Erupting more than 30,000 years ago, the volcano spewed ash and cinders into the air much like a can of soda when shaken.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built a fire lookout at Schonchin Butte during the summers of 1939 and 1940, as part of federal infrastructure development under the President Franklin D. Roosevelt administration during the Great Depression.

Linoleum, not carpet, used to cover the building's floor, and the furnishings were stained while trim was painted.

Many original items remain: the Osborne Fire Finder and its stand, the sink, and the insulated stool which lookouts use during thunderstorms.

During June and July 1994, maintenance workers stripped the inside of paint and bad sheetrock.

Workers drained the cistern in the basement and installed new carpets and light fixtures capable of using electricity generated by solar panels.

Schonchin Butte appears as a topic in the American Park Network publication Oh, Ranger!.