PLUMAS COUNTY
MOUNT ELWELL
Plumas National Forest
November 11, 1916: "Alonzo Rowell committed suicide by shooting in a room in the hotel at Blaisden early in the week while temporarily mentally deranged. Through the summer he had been employed at the government lookout station at Mt. Elwell." (Portola Sentinel)
August 29, 1917: "What is said to be the highest Red Cross Contribution Box in California is on the top of Mt, Elwell, 7866 feet high, in the Plumas National Forest according to the forest officers.
This box, which is fastened to stake on the summit bears this label "Remember the sons--a good deed is not in vain.' The box was placed and is watched over by a Forest Service look-out man stationed on the mountain, and into the box falls many contributions by visitors from the mountain resorts who climb the mountain to see how the Government watches over the forest and prevents forest fires. A visitor's register kept in the look-out station discloses that the visitors to the peak and contributors to the box, which are often as many as 25 in a one day, come from many parts of the United States." (Plumas Independent)
This box, which is fastened to stake on the summit bears this label "Remember the sons--a good deed is not in vain.' The box was placed and is watched over by a Forest Service look-out man stationed on the mountain, and into the box falls many contributions by visitors from the mountain resorts who climb the mountain to see how the Government watches over the forest and prevents forest fires. A visitor's register kept in the look-out station discloses that the visitors to the peak and contributors to the box, which are often as many as 25 in a one day, come from many parts of the United States." (Plumas Independent)
August 14, 1920: "Up to Aug. 9 Lookout Mollie Ingoldsby on Mt. Elwell above the Lakes Basin Camps had registered about 650 visitors, and when I made my visit a total of 19 callers were trying to crowd into the lookout house at one time. Miss Ingoldsby makes a most favorable impression on her numerous visitors and Mt. Elwell is one of our best field information stations. L.A.B." (California District News Letter)
June 28, 1923: "Daniel Morehead, from Belden, entered upon his duties as lookout on Mt. Elwell Wednesday. This peak is included in the Plumas National Forest reserve." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
May 22, 1924: "Daniel Moorehead, of Belden, went Tuesday to Mount Elwell, where he will pass his third year as lookout for the Plumas National Forest." (Feather River Bulletin)
January 15, 1925: "Edward Merry, for three years lookout man on Mt. Elwell near Johnsville, had a thrilling escape from sudden death, January 4, when a holdup man walked into his automobile service station at Bakersfield, and, at the point of a .44 Colt revolver, ordered Merry to give up the money in the cash register. Merry, however, who has Iroquois Indian blood in his veins, couldn't see it that way and shot the robber down.
Elmer Rose, the holdup, was a 20-year-old East Bakersfield youth. He entered the service station about 9:30 p.m. and, closing the door, covered Merry with his gun and demanded the money.
Merry rose quietly from his chair and approached the cash register as though to open it, with his right hand Merry grasped a revolver kept near the money drawer.
Seeing the robber was not watching closely, Merry whirled about and fired at the youth who fell from the impact of the bullet. As Rose went down he raised his gun but Merry fired again and the robber sank to the floor. He was removed to a hospital, where he soon died, the while Merry told the story to police attracted by shots fired into the air.
This is the second robber shot and killed while about his disreputable work in Bakersfield, within a few days. Merry has been justified in his defense of life and property." (Plumas National Bulletin)
August 20, 1925: "Word was received here a few days ago that during a recent electrical storm, Lookout McCullough, who is stationed as Forest Service lookout at Mt. Elwell, Long Lake, was struck by lightning while attending his duties at the telephone and did not come to for twenty minutes. The elevation at Mt. Elwell is very high and a rather dangerous place in a thunder storm." (Oroville Daily Register)
December 29, 1927: "Word was received here of the death of D.D. Morehead at Belden on Monday evening. Mr. Morehead made many friends here during the time he was lookout man at Mt. Elwell, who will regret to hear of his death." "He died suddenly from a ruptured esophagus." (Plumas Independent)
December 4, 1936: "Miss Molly Ingelsby, for several years lookout on Mt. Elwell in the Plumas, died suddenly in Oakland, Nov. 5 according to word received by the R.O. Miss Ingelsby was one of the few women who occupied this position now closed to feminine sex. She wrote for magazines while with the F.S. and later was in the advertising business." (California Ranger)