FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • CALIFORNIA
  • Alameda County
    • Crane Ridge
    • Grizzly Peak
  • Alpine County
    • Leviathan Peak
    • Markleeville
    • Mt. Reba
  • Amador County
    • Mt Zion
  • Butte County
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bear Ranch Hill
    • Big Bar Mountain
    • Bloomer Hill
    • Bottle Hill
    • Brush Creek
    • Bull Hill
    • Lone Pine
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Platte Mountain
    • Rackerby
    • Sawmill Peak
    • Sunset Hill
    • Swain Hill
  • Calaveras County
    • Bear Mountain (Fowler)
    • Blue Mountain
    • Devil's Nose
    • Folsom
    • Sierra Vista (Quiggs Mountain)
    • Valley Springs Peak
  • Colusa County
    • Snow Mountain
    • Three Sisters Peak
  • Contra Costa County
    • Mt Diablo
    • Round Top
  • Del Norte County
    • Baldy Peak
    • Bear Basin Butte
    • Buck Mountain
    • Camp Six Mountain
    • High Divide
    • High Dome
    • High Plateau Mountain
    • Little Rattlesnake
    • Lookout Point
    • Monkey Creek Ridge
    • Red Mountain
    • Rock Creek Butte Point
    • Sanger Peak
    • Ship Mountain
    • Stone Corral
    • Summit Valley
    • Upper Coon Mountain
    • Youngs Peak
  • El Dorado County
    • Alder Ridge
    • Angora
    • Armstrong Hill
    • Bald Mountain
    • Baltic Mountain
    • Bayview
    • Big Hill
    • Iron Mountain
    • Jakey's Point
    • Leek Spring Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Mt Danaher
    • Peavine Ridge
    • Pilot Hill
    • Pine Hill
    • Plummer Ridge
    • Robb's Peak
    • Slate Mountain
  • Fresno County
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bear Mountain
    • Black Mountain
    • Black Mountain (Joaquin)
    • Burrough Mountain
    • Delilah
    • Fence Meadow
    • Hog Mountain
    • Joaquin Murietta
    • Lookout Peak
    • Mount Tom
    • Musick Mountain
    • Owens Mountain (Copper Peak)
    • Sentinel Ridge
    • Stag Dome
    • Weldon Point
  • Glenn County
    • Bidwell Point
    • Black Butte
    • Black Diamond
    • Long Point
    • Red Mountain
    • Sacramento NWR
    • Valley View
  • Humboldt County
    • Big Hill
    • Blake Mountain
    • Brannan Mountain
    • Broad Camp
    • Brush Mountain
    • Burrill Peak
    • Coffee Pot
    • Cold Springs
    • Eightmile
    • Grasshopper Mountain
    • Grouse Mountain
    • Iaqua Buttes
    • Lake Mountain
    • LePerron Peak
    • Mount Lassic
    • Mount Pierce
    • Pratt Mountain
    • Schoolhouse Peak
    • Shelton Butte
    • Somes Mountain
    • Sugar Pine Mountain
    • Trinity Summit
  • Kern County
    • Annette
    • Bald Mountain
    • Blue Mountain
    • Breckenridge Mountain
    • Cook's Peak
    • Grapevine Peak
    • Jasmine
    • Lost Hills
    • McKittrick Summit
    • Oak Flat
    • Piute
    • Sunday Peak
    • Tollgate
    • Wheeler Ridge
  • Kings County
    • Cottonwood Pass
    • Point La Cima
  • Lake County
    • Elk Mountain
    • Garrett Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • High Glade
    • Mount Konochi (Wright Mtn)
