This 100′ steel Aermotor tower, built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is the only tower ever on the site, and is staffed sporadically during the summer. Aermotor steel towers were built by the Aermotor Company of Chicago, IL, founded in 1888. In the 1920s, a few steel towers started showing up in the Pacific Northwest and in the 1930s, several more were built predominantly east of the Cascades.

In 1943 the Colville Examiner reported that many teachers were staffing fire lookouts across the Colville National Forest, including Mr. and Mrs. Walter Peterson from Malott on Johnny George.

A plaque at nearby Keller Butte commemorates fire lookout Ramona Peone, who spent 40+ years manning both Johnny George and Keller Butte lookouts. Her obituary from 2015 in the Grand Coulee Star talks of the details of her fire lookout life.