In 1914 the U.S. Forest Service constructed the Columbia Mountain Lookout on the Colville National Forest. It was designed by the second supervisor of the forest, CC Reed. It is characterized by a unique 12’x12’ log cabin of hand hewn timbers with interlocking tapered walls and corner posts that supported a 15’ high platform overhead. The cabin was converted to a storage shed when in 1928 a 16’ pole tower lookout with wooden cab was constructed and remained in service until the mid-1950s. It was burned in the 1960s. The original log cabin – sans platform -- remains. In 1993 initial restoration work on the aging cabin was performed by the Washington Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association led by Ray Kresek.

During the summers of 2009 and 2010, Passport In Time volunteers and Forest Service employees led by forest archaeologist Stuart Chilvers restored the lookout. New hand hewn squared wall logs, floor and new framework hand peeled for the roof replace rotted sections. Then finished with new shake roofing. As much as possible of the original lookout was reused, including old magazines used as chinking. It is hoped that this authentic restoration will allow the lookout to last another 95 years.