    • Pacific Point
    • Pine Mountain
    • Pinnacle Rock
    • Potato Hill
    • Sheetiron Mountain
  • Lassen County
    • Antelope Mountain
    • Blacks Ridge
    • Boyd Hill
    • Clover Valley
    • Dow Butte
    • Dyer Mountain
    • Fredonyer
    • Harvey Mountain
    • Hayden Hill
    • Ladder Butte
    • Landon
    • Lava Peak
    • Likely Mountain
    • Observation Peak
    • Pegleg Mountain
    • Seven Lakes Mountain
    • Shaffer Mountain
    • Snag Hill
  • Los Angeles County
    • Arcadia
    • Blue Ridge
    • Bodel Peak
    • Castro Peak
    • Charlie Peak
    • Glendora Station
    • Grass Mountain
    • Highline
    • Josephine Peak
    • Los Pinetos
    • Mendenhall Peak
    • Mount Gleason
    • Mount Islip
    • Mount Lukens
    • Mount Wilson
    • Oat Mountain
    • Pacoima
    • Parker Mountain
    • Pine Mountain
    • Point Dume
    • San Dimas
    • San Gabriel Peak
    • San Jose
    • San Rafael
    • San Vicente Mountain
    • Sawmill Mountain
    • Sierra Palona Peak
    • Slide Mountain
    • South Mount Hawkins
    • Sunset Peak
    • Tejon Mountain
    • Temple
    • Topanga
    • Verdugo
    • Vetter Mountain
    • Warm Springs Mountain
    • Whittaker Peak
    • Zuma
    • Henneger Flat
    • Los Angeles County Fairplex
  • Madera County
    • Castle Peak
    • Deadwood Peak
    • Goat Mountain
    • Red Top
    • Shuteye Peak
  • Marin County
    • Barnabe Mountain (Dickson)
    • Mount Tamalpais (Gardner)
  • Mariposa County
    • Guadalupe
    • Green Mountain
    • Henness Ridge
    • Miami Mountain
    • Penon Blanco Peak
    • Pilot Peak
    • Pinoche Peak
    • Signal Peak (Devils Peak)
    • Trumbull Peak
    • Williams Peak
  • Mendocino County
    • Anthony Peak
    • Cahto Peak
    • Cold Spring Mountain
    • Gualalal Mountain
    • Hull Mountain
    • Hunter Point
    • Iron Peak
    • Lookout Peak
    • Mathison's
    • Mount Sanhedrin
    • Poison Rock
    • Sherwood Peak
    • Spy Rock
    • Two Rock
  • Merced County
    • Barfield
    • Basalt Hill
    • Dickinson Hill
  • Modoc County
    • Blue Mountain
    • Blue Mountain Tree
    • Fox Mountain
    • Happy Camp
    • Lone Pine
    • Mahogany Ridge
    • Manzanita Mountain
    • Sugar Hill
    • Timber Mountain
    • Tulelake NWR (Peninsula)
    • Warren Peak
  • Mono County
    • Bald Mountain
  • Monterey County
    • Anderson Peak
    • Chalk Peak
    • Chews Ridge
    • Cone Peak
    • Junipero Serra
    • Mt. Carmel
    • Mt Toro
    • Pinyon Peak (Sid Ormsbee)
    • Pinyon Peak (US)
    • Plaskett Ridge
    • Semas Mountain
    • Smith Mountain
    • Three Peaks
    • Ventana Double Cone
    • Williams Hill (Calandra)
  • Napa County
    • Berryessa Peak
  • Nevada County
    • Banner Mountain
    • Camel's Hump
    • Cherry Hill
    • Columbia Hill
    • Grouse Ridge
    • Red Mountain
    • Wolf Mountain
  • Orange County
    • Bolero
    • Gilman Peak
    • San Juan
    • Santiago Peak
  • Placer County
    • Bunker Hill
    • Devil's Peak
    • Duncan Peak
    • Hellister Point
    • Howell Hill
    • Martis Peak
    • Mosquito Ridge
    • Stateline
