PLUMAS COUNTY

ARGENTINE ROCK

Plumas National Forest
24N-11E-17

September 3, 1936:   "Another road crew, in charge of Frank Church, will resume work on the new road to Argentine Rock which was completed to a point within one mile of that summit last year.
​      The crew will consist of ERA men on relief,"   (Feather River Bulletin)

October 29, 1936:   "The Lumpkin Ridge stub camp has been abandoned, the men having been returned to Brush Creek.  The ERA crew that was building a forest service road to Argentine Rock from Squirrel Creek was moved yesterday to Mohawk."   (Feather River Bulletin)

July 1, 1937:   "A crew of men under Ted Cafferty is constructing a telephone line to Argentine Rock, where a new fire lookout station is to be located."   (Feather River Bulletin)

​August 12, 1937:   "Argentine Rock, on Grizzly Ridge, has recently been transformed into a lookout station and manned by the Plumas National Forest, according to announcement by D.N. Rogers, supervisor, of Quincy.
      The point overlooks important forests where extensive logging operations of the Feather River Lumber company and Merritt Lumber company are in progress.  A good view is also has into the Middle Fork country near Nelson Point.  Glenn Clark, former lookout on Pilot Peak, is now stationed in the new lookout."   (Indian Valley Record)

September 14, 1937:   "Mrs. G.E. Clark and nephew motored in from Argentine Rock lookout station Saturday morning to shop.  The Clark's are making their home there where he is employed as lookout man by the Forest service,"   (Plumas Independent)

October 7, 1937:   "Mrs. G.E. Clark came to town Saturday morning from Argentine Rock Lookout Station, where the family is residing, to attend to affairs of business and shopping."   (Plumas Independent)

October 14, 1937:   "Mr. and Mrs. G.E. Clark and family have moved down to their home, coming from Argentine Rock lookout station, where they have been located during the fire season."   (Plumas Independent)

November 11, 1937:  "Argentine Rock, which with use of a temporary structure, was used as a lookout by the Plumas National Forest last summer, is now topped by a modern forest service lookout station.  Construction of the building was completed this week and painting is being rushed to completion.  Argentine Rock overlooks valuable timber stands in Squirrel Creek basin and in the vicinities of Massac, Spring Garden and Sloat, where extensive logging operations are in progress."  (Indian Valley Record)
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November 11, 1937:   "Argentine Rock, some 12 miles east of Quincy, which with the use of a temporary structure, served as a lookout by the Forest Service last summer, is now topped by a modern Forest Service lookout station.  Construction of the building was completed this week and the task of painting is being rushed.  Argentine Rock overlooks valuable timber stands in Squirrel Creek basin and in the vicinities of Massack, Spring Garden and Sloat, where extensive logging operations are in progress."   (Plumas Independent)

​November 18, 1937:  "Visitors to forest service lookout stations sometimes wonder at the strength of cables or steel rods with which the stations are anchored to the rocky summit on which they stand.
     A demonstration of the need for these heavy anchors occurred a few days ago on Argentine Rock in the Plumas Forest.  A temporary structure, used as a lookout station this year, while a new and modern station was being constructed, it could not withstand even first blast of winter.  A terrific wind, a forerunner of the last storm, caused the temporary structure to be blown from the rock into a nearby ravine.
     A crew sent to Argentine last Saturday to move equipment, reported the depth of snow in that locality to be fourteen to eighteen inches."  (Reno Evening Gazette)

November 18, 1937:   "A building used as a temporary forest fire lookout on Argentine Rock, at the head of Squirrel Creek, was strewn over the mountainside by a high wind Wednesday.  A new station has been built to take its place.  The old building was occupied this summer by Glen Clark."   (Feather River Bulletin)

August 25, 1938:   "Mr and Mrs Glen Clark entertained at dinner Tuesday evening at Argentine Rock Lookout, where Mr Clark is stationed, in honor of their 12th wedding anniversary."   (Feather River Bulletin)

​July 24, 1941:   "Harry Bond, lookout on Argentine Rock, married Miss Norma Pierce of Oakland, Monday, July 21."   (Indian Valley Record)

June 14, 1945:   "Mrs. Adele Demers left here on Monday to take over her duties as fire guard at the Argentine Lookout Station."   (Feather River Bulletin and Plumas Independent)

