lookout station at present on Goat mountain will next season be transferred to the Thompson Creek section, which provides a much better all-round location." (Creston Review)
September 23, 1921: "Jack Smith is again a permanent resident of Alice Siding--after three months' absence as fire watch at the lookout on Goat Mountain." (Creston Review)
May 12, 1922: "It is officially announced this week that Jas. Jory of Lister will have charge of the fire warden work in Creston Valley this season, succeeding Jim Long who has had the position the past two years. At present there is no intention of operating the lookout on Goat Mountain this year, nor will a patrol be engaged for the Corn Creek area." (Creston Review)
July 28, 1927: "W.H. Bambury is in charge of the new lookout station on Goat Mountain. This station is connected by phone with Beaverdell." (Greenwood Ledge)
May 6, 1930: "The first of the month saw the forestry fire patrol men back on their rounds, as another critical season is looked for. Due to practically no rain whatever after late June last year there was not the usual growth of green underbrush which after being covered with a winter snowfall makes things reasonably fireproof in the woods until at least July.
This year the situation is reversed as now the snow is gone the brush is already as dry as tinder. To facilitate forestry work this year a lookout station is to be opened on Goat mountain southeast of Creston with a commanding view of the territory through to Kootenay Landing. In the area supervised by the local forestry officer, J.P. MacDonald--between Kootenay Lake and Yahk, almost $45,000 was spent in 1929 in coping with forest fires, which were the worst in history." (The Lethbridge Herald)
June 19, 1931: "Chas. Pipe, who has been working in the Nelson district for some time past, is home again, and expects to go on duty shortly as forestry lookout on Goat Mountain." (Creston Review)
July 6, 1934: "R.S. Bevan went up to the forest lookout on Goat Mountain on Tuesday and will be in charge of observation work there for the next two months. Dick has promised to keep a diary and some rare stories on wild life may be looked for when he returns." (Creston Review)
September 11, 1934: "Recent announcement that a bounty of $10 a head will be paid on cougars this season is welcomed here. R.S. Bevans, forestry fire patrol at the lookout on Goat Mountain, reports that during a recent fire that raged in that locality deer took to the higher levels in very large numbers, only to be almost immediately driven out by by the cougars, which were more numerous than ever before noted by the lookout officer. So far as Mr. Bevan could observe the caribou have not returned into the hills in this locality, though they have been reported back in the hills a little farther east." (The Lethbridge Herald)
July 5, 1935: "Chas. Pipe has been appointed to handle the forestry lookout station on Goat Mountain, and went on duty last week." (Creston Review)