  • Plumas County
    • Argentine Rock
    • Bald Eagle Butte
    • Ben Lomond
    • Black Mountain
    • Camel Peak
    • Claremont Mountain
    • Dixie Mountain
    • Kettle Rock
    • Lexington Hill
    • Mount Ewell
    • Mount Harkness
    • Mount Hough
    • Mount Ingalls
    • Pilot Peak
    • Radio Hill
    • Red Hill
    • Red Rock
    • Smith Peak
    • Spanish Peak
    • Table Mountain
    • Thompson Peak
  • Riverside County
    • Barton Peak
    • Black Mountain
    • Box Springs Mountain
    • Estelle Mountain
    • Ranger Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Santa Rosa Peak
    • Tahquitz Peak
    • Thomas Mountain
  • San Benito County
    • Call Mountain
    • Fremont Peak
    • Hepsodan
    • North Chalone Peak
    • Sampson Peak
  • San Bernardino County
    • Butler Peak
    • Cajon Mountain
    • Cajon Summit
    • Grass Valley
    • Keller Peak
    • Little Mountain
    • Miller Canyon
    • Morton Peak
    • Mount San Antonio (Old Baldy)
    • Red Hill (Manker)
    • San Sevaine
    • Strawberry Peak
    • Sugarloaf Mountain
    • Tip Top Mountain
  • San Diego County
    • Black Mountain
    • Bottle Peak
    • Boucher Hill
    • Cuyamaca Peak
    • High Point
    • Hot Springs Mountain
    • Los Pinos
    • Lyons Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Santa Margarita
    • Tecate Peak
    • Woodson Mountain
  • San Luis Obispo County
    • Avenales
    • Bald Mountain..
    • Black Mountain...
    • Branch Mountain
    • Caliente Mountain
    • Cerro Alto
    • Hi Mountain
    • Midway Peak
    • Rocky Butte
  • San Mateo County
    • Allen Peak
    • Mandego Hill
    • Pise Point (Kings Mtn)
  • Santa Barbara County
    • Big Pine Mountain
    • Camuesa Peak
    • Cuyama Peak
    • Figueroa Mountain
    • La Cumbre Peak
    • Los Coches Mountain
    • Madulce Peak
    • Manzanita Mountain
    • McKinley Mountain
    • McPherson Mountain
    • Mount Solomon
    • Salsbury
    • Santa Ynez
    • West Big Pine
    • Zaca Peak
  • Santa Clara County
    • Copernicus Peak
    • Eylar Mountain
    • Loma Prieta
    • Pacheco Peak
  • Santa Cruz County
    • Chalk Mountain
    • Eagle Rock
    • Saratoga Summit
    • Mount Bielawski
  • Shasta County
    • Alamine
    • Backbone Ridge
    • Bear Mountain
    • Burney Mountain
    • Grizzly Peak
    • Hat Creek Rim
    • Hirz Mountain
    • Hogback Mountain
    • Lassen Peak
    • Magee Peak
    • North Fork Mountain
    • Prospect Peak
    • Shirttail Peak
    • Soldier Mountain
    • South Fork Mountain
    • West Prospect Peak
  • Sierra County
    • Alaska Peak
    • Babbitt Peak
    • Calpine Hill
    • Crystal Peak
    • Granite Peak
    • Mills Peak
    • Poverty Hill
    • Saddleback Mountain
    • Sardine Peak
    • Sierra Buttes
    • Verdi Peak
  • Siskiyou County
    • Baldy Mountain (Happy Camp Baldy)
    • Ball Mountain
    • Bear Mountain (Siskiyou)
    • Black Butte
    • Black Fox Mountain
    • Blue Ridge
    • Bolivar
    • Buckhorn Bally
    • Bullion Mountain
    • Cecil Point
    • China Creek
    • Collins Baldy
    • Cottonwood Peak
