ORANGE COUNTY
SANTIAGO PEAK
Cleveland National Forest
March 25, 1912: "A plan has been advanced for the better protection of the Santa Ana Mountains against fires. In short, the proposal is to establish a look-out on the top of Old Saddleback with a telephone line from that point to Forest Ranger Burt Stephenson's headquarters at El Toro, and to establish other lines, including one to San Juan Hot Springs, giving close communication with the national forest." (Santa Ana Register)
June 25, 1912: "Forest Supervisor Wheeler has appointed a capable man named Wood of Riverside as lookout on the mountain. There is a small cabin on the peak. A tent will be put up, and the place made as comfortable as possible. Wood is at work on the telephone line at present. As soon as his duties at the top of the mountain begin he will be joined by his wife." (Santa Ana Register)
July 24, 1912: "The telephone line from the top of Santiago Peak to Fire Warden Adkinson's house in the Trabuco has been completed and is working in excellent shape.
This partially establishes the forest fire alarm system for the Santa Ana mountains. As soon as an appropriation is made, the line will be completed to Forest Ranger Stephenson's house at El Toro, where connections may be made to either the Pacific telephone or the Home telephone. The line from the mountain to the forest ranger's station will be forest service property.
The line from the peak to Adkinson's house furnishes great protection. From the peak with field glasses, the lookout, Eugene Davis, can detect smoke on any part of the range. With the portion of the line so far completed, warning can be given to Adkinson and spread over the west side in a short time. When the line to El Toro is completed, the forest ranger can give warning to the Corona and Elsinore side by long distance telephone. The principal thing in the control of a fire is to get a body of fire-fighters at the edge of the blaze as quickly as possible, and beat out the fire before it gets under headway.
This week the forest ranger will move material to the peak for building a small lookout house, with windows on all sides." (Santa Ana Register)
October 1, 1912: "The national forest men expect soon to extend their telephone line from the top of Old Saddleback down the mountain on the east side to Temescal. This will give the forest service a line from El Toro to Temescal, reaching entirely across the Santa Ana mountains.
Today Fire Warden Andrew P. Joplin, who is the lookout on the big mountain, was in town on business, Forest Ranger Stephenson of El Toro taking his place while he is away. Joplin will return tomorrow or Thursday.
Lumber is now being carried to the mountain to build a lookout house. At present the lookout lives in a small shack built on the mountain years ago during a government geological survey. The telephone line is connected with Fire Warden Adkinson's house and Joplin's house above the Trabuco.
Joplin has been stationed on the top of Old Saddleback for the last month. As yet there have been no fires on this division of the national forest." (Santa Ana Register)
Today Fire Warden Andrew P. Joplin, who is the lookout on the big mountain, was in town on business, Forest Ranger Stephenson of El Toro taking his place while he is away. Joplin will return tomorrow or Thursday.
Lumber is now being carried to the mountain to build a lookout house. At present the lookout lives in a small shack built on the mountain years ago during a government geological survey. The telephone line is connected with Fire Warden Adkinson's house and Joplin's house above the Trabuco.
Joplin has been stationed on the top of Old Saddleback for the last month. As yet there have been no fires on this division of the national forest." (Santa Ana Register)
January 23, 1913: "Some interesting experiments were made yesterday from the lookout station on the top of Santiago Peak, one of the peaks of Old Saddleback, The experiments were for for the purpose of determining what kind of field glasses and telescopes are of the most service in detecting fires.
The experiments are being made by four officers of the forest service, Forest Supervisor H.N. Wheeler and Assistant Maxfield of San Diego, Mr. Hodge of the district forest office at San Francisco and Forest Ranger J.B. Stephenson of Santa Ana. Andrew Joplin, who was lookout man on the peak during the last fire season, is also on the mountain.
Arrangements were made for a number of fires to be set out in various parts of the reserve and at varying distances from the peak." (Santa Ana Register)
The experiments are being made by four officers of the forest service, Forest Supervisor H.N. Wheeler and Assistant Maxfield of San Diego, Mr. Hodge of the district forest office at San Francisco and Forest Ranger J.B. Stephenson of Santa Ana. Andrew Joplin, who was lookout man on the peak during the last fire season, is also on the mountain.
