LOS ANGELES COUNTY
MOUNT GLEASON
Los Angeles County Forestry Department
1926: The Los Angeles County Forestry Department constructed a 60-foot steel tower with a steel cab for a cost of $2,046.
September 30, 1926: "A second lookout station for the forestry department has been opened on the top of Mount Gleason, the opening ceremonies taking place yesterday. The county put in the station and the government will furnish the observer. Mount Gleason can be seen as a rather low peak, by looking up Placerita Canyon from Newhall, but the peak is too far away for the station to be seen, tho of course, the observer there must be able to easily see Newhall thru the glasses." (The Signal)
June 28, 1929: "Everybody connected with forestry in Southern California knows Paul Grey. Paul grows Oranges at Covina in winter and is fire fighter in summer. This week Paul is serving as relief lookout at Mt. Gleason tower. Mt. Gleason is away in the back country and overlooks the great expanse of Antelopw Valley and the Mojave Desert. It has a tall steel tower with a little stone cabin under the shoulder of the hill. The cabin is hidden in a cove beneath a copse of pine and cedar.
Each day the trip to the spring for water takes about an hour and a half, so that it was after dark when Paul got back with the burro load. He first got the Coleman lantern in operation and then looked under the table for a pencil he had dropped. He reached for the pencil, there was a swish and a flop, and Paul jumped back. A big rattler had made his strike and missed.
This rattler will strike no more. He was 3-1/2 feet long and 4 inches in diameter at the middle. The door had been open during the day while the tower was in operation and Mr. Rattler found himself a home. It was a mighty un-nerving experience, and one that Paul will remember always. --Coulter, Angeles" (California District News Letter)
September 21, 1933: "In 1926 through the cooperative efforts of Mr. Geo. H. Cecil, then Forest Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, and Spence D. Turner, County Forester, a steel lookout tower 60 feet in height was constructed on the summit of Mt. Gleason. A telephone line was constructed to connect the lookout tower with the Pasadena Exchange. An additional line was also constructed which connected the lookout tower with the offices of the County Forestry Department and U.S.F.S. at Newhall. In 1931 a fire motorway was extended from the Edison road at Little Gleason to the lookout tower. During the recent lightning period many fires occurred at and in the vicinity of Mt. Gleason. All were quickly detected by the observer, and notwithstanding the fact the lightning had put the Pasadena telephone circuit out of order, he was able to call over his Newhall circuit and report the fires." (The Signal)
July 12, 1940: "When a Forest Service Lookoutman gets married, it's news; but when he is married at his own lookout station, without benefit of annual leave, it's really a "scoop." Anyway, the latter has just happened on the Angeles.
Charles "Chuck" Callin was hired recently to fill a vacancy at Mt. Gleason Lookout, on the Arroyo Seco District. Having planned to be married very soon, he was a bit disconcerted to learn that "Uncle" would allow him no leave until he had worked a month or so. But then he struck upon the happy idea of having the ceremony performed on the mountain summit which, by the way, is a very attractive place, featuring ponderosa pine in open, park like stands. The suggestion was welcomed by other interested parties and District Ranger Durham approved the highly unusual if not unheard of request for permission.
Accordingly, the ceremony was performed on the evening of Friday, June 14, under the pines - as attractive a setting for a wedding as anyone could wish for. The bride was Miss Margie Heavrin of Montrose. "Chuck" hails from Glendale.
Just how the news of the affair leaked out in advance of the occasion has not been disclosed. Anyway, "Chuck" reports that every Guard on the District telephoned congratulations to him, at well spaced intervals between 10:30 p.m., just after the wedding guest departed, and 12:30 a.m. They called it a "telephone shivarce" but "Chuck" had other words for it. --Frederick A. Meyer, Angeles -" (California Ranger)