    • Craggy Peak
    • Deadwood Baldy Peak
    • Denny Point
    • Dry Lake Mountain
    • Duzel Rock
    • Eagle Peak
    • Eagle Rock
    • Eddy Gulch
    • English Peak
    • Gazelle Mountain
    • Herd Peak
    • Hungry Creek
    • Lake Mountain
    • Lakeview Point
    • Little Mount Hoffman
    • Lower Devils Peak
    • Marble Mountain
    • Medicine Mountain
    • Mount Eddy
    • Mt. Bradley
    • Mt. Hebron R.S.
    • Offield Mountain
    • Orleans Mountain
    • Orr Mountain
    • Packers Peak
    • Paradise Craggy
    • Pony Peak
    • Round Mountain
    • Schonchin Butte
    • Slater Butte
    • Sterling Mountain
    • Ukonom Mountain
    • Van Bremmer
    • Windy Peak
  • Sonoma County
    • Big Mountain
    • Hoover (Oak Ridge)
    • Mount Jackson
    • Mount St. Helena
    • Pole Mountain
    • Red Oat Mountain
  • Stanislaus County
    • Mike's Peak (Salado Mtn)
    • Mount Oso
    • Orestimba Peak
  • Tehama County
    • Ball Mountain
    • Ball Rock
    • Beegum Peak
    • Brokeoff Mountain
    • Campellville
    • Colby Mountain
    • Digger Butte
    • Eagle Peak
    • Franklin Point
    • Greasewood Hill
    • Inskip Hill
    • McCarthy Point
    • Tomhead Mountain
    • Turner Mountain
  • Trinity County
    • Backbone Ridge
    • Billy's Peak
    • Black Rock Mountain
    • Bonanza King
    • Bowerman Peak
    • Bully Choop
    • Cabin Peak
    • Cold Springs
    • Dedrick Point
    • Dubakella Mountain
    • Eagle Rock
    • Granite Peak
    • Grizzly Mountain
    • Haman Ridge
    • Hammerhorn Mountain
    • Hayden Roughs
    • Hayfork Bally
    • Hetten Peak
    • Horse Ridge
    • Ironside Mountain
    • Kettenpom Peak
    • Lymedyke Mountain
    • Mad River Rock
    • Mary Blaine Mountain
    • Pickett Peak
    • Plummer Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Shannon Butte
    • Slate Mountain
    • Virgin Creek Buttes
    • Weaver Bally
  • Tulare County
    • Ash Peak
    • Baker Point
    • Bald mountain
    • Blue Ridge
    • Buck Rock
    • Buena Vista
    • Cahoon Rock
    • Eshom Point
    • Gibbon Peak
    • Jordan Peak
    • Kern Peak
    • King George Peak
    • Little Baldy
    • Lookout Point
    • Milk Ranch Peak
    • Mitchell Peak
    • Mule Peak
    • Paradise Peak
    • Park Ridge
    • Shadequarter
    • Sherman Peak
    • Slate Mountain
    • The Needles
    • Tobias Peak
  • Tuolumne County
    • American Camp
    • Cave Mountain
    • Crandall Peak
    • Crane Flat
    • Darby Knob
    • Duckwall Mountain
    • Elizabeth Mountain
    • Forbay
    • Jones Point
    • Liberty Hill
    • Manzanita Point
    • McCormick
    • North Mountain
    • Pilot Peak
    • Pinecrest Peak
    • Rushing Hill
    • Smith Peak
    • Thompson Peak (Point)
    • Woods Ridge.
  • Ventura County
    • Cobblestone Mountain
    • Frazier Mountain
    • Mount Pinos
    • Nordhoff Peak
    • Reyes Peak
    • Rincon Mountain
    • Santa Paula Peak
    • South Mountain
    • Thorne Point
    • Topa Topa Peak
    • Triunfo
  • Yuba County
    • Oregon Peak
    • Pike County Peak
    • Walsh Mountain
SANTA CLARA COUNTY