Arrangements were made for a number of fires to be set out in various parts of the reserve and at varying distances from the peak." (Santa Ana Register)
June 25, 1913: "Two forest rangers went to the top of Santiago Peak Monday and they found a few things that have started Uncle Sam's forest supervisor at San Diego on the trail. It seems that the federal authorities are very particular about having names written upon walls of government buildings, and Forest Supervisor Kinney is right certain that something will have to be done because names have been written upon the walls of the Lookout House on Santiago Peak, one of the peaks of Old Saddleback.
The two forest rangers, Stephenson of El Toro and Brown of Elsinore, went to the peak to get the telephone line in shape for the summer's work. On arriving they found that the government cabin had been broken into, and between $3 and $5 worth of supplies kept there for the convenience of forest officials, had been eaten or carried away. Dishes were missing, and those that remained were left dirty. The big water cans used to carry water and with the tops off. Whoever visited the place set the cans outside to make room to sleep, and left them with the tops screwed on. Along came a freeze and the cans were bursted. The door was left open and two burros that wandered up the trail boarded at the government's expense from a sack of flour and a half a sack of rolled barley. Part of the supplies belonged to Stephenson." (Santa Ana Register)
July 2, 1915: "Ranger Stephenson has appointed William Pesterfield of El Toro, who has been on the trail building crew, as lookout man on Santiago Peak. Pesterfield was on the peak a part of last season. Pesterfield will go on duty next Monday." (Santa Ana Register)
May 18, 1916: "Forest Ranger Stephenson has just completed a three weeks' job getting the government telephone line into order. This line reaches from his home at El Toro to the top of Santiago Peak, where there is a lookout station. From the top of the peak the line extends to the ranger station at Temescal. When the stormy season sets in the lookout is withdrawn from the peak. The storms of last winter did a good deal of damage to the telephone lines, especially to the line on the Temescal side. Stephenson has finished putting the lines in order for the summer's work.
Last year it was unnecessary to put a lookout for fires at the government station on top of Santiago Peak until July 1. Unless it rains it is expected to have a lookout on the job by the middle of June." (Santa Ana Register)
August 17, 1916: "Russell Adkinson, son of County Game Warden W.E. Adkinson, has set a new record for speed in climbing Santiago Peak. Adkinson made the journey from the foot of the hill at Joplin's place to the forest lookout station at the top in 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Adkinson, who was president of the senior class that graduated from the Santa Ana High School last June, is employed this summer as lookout on the top of the peak. If he sees smoke he telephones to the forest ranger.
He made a trip home Sunday, and Monday morning he started back to the top of the mountain. It took 21 minutes to get from his home to the foot of Joplin hill. It is six miles from there to the lookout station. The best previous record from Adkinson's house to the top of the peak was made a year ago by Ray Adkinson, well known Pomona College athlete, brother of Russell. Ray made it in 2 hours and 30 minutes from home. His 'kid' brother cut 13 minutes off that record." (Santa Ana Register)
September 18, 1916: "Santa Ana may be electrified one of these days by the announcement that a huge mountain lion has been slain in the hills east of the city. The lion, a whopper, is there, ready to meet his doom, if one may judge from reports of enormous tracks that have been seen in the vicinity of the look-out station atop Saddleback, where Russel Adkinson stays, as lookout. Keith Davis tramped to the top of the mountain Saturday. While there he was shown a track of a lion's paw measuring three and three-quarters inches." (Santa Ana Register)
August 9, 1918: "If any fires spring up from now on in the Trabuco District of the Cleveland National Forest, they will be spotted by a young woman on the top of Santiago Peak, stationed there as fire lookout for the Forest Service.
"Miss Winifred Hunter, the newly appointed Lookout, very recently returned from the Philippines where she has been a Government school teacher, and is again going into service of Uncle Sam, tho in an entirely different role and with a decided change in surroundings. By thus taking the lookout job, Miss Hunter incidentally releases one more man for the army, ship-builders, or other direct war work.
Santiago Peak is over a mile high and commands an immensely wide view over all the Santa Ana Mountains and surrounding plains and valleys below, making an excellent lookout point for fires which may start either outside or inside the boundaries of the Cleveland National Forest. A Government telephone line runs to the top of the peak which enables Miss Hunter, the lookout, to call up the District Forest Rangers either El Toro or Corona, on either side of the mountain range, in case of fires. She is also equipped with a heliograph by which she can flash messages to a patrolman who may be distant from a telephone.
