Heavy galvanized steel 7'x7' towers from 34 to 175 feet tall, built by Aermotor of Chicago.
First constructed in 1922, having a 14'x14'log cabin with framed glass cupola.
The first U.S. Forest Service standard, the prototype constructed on Mount Hood in 1915. This was a 12'x12' frame house with windows on all sides and a glassed-in second story.
Information from Ray Kresek, author of Fire Lookouts of the Northwest:
"L-1 and L-2 were Region-1 log 12x14' cabins, sometimes with frame cupola, originating in Region (District)-1."
Information from Ray Kresek, author of Fire Lookouts of the Northwest:
"L-1 and L-2 were Region-1 log 12x14' cabins, sometimes with frame cupola, originating in Region (District)-1."
14'x14' frame cabs were made to live in and could be placed atop tall firetowers. Earliest models have a gabled shingle roof and heavy shutters. Those built in 1933-1953 have hip roofs, with bolts from extended ceiling joists instead of 2"x2" pine struts to hold the shutters open beginning in 1936.
Additional information form Ray Kresek, author of Fire Lookouts of the Northwest:
"L-4 originated in 1929 as a prototype with its windows laying sideways instead of upright. The one on Mallard Peak in the St.Joe/Clearwater chapter of my book is a good example. "L-4" comes from the building description "Lookout model 4". It did not originate in Region-4. Region-6 plans drawn in 1929 and modified slightly in 1930, and again in 1932, show a version of the L-4 with upright sliding windows on all sides; shutter supports either iron or 2x2" fastened to the wall just beneath the windows; gable roof. Same year, 1929, C.P. Fickes, of Region-1, signed his name to a similar set of plans with windows laying sideways. He claimed his was much cheaper, using short framing boards spliced for floor and ceiling joists. It's hard to say who was first.
"1933 plans changed the roof to a hip roof design, with shutter props 2x2" extending to the floor."
"1936 plans have shutters fastened to bolts protruding from extended ceiling joists."
"L-4 (14x14'), L-5 (10x10'), and L-6 (8x8') are of similar hip roof design. In Region-6 they were sometimes called "Aladdin" cabs; after the mill in Vancouver, WA that fabricated the kits for Region-6."
10'-by-10' cab
8'-by-8' cab
Information from Ray Kresek, author of Fire Lookouts of the Northwest:
"L-7 (7x7') had only 2 sets of window sash each side, trapdoor inside the floor, and a nearly flat tarred roof."
Had hand-hewn dovetail-tenon notched corners.
Tarpaper-topped cab constructed of plywood.