COPERNICUS PEAK

California Department of Forestry
May 9, 1929:  "Provision for a second fire lookout station for Santa Clara County, to be located at East Peak, a half mile east of Lick Observatory, on Mt Hamilton, has been made by the State, according to State Fire Warden Donald King for Santa Clara County on his return from Sacramento yesterday. The station, Mr. King says, will be of great benefit in handling what he fears will be one of the worst fire seasons in several years.
     Starting July 1, a ranger will be stationed at Mount Hamilton temporarily until the new lookout station is completed. The station, to cost approximately $800, will be built on top of a large water tank on East Peak, giving it added height. The peak is 163 feet higher than Mt. Hamilton's summit. The new station will be circular in form, following contours of the big water tank. It will be two stories, the lower portion to provide the ranger's living quarters and the upper the circular lookout tower. This will be 11 feet in diameter, enclosed in heavy glass and will have a five-foot porch completely surrounding it." (San Jose News)

June 6, 1929:   "C.R. King, a representative of the State Fire Patrol, was in Livermore this week, and while here left good news to the stockmen and farmers.
      King informed Fire Warden John McGlinchey that the state department is planning to establish a lookout station at Mt. Hamilton about the first of July.
      When the new lookout station is established at Mt. Hamilton the danger of fire hazard will be greatly lessened due to the fact that a more definite location of fires in the hills can be determined.
      With the three stations--Mt. Hamilton, Mt. Boardman and Crane Lookout--at his command, Fire Warden McGlinchey will be able to determine pretty close the exact location of any fire in the adjoining mountains."   (Livermore Journal)

February 10, 1930:   "Historical names will be given to three fire lookout stations in Amador, Tuolumne and Santa Clara counties, the stations to be completed for use during this year's fire season, it was announced today by State Forester M.B. Pratt.
      One is Copernicus peak tower in Santa Clara county."   (The Hanford Sentinel)

February 11, 1930:  "The station to be completed for use during this year's fire season, it was announced today by State Forester M.B. Pratt."  (San Mateo Times)

February 12, 1930:   "Three fire lookout stations now being by the state division of forestry, in cooperation with federal and counties agencies, in Amador, Tuolumne and Santa Clara counties, have names of historical interest, it was pointed out by State Forester M.B. Pratt.
      Copernicus Peak, near Mt. Hamilton Observatory in Santa Clara county, was named by Dr. Holden, the first astronomer at that site, for Copernicus, the Polish Astronomer who discovered the system of planetary evolution."   (Santa Cruz Evening News)

May 9, 1930:  "Construction of a lookout station on Mt. Hamilton was started by the state forestry department this week and is expected to be of material assistance this summer in fighting fires in the range lands south of here, according to John McGlinchey, county fire warden.
     With a trained ranger in charge of the station it will be possible, McGlinchey said, to establish the definite location of a fire much quicker and to get it under control before it reaches serious proportions.  Alameda county has maintained a lookout on Crane Ridge for several years, but has had to depend upon the cooperation of employees of the Lick observatory in locating fires south of the ridge."  (Oakland Tribune)

June 21, 1930:  "The state division of forestry will formally dedicate its seventeenth lookout station on the top of Copernicus peak, northeast of Mt. Hamilton in Santa Clara county, tomorrow, according to plans announced today."  (San Mateo Times)

June 23, 1930:  "A new fire lookout station was dedicated yesterday by State Forester M.B. Pratt on Mount Copernicus, the highest peak in Santa Clara county.  Within a mile of Mount Hamilton, on which Lick observatory is located, the new station has an elevation of 4385 feet, 165 feet higher than Mount Hamilton.  With the two other stations in the vicinity, one on Mount Bielawski and the other on Loma Prieta in Santa Clara county, this district now has the most complete lookout system in the state, Pratt declared."  (Bakersfield Californian)

July 9, 1930:
"Fanned by a brisk southerly breeze, the flames were spreading rapidly in a northerly direction, and fearing that Lick Observatory might be threatened, a hurry call was sent out this afternoon from the observatory for volunteer fire fighters.
     The fire was sighted at 9 o'clock this morning by rangers at the new Copernicus Peak lookout station, who were hampered in their plea for aid as no telephone has been installed as yet at the new station." (San Jose Evening News)

July 25, 1930:  "The state board of forestry recently established its 17th lookout station, on Mt. Hamilton, Santa Clara county."  (Woodland Daily Democrat)

March 7, 1940:  "Bill Carey, lookout on Copernicus peak, for the Lick Observatory, was able to make a valuable contribution to science as to the results of being struck by lightning.  He was busy charting lightning strikes when 'a ball of fire as big as a washtub' hit him on the head.  He was unconscious for an hour but the scientific records of the case show that the only ill effects was a headache the morning after." (Blytheville Courier News)
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Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association

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