Forest Supervisor Tillotson at his Escodido headquarters state that it has been more or less difficult to keep a man steadily on the lookout job on Santiago Peak, because of the solitude. There are few places from which one can become more lonely and 'abandoned' than on Santiago Peak. A man will make good at it usually for a few weeks, then he begins to hunt around for a different sort of job." (Corona Daily Independent)
"Miss Winifred Hunter, the newly appointed Lookout, very recently returned from the Philippines where she has been a Government school teacher, and is again going into service of Uncle Sam, tho in an entirely different role and with a decided change in surroundings. By thus taking the lookout job, Miss Hunter incidentally releases one more man for the army, ship-builders, or other direct war work.
Santiago Peak is over a mile high and commands an immensely wide view over all the Santa Ana Mountains and surrounding plains and valleys below, making an excellent lookout point for fires which may start either outside or inside the boundaries of the Cleveland National Forest. A Government telephone line runs to the top of the peak which enables Miss Hunter, the lookout, to call up the District Forest Rangers either El Toro or Corona, on either side of the mountain range, in case of fires. She is also equipped with a heliograph by which she can flash messages to a patrolman who may be distant from a telephone.
Forest Supervisor Tillotson at his Escodido headquarters state that it has been more or less difficult to keep a man steadily on the lookout job on Santiago Peak, because of the solitude. There are few places from which one can become more lonely and 'abandoned' than on Santiago Peak. A man will make good at it usually for a few weeks, then he begins to hunt around for a different sort of job." (Corona Daily Independent)
October 17, 1918: "If signing up for a bond at the very top of Orange County has anything to do with Orange county going over the top, then Orange county will go over.
Today on top of Santiago Peak, Miss Winifred Hunter, forest service lookout is going to sign up for another bond. When she was at the home of her brother two weeks ago she signed up for a bond. Yesterday she telephoned from the lookout station to Forest Ranger Stephenson at El Toro, and said that since the drive was so near the end and the total had not been raised she wanted to buy again. Such a thing as someone in Orange county wanting to buy is not to be thought of. John Osterman volunteered to take the long hard hike to the top of the peak to get that signature and check. He started on his mission of Liberty loan this morning." (Santa Ana Register)
1918: "Miss Winifred Hunter, a former government school teacher in the Philippines, was the newly appointed lookout stationed on the top of Santiago peak to watch out for forest fires. The appointment was made by Forest Ranger J.B. Stephenson of El Toro, and the new incumbant was stationed, with her gun and two dogs, in the lookout's cabin about 200 yards from the glass-enclosed observation house on top of the peak." (Santa Ana Register - August 9, 1932)
July 11, 1919: "Mr. Lange and two daughters from West Anaheim made the trip to Santiago Peak Lookout station, Tuesday. They were very tired when they reached the summit, but Mr. Lange said the view more than paid for the trip." (Santa Ana Register)
August 19, 1920: "Assistant Forest Supervisor J.B. Stephenson of El Toro, has placed Forest Ranger E.W. Searcy, formerly of Elsinore, in charge of the United States Forest lookout station on Santiago Peak. Searcy takes the place held by Ferd Prince of Orange since the middle of June.
Recently, Searcy has been in the forest supervisor's office in San Diego. Upon seeing smoke arising from any point within his view, the lookout reports immediately by the forest service telephone to forest offices at El Toro, Glen Ivy or some other point.
The lookout is maintained as a point for observation of fires. The lookout can see over a wide area of mountains, including all of the Santa Ana range and far south into San Diego county." (Santa Ana Register)
October 5, 1920: "State Fire Warden F.M. Baird is enjoying a brief period of relaxation today following a very strenuous six days' fire fighting experience beginning last Monday.
Early that day, the lookout on Santiago peak, above Glen Ivy resort, phoned Mr. Baird that a fire was starting in the hills two miles east of Alberhill. Hastily gathering as many fire fighters as he could, the Corona man proceeded to the locality and was in time to save two bee ranches. The fire got away at the lower end however, and swept a 3-mile strip of sage brush country down to the highway below Perris and Elsinore. It was caught there and one bee apiary and honey house were saved. Four stands of the former, having caught fire were carried out to burned over areas and allowed to go, efforts being centered on preventing a spread of the fire." (Corona Daily Independent)
June 16, 1922: "Donald Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Anderson is to be the forest service lookout on Santiago peak this summer, it was announced today.
