PLUMAS COUNTY
MOUNT INGALLS
Plumas National Forest
July 27, 1922: "Forest Officer Albert E. Gould was in town this week from a trip to the government lookout station on the top of Mount Ingalls near Walker Mine, where Ed Merry is employed as lookout." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
August 30, 1923: "Mt. Ingalls lookout, Joseph Lee, of Redding, was relieved Friday by Jerry Shea, a new man to the Plumas Forest. Lee returned to his home." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
May 22, 1924: "Wednesday Charles O'Haro took his position on Mount Engles, where he will watch for forest fires this summer." (Feather River Bulletin)
September 26, 1924: "Ed Merry, fire lookout on Mt. Engels, Plumas National Forest, recently had a close call when lightning struck about ten feet from the observatory. He was knocked down but not seriously injured." (California District News Letter)
June 18, 1925: "Mr. and Mrs. Gene Bouchard and children moved over from Susanville last week to go on up to Mt. Engel Lookout Station in a few days." (Plumas Independent)
June 12, 1930: "Ed Merry, lookout for the forest service on Mt. Engel, was in town Saturday." (Feather River Bulletin)
August 21, 1930: "Ed Merry has resigned his position as forest service lookout at Mt. Ingalls and has moved to Greenville. He passed three days in Reno attending to business, returning Monday." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
June 30, 1932: "Frank Delaney, ranger in charge of Mohawk Ranger Station, passed through camp Monday morning on his way to Mt. Engles, to open the lookout for the summer and go over the telephones lines." (Feather River Bulletin)
June 25, 1936: "Clark Hart has taken his post at the fire lookout on Mt. Ingalls, the highest peak on the Plumas forest, it is reported by W.R. Hawkins, chief fire dispatcher." (Feather River Bulletin)
July 16, 1936: "The construction crew now erecting the new forest lookout at Smith Peak will move about Aug. 1 to Mt. Engles, to build a new lookout there.
The present Mt. Engels lookout is one of the oldest on the Plumas National Forest, according to W. R. Hawkins, chief fire dispatcher." (Feather River Bulletin)
July 29, 1938: "An unusual glow in the vicinity of Walker mine gave lookouts on Smith Peak and Mt. Ingalls in the Plumas National Forest a few bad moments one night recently. Both reported the glow to Chief Fire Dispatcher Keith MacDonald. MacDonald called Walker mine and got the reply that a soft ball game was in progress aided by floodlights. "Have the lights flicked on and off a couple times to make sure that is what the lookouts see," requested the dispatcher. This was done, and the lookout's mystery glow was solved." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
August 5, 1943: "Mrs. Harry Kelley of this place (Sloat), who has four sons in the service, is now doing her bit, as she left here last Friday for Mt. Engels lookout station, where she will remain until fall when the fire lookouts are no longer necessary. Her youngest grand son, Frederick Cook of Sacramento, accompanied her and will be with her until he returns to school." (Plumas Independent)
August 26, 1943: "Mary Jo Kelly, recently assigned to Mt. Ingalls, is a resident of Sloat." (Feather River Bulletin)
September 2, 1943: "Harry Kelley spent Friday at Mt. Ingalls where Mrs. Kelley is stationed at present in the Forest service lookout." (Plumas Independent)
October 21, 1943: "Mrs. Harry Kelley returned home from Mt. Ingall lookout station and has gone to Sacramento to stay with her daughter, Mrs. Ethel Cook, who is quite ill at present." (Plumas Independent)
June 20, 1946: "Lois Olds, of Yuba City and an artist, has spent three years as a lookout on Mt. Engalls and is back at her station again this year." (Portola Reporter)
September 30, 1948: "The Mt. Ingalls lookout station reported the mercury dropped to 10 degrees above zero last weekend." (Portola Reporter)
August 3, 1960: "Mount Ingalls was chosen as one of three lookouts in Northern California to have a time lapse camera installed. This is a cooperative study between the State Forestry Division and the Weather Bureau in conjunction with the use of radar in fire detection. The lookout operator is instructed to photograph any build up of clouds that they see. They can't see at night and that's where the radar is especially valuable.
Eventually, as a result of these observations, it is hoped that fire fighters will warned far enough in advance to move in before fires start." (Star-News)
September 27, 1962: "Jim Bailey, who is stationed at the U.S. Forest Service Lookout on Mt. Ingalls, is recovering from minor wounds received the morning deer hunting season opened.
The injuries occurred when a high velocity bullet fragmented on a post of the catwalk at Mt. Ingalls and struck Bailey in six places. The lookout remained at his post during this extremely dry season until a replacement could be sent. He was treated at the Western Pacific hospital and released Sunday.
Mr. Bailey will not state in exactly what portion of his anatomy most of the fragments lodged, but said he expects to stand up while watching for fires for the next few days.
There is some suspicion that Mr. Bailey brought this mishap upon himself because of his negative opinion of hunters, their vision and judgment. He draws cartoons while he is on duty at Mt. Ingalls and had recently completed one which showed a white flag of surrender poked over a rock as hunter's bullets wizzed past, he has not, however been able to devise any protection from shooters who can see horns on the lookout station." (Portola Reporter)
August 28, 1975: "Louise Hancock is stationed on Mt. Ingalls (highest point on the Forest." (Portola Reporter)
September 16, 1976: "The lookout station on Mt. Ingalls is being closed down, and will not be reopened next year, except in times of emergency such as when lightning is prevalent." (Portola Reporter)
1984: The structure was disassembled and moved to the Plumas County Fairgrounds in Quincy.