October 11, 1945:   "Mrs. Adele Demes was here on Saturday afternoon from the Argentine Lookout Station, where she is stationed as a fire guard.  Mrs. Demes left for San Leandro on Sunday morning, having been called there by the serious illness of her mother."   (Feather River Bulletin)

July 29, 1948:   "Credited with an unassisted triple play this week a Plumas national forest lookout discovered a forest fire, put the fire out and made the investigation which determined the guilt of the responsible party, and placed the blame at his own door!
      Following is the account of the incident as told by Charley Yates:
      'The wind blows constantly on Argentine Rock, high up on Grizzly ridge.  Charles 'Chuck' Farley, lookout man, a hardy individual, spends a great deal of the time out on the catwalk of his lookout tower absorbing the sun's rays.
      'On this day the wind, cooler than usual during mid afternoon, prompted 'Chuck' to put on his shirt.  In the process of getting arms into sleeves the shirt tail whipped in the breeze and loose matches in the shirt pocket flew in every direction.  This did not concern Farley since he had a full carton in his cabin.
       'But---ten minutes later on his usual routine look-see over the area within vision of Argentine, Lookout Farley discovered a going fire within 50 feet of his station.  One of the matches blown the 50 feet had struck head first on a rock, careening off to and igniting a very small clump of dry grass,
      'Rushing down with a bucket of water 'Chuck drowned the fire and safely corralled it.
      'An extra quarter mile trip down the steep trail for water that evening was the penalty paid by Farley who declares it pays to be careful with matches---and states that on his first trip to town he will invest in a lighter so that he can eliminate matched except for emergency use."   (Portola Reporter)

August 12, 1955:  "Plumas National Forest lookouts not only keep a sharp watch for the start of forest fires, but also keep their eyes open for the sake of personal safety.
     This is the statement of Mrs. Lillie Hitchcock who mans the lookout perched atop Argentine Rock five miles north of Sloat on the crest of Grizzly Ridge.  Starting down the lookout steps last Thursday morning about 10 o'clock for firewood, Mrs. Hitchcock heard one of nature's most blood tingling signals.  It came from a few steps lower where a good sized rattlesnake was in charge of the "right of way."  Mrs. Hitchcock, ready for any emergency, reached back into to her lookout chamber for the 410 shotgun she keeps handy.
     Now, along with the scalps of four porcupines, she has on display a fine set of eight rattles and a button taken from the rattlesnake.
     Mrs. Hitchcock says the porcupine visitors are the most disturbing since they have a special liking for tool handles, washboards and the wood siding of the lookout upon which they enjoy gnawing at all hours of the night.
     Added to Mrs. Hitchcock's thrills in her assignment is the fact that the Argentine Rock lookout building is perched on a cliff, and the northwest catwalk around the building overlooks a sheer drop of 500 feet to the rock side of the canyon below.  Mrs. Hitchcock claims that lookout visitors seem to feel more comfortable on the east side of the building."  (Reno Evening Gazette)

September 22, 1960:   "Mrs. Melba Wisehart of the Argentine lookout reported seeing many bobcats and some cougars around the lookout building recently."   (Indian Valley Record)

May 25, 1967:   "Mrs Jean Rippey of Placerville has advised Mrs. Zanocco by letter that she will again be forest fire lookout on Argentine Rock during the summer."   (Feather River Bulletin)

June 27, 1968:   "Mrs. Jean Rippey, of Lake Spaulding, is again working as a lookout for the U.S. Forest Service at Argentine Rock for the fire season."   (Feather River Bulletin)

September 24, 1970:   "Vernon Roy Challans, 50, of Hawthorne, died of apparent natural causes while visiting Argentine Rock Lookout on Monday.
      Coroner's deputies said that Challans had asked lookout Doris Rippey for a cup of coffee.  He explained to her that he was scouting the area in anticipation of hunting there during deer season, and told her he was feeling ill."   (Feather River Bulletin)

November 2, 1994:   "The Quincy/Greenville Ranger District is seeking public input on a proposal to refurbish the Argentine Lookout.  The Lookout is located in T.24N., R.11E., Section 17, NENE, MDBM.
      The structure is no longer used as a lookout and is slowly falling into a state of disrepair.  The district would like to explore possible ways of restoring the structure and of possible future uses."   (Feather River Bulletin)