SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
MOUNT SAN ANTONIO
(OLD BALDY) (FUEGO VISTA)
Angeles National Forest
T2N-R7W-6
T2N-R7W-6
June 18, 1915: "Commanding a view of practically the entire San Gabriel range of mountains, a lookout station has been established on a peak near Mt. San Antonio by the government forestry service.
E.E. Cook will be assigned to the post and his sole duty will be to locate forest fires that may be discernible from his vantage point. Equipped with powerful field glasses he will have a sweep of territory covering sixty miles of mountains and canyon." (Van Nuys News and Van Nuys Call)
E.E. Cook will be assigned to the post and his sole duty will be to locate forest fires that may be discernible from his vantage point. Equipped with powerful field glasses he will have a sweep of territory covering sixty miles of mountains and canyon." (Van Nuys News and Van Nuys Call)
November 1916: "Reporting fires from lookout stations by shots has been frequently discussed as a possible method of communication, but until this summer I know of no actual tests having been made. The forest ranger on the division overlooked by the Fuego Vista Lookout Station on the Angeles National Forest, had trail work to do with a crew of men and was in consequence out of telephone communication. Arrangements were made whereby the lookout, on discovering a fire on which the ranger might be needed, was to discharge three sticks of dynamite, and the ranger was to 'beat it' for the nearest phone. Two shots meant the fire was on the ranger's division. This system of communication was used on three occasions, and the shots were easily heard at an air line distance of three miles." (The Timberman, Volume 18)
January 26, 1918: "Bringing with him a tale of wind which literally blew him from his high mountain nest and carried with it all his venerable books and papers, including receipts for his Liberty bonds, E.E. Cook, who spends eight months of each year at the United States government fire lookout station of the southern slopes of Old Baldy, returned to the valley Thursday for his winter vacation.
Mr. Cook declares that the most severe wind of his experience struck his high tower, blowing in its glass and literally sweeping the room of its contents. Fearing that the tower itself would go, Mr. Cook seized a pair of blankets as they were being swept away in the gale and, seeking the scant protection of some scrub pines near by, was obliged to spend the entire night thus on the mountain side while the wind howled at 80 miles an hour.
It was 10 o'clock the following morning before Mr. Cook was able to return to what was left of the tower.
When he left the lookout to come down, Mr. Cook says that there was nearly four inches of snow on the ground." (The Arcadia Tribune)
May 29, 1918: "Only .13 of an inch of rain fell at Ontario, but in Upland there was snow and sleet, and Ranger Cook, fire outlook at the Mt. Baldy station, said the worst blizzard in years was raging there." (San Bernardino County Sun)
October 8, 1927: "Old Baldy lookout one of the first established by the federal forest service in southern California, is to be abandoned in favor of a new 20-foot steel tower station on Sunset peak, forestry officials have announced.
The new tower will enable the ranger on duty to observe all canyons up to Mt. San Antonio as well as living a through command of the foothill and valley regions. The old station, located on what is known as Baldy Lookout peak, is to be dismantled." (Madera Tribune)