SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
RED HILL (manker)
San Bernardino National Forest
January 27, 1937: "Approval of plans for construction of the San Bernardino forest's new lookout station at Red Hill were received yesterday from the regional office in San Francisco. Work is scheduled to start immediately.
Designed by Warren Divoll, superintendent of Mill Creek camp, the plans call for an expenditure of $4,000.
Adjacent to the Red Hill Country club and near Upland, the station will serve as a lookout for the Cucamonga and San Sevaine areas as well as the front line country from the Angelus forest to Lytle creek.
The station, entirely original in design, will unlike any other in forest service use, W.S. Brown, executive assistant said. Situated in a highly restricted building area, it is designed to harmonize with the surroundings.
The structure will have exterior of California stucco, a combination plaster and wood frame interior, 22 feet square and red tile roof. The highest point will be 30 feet above the ground.
The first floor will consist of a garage and storage room, with living quarters on the second. The lookout itself will constitute the third story. Built of plate glass in an octagon pattern, each side will be five feet in width, the sections fitted together in such a way that unobstructed views may be obtained in any direction.
The station will be far the most expensive ever erected in the district. Mr. Divoll said, average costs of such structures usually running about $1800." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
Designed by Warren Divoll, superintendent of Mill Creek camp, the plans call for an expenditure of $4,000.
Adjacent to the Red Hill Country club and near Upland, the station will serve as a lookout for the Cucamonga and San Sevaine areas as well as the front line country from the Angelus forest to Lytle creek.
The station, entirely original in design, will unlike any other in forest service use, W.S. Brown, executive assistant said. Situated in a highly restricted building area, it is designed to harmonize with the surroundings.
The structure will have exterior of California stucco, a combination plaster and wood frame interior, 22 feet square and red tile roof. The highest point will be 30 feet above the ground.
The first floor will consist of a garage and storage room, with living quarters on the second. The lookout itself will constitute the third story. Built of plate glass in an octagon pattern, each side will be five feet in width, the sections fitted together in such a way that unobstructed views may be obtained in any direction.
The station will be far the most expensive ever erected in the district. Mr. Divoll said, average costs of such structures usually running about $1800." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
May 9, 1937: "An appearance entirely at odds with the average person's conception of a forest lookout will be presented upon completion of the station at Red Hill, now under construction by San Bernardino national forest, according to Supervisor William V. Jones.
Designed to conform structurally with the surroundings of a restricted building area, the lookout is located almost midway between Upland and Cucamonga and occupies the only spot in the district suitable to its purpose.
To the layman its appearance may suggest a cross between a lighthouse and a Moorish castle. Even a veteran ranger might easily fail to recognize it as a lookout.
With stucco finish and sunken windows of true Moorish type, the building is three stories high. The ground floor houses the garage and service facilities.
The second floor contains kitchen, bathroom and living quarters, while the glass-domed lookout observatory constitutes the top floor.
Combining utility with attractive outward appearance, the structure probably is not duplicated in unique design by another forest lookout in the country, Supervisor Jones said.
Every inch of space is utilized and so arranged that visitors will not come in contact with domestic arraingments of the guard occupying the station.
Plans for the building were developed by Warren A. Divoll, in charge of the forest's building construction, and regional office architects. It is expected to be in operation by the opening of the fire season on June 1." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
July 17, 1937: "The public is invited to attend an all-day open house today which will be held to dedicate the San Bernardino national forest's new Red Hill lookout, northeast of Upland.
Considered one of the most unusual structures of its type in the country, the lookout was constructed to conform with regulations of the restricted building area in which it is located.
Although in appearance radically different from from the ordinary lookout, the station at Red Hill was designed to provide maximum fire detection service surrounding frontline country.
Forest officials will be present to show visitors through the structure between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Supervisor William V. Jones announced." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
September 23, 1939: "To perpetuate the memory of Fletcher H. Manker, widely known West End pioneer, who died Sept. 5 at his home, 603 Second avenue, Upland, the Red Hill lookout station of the United States forest service will be known in future as Manker lookout, if a campaign just inaugurated bears fruit.
In a letter to the Ontario chamber of commerce today, A.C. Reynolds, manager of the San Antonio Water Co., outlines plans for the memorial and recommends that the chamber's endorsement of the plan be forwarded to William V. Jones, supervisor of the San Bernardino national forest.
Reynolds points out that during 25 years of Mr. Manker's half century residence in the West End, he was actively affiliated with the forest service and was largely instrumental in establishing the lookout at Red Hill." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
October 6, 1939: "Assurance that Red Hill Lookout station will be known in the future as Manker Lookout was given in a communication received today y Sam Maxey, secretary of the Ontario chamber of commerce from William V. Jones, supervisor of the San Bernardino National Forest." (The San Bernardino County Sun)
November 8, 1939: "The Red Hill lookout, a U.S. forest service fire detection point east of Upland, has been renamed Manker Lookout in honor of the late Fletcher Manker, of Upland, who for the past 25 years has been very active in watershed conservation work in the San Bernardino mountains, according to Supervisor William V. Jones.
In a letter received by Mr. Jones from San Francisco, S.B. Snow, regional forester, said, "I feel the renaming of the Red Hill lookout in his honor is hardly commensurate with his accomplishments over a period of 25 years and is therefore a rather small and inadequate tribute." " (The San Bernardino County Sun)