MOUNT OSO
Stanislaus County - California Department of Forestry
May 15, 1921: "An attempt is being made by the California Cattlemen's Association and the Stockmen's Protective Association to have an additional lookout provided by the State Forestry Department for Mount Oso.
The assistance of the cattlemen was given without request following a meeting attended by R.M. Hagen, secretary of the California Cattlemen's organization, who heard the stockmen speak of the need and immediately promised the aid of the State organization." (San Francisco Chronicle)
The assistance of the cattlemen was given without request following a meeting attended by R.M. Hagen, secretary of the California Cattlemen's organization, who heard the stockmen speak of the need and immediately promised the aid of the State organization." (San Francisco Chronicle)
May 27, 1921: "An attempt is being made by the California Cattleman's Association and the Stockman's Protective Association to have an additional lookout provided by the State Forestry Department for Mount Oso." (Riverbank News)
July 1921: "The Mount Oso Lookout was established in July, 1921, to render assistance to the Stockman's Protective Association of Alameda and San Joaquin counties in the more efficient protection of stock range from fire. It is located on a commanding peak near the junction of Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties, and overlooks approximately three million acres. Connections were made with the main telephone line at Westley by construction of a 12-1/2 mile telephone line. Cooperative funds for this project were obtained from Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties, and considerable labor and material for the lookout tower were contributed by the Stockman's Protective Association." (Ninth Biennial Report of the State Board of Forestry of the State of California)
July 6, 1921: "As a result of co-operation received from the Stockman's Fire Protective Association of Alameda and San Joaquin counties, and funds contributed by Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Santa Clara counties to the amount of $1,500, the State Board of Forestry will erect a lookout station on Mount Oso in the Coast Range and build a telephone line to the main telephone system." (The Forest Patrolman)
May 16, 1924: "Following a communication written by Secretary J.J. Callaghan of the Stockman's Protective Association regarding the appointment of a lookout at Mt. Oso, the following letter was received this week by Secretary Callaghan:
'Dear Mr. Callaghan:
Mr. E.M. Bushby, who served as lookout on Mt. Oso last year will serve in that capacity this year beginning May 19th. Inspector Frost will assist them in putting the telephone line in order. The salary of Mr. Bushby will be paid by this office.
Very Sincerely yours, M.B. Pratt, State Forester' " (Livermore Journal)
July 11, 1924: "The Livermore association has donated $100 to the state to be used for the repair of the lookout at Mt. Oso and for building a needed addition to the station. It is believed that it will be found necessary to build a new house at the Crane Ridge lookout station next spring. E.R. Busby is now stationed at the Mt. Oso lookout and Jack O'Meare at the Crane Ridge station." (Livermore Journal)
September 26, 1924: "Secretary J.J. Callaghan, of the local association, has been notified by State Forester Pratt that the Lookout on Mt. Oso will be closed for the season on the first of October." (Livermore Journal)
May 8, 1926: "The appointment of Mr. Bushy as lookout man on Mt. Oso was endorsed." (Livermore Journal)
May 24, 1928: "Otto Seegers, Mt. Oso lookout went on duty last week." (Livermore Journal)
June 27, 1926: "Inspector A.E. Frost of the state board of forestry conducted an official visit to the lookout station atop Mt. Oso yesterday afternoon for the purpose of inspecting fire fighting equipment and signal maneuvers. Frost was accompanied on the tour by John McGlinchey of Livermore, Alameda county fire warden. The state official commended McGlinchey and the men under his command for their diligent work in combating over a score of brush and grass fires in the Livermore valley already this summer." (Oakland Tribune)
May 14, 1935: "O. S. Ball, Frank Cox and Frank Raines attended a meeting of the Livermore Stockmans Association Sunday at Livermore at which time the operation of the fire lookout station, probably will be discussed. The operation of the station probably will be taken over by this district." (The Modesto Bee and News-Herald)
August 21, 1936: "Otto Seeger, lookout at the Mount Oso station, said the fire appeared to be burning in the almost inaccessible area on and around the north side of Flat Mountain. This territory, along the South Fork of the Orestimba, is so rough and broken it is virtually impossible to combat the flames there.
