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
SIERRA COUNTY

MILLS PEAK

Plumas National Forest
​21N-12E-3

August 2, 1934:   "Ben Hankey, forest service lookout station keeper from Mount Elwell, was moved Friday to the new lookout at Mills Peak, over looking Clio, Graeagle and other Mohawk Valley points."   (Portola Reporter)

​June 20, 1946:
  "Ben Hankey, a veteran of 14 years service, is stationed on Mills Peak.  In 1932 and 1933 he was stationed at Engalls, 1934 at Elwell and since that time has been the lookout on Mills Peak."   (Portola Reporter)

October 31, 1946:   "Veteran Lookout Ben Hanky of the Plumas national forest closed his Mills Peak station on October 23, having established somewhat of a record.  Lookout Hanky, with two previous seasons on Mt. Ingalls, was placed on Mills Peak when construction of that lookout station was completed in August, 1934.  According to District Ranger Art Gifford, Hanky has served every season on Mills Peak except 1945, and during his period of service he has accounted for first discovery of a total of 117 fires--only seven of those occurred this season."   (Portola Reporter)

​July 13, 1949: 
 "Ben Hankey, the boss of Mills Peak Lookout overlooking Mohawk valley in the Plumas national forest is an old timer in the business.
     Starting his forest fire lookout career in 1932 "Old Ben," as he is affectionately known by Plumas forest firemen, has become a lover of nature and he is particularly fond of his wildlife friends who frequent the locality of Mills Peak.
     One of Ben's most welcome callers is "Old Betsy," large mule deer doe, a resident of the Mills Peak area for the past seven years.
     "Biggest doe I ever seen," Ben explained, when describing her as being as tall as an ordinary range cow.  "Old Betsy," according to to Ben, bears her offspring every year along in the forepart of June.  A little late this year the fawn was not born until several days after Ben reported to his lookout station on June 13.
     "She gave birth to a purty little spotted fawn on Friday, June 17 and brot the little feller up to see me the very next day.  He was purty wobbly on his legs, but he's goin to make a fine big buck.  I call him George," Ben revealed.
     "Last Sunday, the 26th," Ben continued, "a little blacktail doe came to the lookout with "Old Betsy," followed by a day old spotted fawn, 'bout as big as a rabbit.  Twran"t half as big as "Old Betsy's young'un," "But cute as anything you ever saw, and looks just like "Bambi" in the movies.  Well sir, its been right pleasant to watch them deer, but a mighty, mighty strange thing happened here a few mornings ago."
     Without urging, Lookout Ben described a wildlife family scrabble and kidnapping!
     It seems "Old Betsy" showed up the morning of June 29, with both fawns following her, her own "George," almost double the size of the apparently adopted little "Bambi."  The two fawns, "George" and "Bambi" were having a great time running, jumping and tearing around in general.  I couldn't keep close enough watch on 'em to be sure, but I think them two little "tikes" had breakfast together. 'Long about 9:30 little Mrs. Blacktail steps into the picture and she is clean mad.  She headed right for "Old Betsy," and right there within 50 yards of me those two females fought for a good fifteen minutes just like a couple of strange nanny goats.  Finally the little doe gave up after being butted around pretty hard by "Old Betsy" and went off down the mountain."
     What about "Bambi"?
     "Why he stayed right there with little 'George and 'Old Betsy' and I guess from now on he's a member of the family.  I ain't seeen little Mrs. Blacktail since," declared Ben."  (Reno Evening Gazette)

​June 22, 1950:  "As the swallows return to Capistrano each year, so do the pelicans come to Mohawk valley.
     A single band of from 40 to 60 pelicans arrives in Mohawk valley during the latter part of June every year.  These maritime birds with satchel-like beaks were first reported for their regularity by veteran Plumas national forest lookout Ben Hankey from the Mills Peak lookout several years ago.  Mr. Hankey who was established at his Mills Peak station this year on June 1, having been transported there by forest service snow weasel tractor reports the pelicans arrived June 16 which is a full week ahead of the usual schedule.
     The pelican flight into Mohawk valley, the forest lookout says is via the Yuba river canyon and across north of the Sierra Buttes to Mills Peak and down into the head of Sulphur creek.  Mr. Hankey, who stated the pelicans' flight passes within 100 yards of his lookout station, watches each season for the arrival of these hungry feathered fishermen."  (Reno Evening Gazette)
​

November 2, 1950:   "Funeral services for Ben F. Hankey, forest service lookout and a resident of Plumas county for 25 years, will be held this Thursday evening from the Stookey chapel.  The body will be sent to his native Pennsylvania for interment."   (Portola Reporter)

September 22, 1960:   "Lookouts maintained by the Plumas National Forest, primarily to spot forest fires, have proved a major tourist attraction this year, according to figures compiled this week by the Forest Service.
      A total of 3,695 visitors have gone to the high spot to look over the Feather River Country and environs.
      The Mills Peak lookout, in the central area was by far the most popular of the 21 lookouts, according to the Forest Service figures, with 1520 visitors from June 19 to last Sunday.
      A good road leads to the lookout station, at an elevation of 7,374 feet, where T.L. Louton is in charge."   (Indian Valley Record)

​July 1, 1971:
  "Audrey Flury is now at Mills Peak Lookout.  She has been an observer at lookouts since 1963, and has served on Mt. Ingalls, Smith, and now Mills Peak.  The lookout, located about three miles from Gold Lake, receives close to 2,200 visitors a year."   (Portola Reporter)

​June 19, 1975:
  "Linfred Ness, former owner of Ness' Arco Station, is the new fire lookout on Mills Peak.  On his first day, he made a pinpoint spotting of a fire at milepost 313.3 above Clio on the Western Pacific tracks.  The U.S. Forest Service responded with tanker units and the fire was controlled at less than three acres."   (Portola Reporter)

​August 28, 1975:   "Lin and May Ness are first-year lookouts on Mills Peak."   (Portola Reporter)
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Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association

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