BAKER POINT
Tulare County - Sequoia National Forest
July 10, 1941: "Supervisor Norman L. Norris of the Sequoia National Forest announces that a new lookout station is planned for Baker Ridge, at an elevation of 7,944 feet, looking into the Kern River Canyon area from the Southern California Edison Company Power House No. KR-3 to Fairview.
In Past years, this area has been a blind spot to other lookouts, and a fire in this hazardous country could not be seen until it reached large proportions. The new station will be able to detect such a fire immediately.
The first step will be the construction of a trail to the ridge, over which to bring in building materials, and the installation of a telephone lines. The routes were scouted last week by Forest Engineer Hamilton Pyles and District Ranger Norman Spangenberg of California Hot Springs.
On its completion, the lookout station will replace the one at present on Sunday Peak." (The Fresno Bee The Republican)
In Past years, this area has been a blind spot to other lookouts, and a fire in this hazardous country could not be seen until it reached large proportions. The new station will be able to detect such a fire immediately.
The first step will be the construction of a trail to the ridge, over which to bring in building materials, and the installation of a telephone lines. The routes were scouted last week by Forest Engineer Hamilton Pyles and District Ranger Norman Spangenberg of California Hot Springs.
On its completion, the lookout station will replace the one at present on Sunday Peak." (The Fresno Bee The Republican)
August 15, 1942: "The new Baker point lookout in the Kern river area will be manned August 21, according to information received today from the headquarters office of the Sequoia National Forest. This lookout, which will be the one to see the bottom of the Kern canyon where so many large fires have occurred this season, will give greatly increased detection service.
A 'cat way' is being constructed out from Horse meadow through Baker meadow to the head of Stormy canyon, and then a trail through some extremely rough rock and cliff country, to Baker point. It is expected that this trail will be completed today and then a temporary lookout structure will be erected and the lookout manned.
Had this peak been manned early in the season, some of the larger fires in the Kern canyon could have been reported and controlled while much smaller." (Bakersfield Californian)
June 28, 1946: "The reconstruction job on the Baker Point Trail, which is being built to service the Baker Point Lookout on Baker mountain at an elevation of 8500 feet, is nearing completion.
The lookout rises above a large portion of the Kern river basin near here." (The Bakersfield Californian)
July 14, 1959: "A crackling brush fire which has consumed 5,000 acres in Sequoia National Park since lightning set it Saturday roared into tall timber despite the efforts of 500 firefighters including 200 Zuni Indian experts.
It forced the evacuation of 2,000 summer resort guests Monday from the area between Kernville and Fairview and seriously burned two firefighters.
Officials said the blaze was burning west to Baker Ridge and southwest to 8,000 foot high Mt. Baker, where a woman lookout was evacuated." (The Times - San Mateo)