Seeger said he believed it is almost certain the fire, already out of control, can not be halted as long as it burns in that country.
Boys from CCC camps again have been called to duty as fire fighters and O.S. Ball of Patterson, fire warden in charge of the crews, has sent out for additional men to relieve the half hundred who have battled the flames almost constantly for a week." (Oakland Tribune)
July 26, 1938: "The local district maintains Paul Kraft as lookout at Mt. Oso, and the appointment of Lewis Moran as state deputy fire warden will be a great aid in fire control." (The Modesto Bee and News-Herald)
June 12, 1960: "The third district court of appeal in a 2 to 1 decision has affirmed a Stanislaus County Superior Court judgement of $190,000 to Melvin L. Williams for injuries suffered from a Pacific Gas and Electric Company power line.
Williams worked for the Evans Telephone Company in Patterson which maintained a telephone line to the Mount Oso Lookout Station of the West Stanislaus County Rural Fire Protection District.
When a PGE power line interfered with operation of the phone line, PGE agreed to have a double phone line installed. Williams was working on the new installation when the phone line came into contact with the power line." (The Modesto Bee)
May 11, 1980: "Ignore the close quarters, 7 by 7 feet. Then, consider the price tag -- only $2,500.
CDF will dedicate the tower at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
How the forest people got their tower reads like something out of a 'You-rub-my-back-and-I'll-rub-yours' manual.
District Ranger Roy Pike was driving past the Tracy Airport when he observed a World War II-vintage aircraft lookout tower.
The forest people didn't have the money to buy the tower from the City of Tracy so they helped the city construct a police firing range.
A large construction company removed the tower from its perch. A civil engineer volunteered to design the footings necessary to support the 40-foot high structure.
Fire station personnel and crews from the DeWitt Nelson Training Center in Stockton pouted the footings and did other manual tasks; a utility company helped erect the upper story of the tower; a glass company put in the four lookout windows.
The tower replaces one built in 1921. Dry rot infested its laminated plywood and made it less resistant to the high winds which buffet Mt. Oso at times." (The Modesto Bee)
DESIGNATION - MOUNT OSO
PID - HS4694
STATE/COUNTY- CA/STANISLAUS
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - SOLYO (1991)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1931 (JB)
ABOUT 10 MILES SW OF VERNALIS, ON HIGHEST POINT OF MOUNT
OSO, BESIDE OLD STONE CAIRN OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY, AND 121.0 METERS (397 FEET) NW OF CENTER OF FIRE LOOKOUT
HOUSE. TO REACH FROM VERNALIS, GO N 0.4 MILE TO FORK, TURN
LEFT ACROSS RAILROAD AND GO 3.9 MILES TO T-INTERSECTION,
TURN LEFT AND GO 2.8 MILES TO END OF IMPROVED ROAD, ENTER
HOSPITAL CANYON AND FOLLOW ROAD 11.5 MILES UP HOSPITAL CREEK
TO FORK IN ROAD, AT THE WINEGAR BROTHERS RANCH HOUSE AND END
OF TRUCK TRAVEL, AND FOLLOW TRAIL NE ABOUT 2 MILES UP
MOUNTAIN TO STATION SITE. MARKED BY BRONZE DISK SET IN A
DRILL HOLE IN A BOULDER. REFERENCE MARKS ARE BRONZE DISKS
SET IN DRILL HOLES IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK. NO. 1 IS 9.04
METERS (29.7 FEET) FROM STATION.
NO. 2 IS IN HIGH POINTED ROCK OUTCROP AND 18.70
METERS (61.4 FEET) FROM STATION.
MOUNT OSO (U.S.G.S.), CAIRN (SEE DESCRIPTION THEREOF)
IS 4.8 METERS (16 FEET) FROM STATION.
AZIMUTH FROM STATION TO MOUNT HAMILTON,
OBSERVATORY CUPOLA, IS 51 DEG 36 MIN 44 SEC.