BUTTE COUNTY
BEAR RANCH HILL
Plumas National Forest
July 29, 1936: "An 'invisible eye' will watch all traffic on the new Feather river highway when it is opened next year.
Located especially to watch the highway route, the Bear Ranch Hill lookout station is now under construction at a point near Belden. The lookout has been placed at the edge of a sheer cliff near the highway on the Butte-Plumas county boundary line. It is in the Plumas National Forest.
Foundations of the tower have already been laid. The foundations are 16 by 16 feet and the room at the top of the tower will be 14 by 14 feet. In it will be stationed a lookout whose job, day and night, will be to observe and report any fires that may happen along the Feather river highway route.
There is a lookout now located on Big Bar mountain near Pulga that affords a good view of the North Fork Canyon but the Bear Ranch Hill lookout is so situated that when completed it will afford a beautiful view to the canyon's bottom. It will be ready for use this summer." (Oroville Mercury Register)
Located especially to watch the highway route, the Bear Ranch Hill lookout station is now under construction at a point near Belden. The lookout has been placed at the edge of a sheer cliff near the highway on the Butte-Plumas county boundary line. It is in the Plumas National Forest.
Foundations of the tower have already been laid. The foundations are 16 by 16 feet and the room at the top of the tower will be 14 by 14 feet. In it will be stationed a lookout whose job, day and night, will be to observe and report any fires that may happen along the Feather river highway route.
There is a lookout now located on Big Bar mountain near Pulga that affords a good view of the North Fork Canyon but the Bear Ranch Hill lookout is so situated that when completed it will afford a beautiful view to the canyon's bottom. It will be ready for use this summer." (Oroville Mercury Register)
September 3, 1936: "The Bear Ranch Hill lookout near Brush Creek will be completed next week." (Feather River Bulletin)
August 10, 1944: "That killing wild cats and rattle snakes is developing into a hobby for Freda Danielson, Plumas National Forest lookout on Bear Ranch Hill, was reported this week by D.K. Carr, Forest Service Training Officer.
According to Carr, Mrs. Danielson is a crack shot and uses a light calibre deer rifle. Her station is on a rocky promontory which overlooks a section of the Feather River Canyon. In the two months Mrs. Danielson has been serving as a Forest lookout she has killed three wild cats and seven rattle snakes. Carr declared Mrs. Danielson was absolutely unafraid, and told him of a another big rattler she has been unable to to get, but she knows he is in a crevice below the lookout because of his loud warning when she tosses pebbles in his direction. "He'll stick his head out where I can see it some day, and I'll have another set of rattles', Mrs. Danielson told Carr.
The wild cat bagged the day before Carr's visit was tricked into showing himself. Lookout Danielson heard him call and answered with a faked fence tabby cat meow. It was another case of curiosity killing a cat. The wild cat stepped from behind his rock to see who was calling, and met the blast of Mrs. Danielson's rifle.
Mrs. Danielson, when not on lookout duty in the summer season resides in the vicinity of Oroville." (Portola Reporter)
According to Carr, Mrs. Danielson is a crack shot and uses a light calibre deer rifle. Her station is on a rocky promontory which overlooks a section of the Feather River Canyon. In the two months Mrs. Danielson has been serving as a Forest lookout she has killed three wild cats and seven rattle snakes. Carr declared Mrs. Danielson was absolutely unafraid, and told him of a another big rattler she has been unable to to get, but she knows he is in a crevice below the lookout because of his loud warning when she tosses pebbles in his direction. "He'll stick his head out where I can see it some day, and I'll have another set of rattles', Mrs. Danielson told Carr.
The wild cat bagged the day before Carr's visit was tricked into showing himself. Lookout Danielson heard him call and answered with a faked fence tabby cat meow. It was another case of curiosity killing a cat. The wild cat stepped from behind his rock to see who was calling, and met the blast of Mrs. Danielson's rifle.
Mrs. Danielson, when not on lookout duty in the summer season resides in the vicinity of Oroville." (Portola Reporter)
