SONOMA COUNTY
MOUNT ST. HELENA
California Department of Forestry
May 10, 1934: "A second new lookout station is planned for the top of Mount St. Helena. This will be a tri-county station, with Sonoma, Lake and Napa counties participating in construction and maintenance." (Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar)
June 22, 1935: "When Fred Cairns picked up a county paper Friday, he read that he is to be master of ceremonies at the dedication of the new fire lookout to be opened Sunday, July 21, on Mt. St. Helena.
He says it must be so, but he has not been informed that he has the job. Cairns, secretary of the Healdsburg chamber of commerce, is also chairman of the publicity committee of the State chamber of commerce, and yet he didn't get in on the publicity story carrying this information.
But he will undoubtedly officiate when the new lookout station is opened. The new fire detection depot will command a view of most of the area between the Sierra and the Pacific, and from San Francisco bay to the Siskiyous." (Healdsburg Tribune)
July 3, 1935: "State and federal forestry officers, officials of the department of natural resources, county officials of the three counties and the Native Sons will unite Sunday July 21, in formally dedicating the newly completed tri-county fire lookout station on the top of Mt. St. Helena." (Petaluma Argus-Currier)
July 24, 1935: "Appointment of Hjalmer Lundell of St. Helena as fire lookout in the large new tri-county station atop Mt. St. Helena was announced this week by the state division of Forestry. Lundell, a former radio operator, assisted in the demonstration of the new two way radio system recently installed in the St. Helena, Mt. Jackson lookouts and Santa Rosa office of the forestry department." (Petaluma Argus-Courier)
July 25, 1935: "The new fire lookout station on top of the highest peak of Mt. St. Helena, on the Napa-Lake county line was dedicated Sunday at noon when a crowd of 250 to 300 people gathered at the site and listened to a colorful program, capped with a flag raising ceremony at its close." (Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar)
September 10, 1935: "Napa County residents who, in the past, have experienced regret over the fact that although their county is part of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, they have small opportunity to see the monumental span across the Golden Gate under construction, may now realize their desire without leaving their county confines.
Recently a new road was constructed to the summit of Mt. St. Helena and today William Felt Jr., secretary of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, received a communication from Henry Lundell, fire-lookout, of the State Forestry Service, stationed on top of the mountain, informing him that on clear days the bridge towers and cat walk cables are clearly visible from the mountain peak lookout station." (Oakland Tribune)
September 11, 1935: "Recently a new road was constructed to the summit of Mt. St. Helena and last week William W. Felt, Jr., secretary of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, received a communication from Henry Lundell, fire look of the State Forestry Service, stationed on top of the mountain, informing him that on clear days the bridge towers and catwalk cables are clearly visible from the mountain peak lookout station.
This being true, observers from Mt. St. Helena have seen little progress during the past week, for according to the progress report of Chief Engineer Joseph B. Strauss, on file for the board of director of the bridge district, the cable work has been chiefly on the ground." (Ukiah Republican Press)
April 30, 1942: "Mount St. Helena has become an integral part of the Sonoma county police radio system and workmen under direction of John Maybee, county radio technician, have completed installation of the repeater station on the mountain top.
The station, located in the division of forestry lookout station, will serve to bounce messages from near the county fairgrounds in Santa Rosa to all parts of the county." (Cloverdale Reveille)
September 25, 1946: "An 85-mile-an-hour wind was reported at the lookout on top of Mount St. Helena. An aerial was blown down and the weather station damaged." (Ukiah Republican Press)
1992: After a statewide analysis of lookouts, based on the resources protected, visibility, performance and the presence of people and development. The decision was to cut the funding for Mt. St. Helena.