LOS ANGELES COUNTY
OAT MOUNTAIN
Los Angeles County Forestry Department
August 18, 1923: "Supervisor Flintham of the Forestry Service of Los Angeles county recently surmounted a problem involving a steep grade.
Oak Hill had been chosen as a location for a lookout station in connection with forest fire prevention work. m This hill, near Newhall, is the highest in the vicinity.
Engineers in building a road to the summit had reduced grades to the lowest percentage, but at one point for some 500 feet engineering skill could not overcome Nature's own construction work and the best that could be done was a grade of the least between 35 and 40 percent.
Supervisor Flintham had to transport a 3,000-pound steel observation tower to the station at the top of the hill.
The sales department of the Moreland Motor Truck company was consulted.
A regular stock Moreland Road Runner with a rated capacity of 2000 pounds was run out and the tower was loaded on, giving it a 50 per cent overload.
The Road Runner sailed steadily up the full five miles of grade without a whimper and landed the tower on the top of the hill, without a moment's hesitation or uncertainty, and arrived with the water in the radiator so cool that those in the party could stick their fingers in it without discomfort." (Santa Ana Register)
Oak Hill had been chosen as a location for a lookout station in connection with forest fire prevention work. m This hill, near Newhall, is the highest in the vicinity.
Engineers in building a road to the summit had reduced grades to the lowest percentage, but at one point for some 500 feet engineering skill could not overcome Nature's own construction work and the best that could be done was a grade of the least between 35 and 40 percent.
Supervisor Flintham had to transport a 3,000-pound steel observation tower to the station at the top of the hill.
The sales department of the Moreland Motor Truck company was consulted.
A regular stock Moreland Road Runner with a rated capacity of 2000 pounds was run out and the tower was loaded on, giving it a 50 per cent overload.
The Road Runner sailed steadily up the full five miles of grade without a whimper and landed the tower on the top of the hill, without a moment's hesitation or uncertainty, and arrived with the water in the radiator so cool that those in the party could stick their fingers in it without discomfort." (Santa Ana Register)
1923: The Los Angeles County Forestry Department constructed it's first lookout at this site, a steel tower with a steel cab for a cost of $650.
February 20, 1924: "F.A. Graves is serving as towerman in the co-operative lookout tower on Oat Mountain. The large number of fires that have broken out recently are responsible for the early establishment of safety stations. The unusual dryness of the season makes the hazard greater than ever." (Santa Ana Register)
June 30, 1937: "A new thirty-foot steel tower replacing an old tower at Oat Mountain, was started and is nearing completion." (Los Angeles County Forestry Department Annual Report - Fiscal Year ending 6/30/1937)
1950: "Improvements made at Oat Mountain to lookout tower and for radio setup." (Los Angeles County Department of Forester and Firewarden and Fire Protection Districts - Annual Report)
September 8, 1968: "Firemen late yesterday claimed they have contained the brush fire burning north of Chatsworth which blackened an estimated 2100 acres.
Containment of the fire was claimed shortly after 2:30 p.m. when fighters completed their encirclement of the blaze, which has a perimeter of more than eight miles.
The blaze briefly endangered a fire lookout tower on Oat Mountain, some microwave relay equipment and a few scattered ranches." (The News - Van Nuys)