Rising atop the crest of the Cement Ridge sits the resplendent Cement Ridge Fire Lookout. Located in Crook County, Wyoming at an elevation of 6,647 ft., the Cement Ridge Lookout is a fire lookout structure that was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1941. Shaped by years of change, the Cement Ridge Fire Lookout remains a defining symbol of our nation’s fire management infrastructure and a beloved vantage point for sweeping views.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are a territory known for not only their historical significance and ties to the past, but also the unique environmental and geological features present in the area that make the landscape a pride of the Great Plains. The Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming have long been held sacred by the indigenous people of the area. Derived from the Lakota language, the words “Paha Sapa,” meaning “hills that are black,” honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie.

In 1868, the United States government pledged that the Black Hills area would be “set apart for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupation” of the Sioux people, as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. However, after gold was discovered in the area in 1874, the United States confiscated the land and threatened inhabitants with starvation. The ownership and legacy of the Black Hills is still of great national importance, and is the subject of important activism.  Derived in 1897 as the Black Hills Forest Reserve, the now Black Hills National Forest was created as one of the preliminary preservation areas in the United States, after increased forest fires lead to legislation of the Timber Culture Act and Forest Reserve Act of 1891.

The Cement Ridge Fire Lookout has evolved through multiple iterations. The lookout itself was initially conceptualized as a log cabin and was built between 1911 and 1913. In 1921, a crow’s nest with a glassed-in house was constructed near the cabin. Later in 1935, a rock cellar was built to accompany the fire lookout. The fire lookout that exists today was built between 1940 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and replaces the earlier versions of the fire lookout tower. The design style reflects the standards of the time, embodying the characteristics of CCC-era rustic architecture.

The building was constructed using local materials and hand-crafted stonework. The stone base was built from native mortared stone, and the structure contains elements such as a wooden catwalk plank, railing, and wood-framed cab. The Cement Ridge Fire Lookout’s stone base is approximately 15 feet tall, the wooden cab is about 14 × 14 ft., and the wrap-around catwalk measures about 3 to 4 feet wide. Within the interior of the fire lookout lies a stairway that leads to the cab and a storage room. Finally, the structure is covered by a wood-framed hip roof. According to the United States Forest Service, “over the years there have been many maintenance projects conducted on the lookout. In 1974, the cab siding, some planks in the catwalk, steps and wall studs were replaced.  The interior was repainted, the siding stained, and the catwalk railing and steps were painted.  The ground floor window frames and door were also replaced at that time. The lookout is considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and was listed on the National Historic Lookout Register on December 30, 1993.”

With so much history tucked into one corner of the American West, HistoriCorps is excited to offer volunteers an opportunity to visit the Black Hills and preserve a celebrated legacy of preservation work.