Anderson is a student in forestry at the Oregon Agricultural college. He is to go to the lookout station next week, and will remain there throughout the summer." (Santa Ana Register)
July 18, 1922: "Three hikers spent the week-end on the top of Santiago peak with lookout Donald Anderson. The hikers were James Anderson, Homer Anderson and Steele Metzgar. They drove their car to the head of Holy Jim canyon and there picked up the trail, hoofing it to the top in three hours and twenty minutes. They say the trail is in fine condition and that the trip can be made from Santa Ana to the top in six hours easily." (Santa Ana Register)
November 5, 1926: Lookout R. W. Heistand on Santiago Peak reported at 1:30 this afternoon that the fire does not look so dangerous as it did for a time this morning. It was headed toward Trabuca but he did not believe it would reach there. It also burned for some distance toward Modjeska Peak.
Low humidity and high winds have spread the fire over a wide area but the fire fighters believe that tonight's fog may check the flames enough that they may be controlled by tomorrow." (Corona Courier)
November 8, 1926: "Raging fiercely about Modjeska peak for more than a week, the devastating fire in the mountains south of Corona is now burning fiercely near the Silverado mines in Orange county.
Prompt action following the big flare-up of Saturday night, when the sweeping flames enveloped Modjeska mountain within a few minutes time, has resulted in stemming sdvance4 of the fire into Riverside county.
Hardly more than 50 acres have been burned on this side of the line. Saturday evening Lookout Hiestand on Santiago Peak had packed all his belongings, hung his radio set in the well and was prepared to vacate his stand should the fire creep down into Coldwater canyon after crossing the ridge. Gaining headway in that canyon the fire would very probably have swept up Santiago peak and trapped the lone lookout." (Corona Daily Independent)
July 13, 1927: "A telephone line direct to the Santiago lookout from Corona. The lookout this season is again in charge of Ralph Heistand." (Corona Daily Independent)
August 2, 1927: "An appropriation of $500 was authorized by the county board of supervisors at their Monday meeting for aiding the federal forestry board in the construction of a telephone line from the lookout on Santiago peak to Corona, a distance of thirty-five miles through the hills.
The funds were given following the appearance of district ranger Stephenson of Corona before the board.
Stephenson stated that the government recently started construction on the line to displace a phone system which has been found both unsatisfactory and inadequate. The work, being done under a congressional appropriation of $100,000 for the Southern California district, will consist of a one-line grounded telephone system going directly into the central office at Corona." (Corona Daily Independent)
June 8, 1928: "Suffering from internal injuries, R.W. Hiestad, lookout on Santiago peak, gave up his duties there today in order to enter the Los Angeles United States Veterans' hospital.
Hiestad was injured several days ago while clearing away a pile of rocks, one of which was dislodged, hitting him in the abdomen. At the time, the lookout thought nothing of the pain thinking it the result of bruises only. Later, however, he found that he was bleeding internally.
Kenneth Munhall, of Corona, forest ranger of the Trabuco district, stated that he believed that a week in the hospital would put Hiestad in shape to take up his work again. He has been lookout at Santiago peak for the past three years.
During his absence, James Stephenson, son of J.B. Stephenson, forest ranger of the Descanso district, will be in charge of the lookout." (Santa Ana Register)
August 21, 1928: "The highest point in Orange county is to be hoisted 75 feet.
Just now the highest point is the topmost boulder on Santiago peak, officially listed on government maps as 5680 feet above the level of the Pacific.
Within a month, or thereabouts, the new high point in the county will be 5755 feet above the sea.
For the U.S. Forest Service is to erect a 75-foot steel tower on Santiago peak.
The tower is to be used by the forest lookout, who, during the dry months of each year, is stationed on the peak for the purpose of making immediate report upon rising smoke.
Fourteen of 15 years ago, forest rangers constructed a wooden lookout station on the peak. That station still stands, but its days of service are about over. A new tower is to take its place. The parts for the tower have been ordered from a windmill company that makes steel towers. They are to arrive at El Toro soon and will be taken by truck to the foot of the Joplin trail. From that point, the steel will be taken on muleback to the destination.
The purpose of building a high tower is that the lookout may get his eyes upon a considerable are not now discernible. Lifted 75 feet into the air, he will be able to watch a number of canyons now hidden by nearer ridges. The lookout will be able to give more definite information concerning fires that may break out in spots not now within his vision." (Santa Ana Register)
Just now the highest point is the topmost boulder on Santiago peak, officially listed on government maps as 5680 feet above the level of the Pacific.
Within a month, or thereabouts, the new high point in the county will be 5755 feet above the sea.
For the U.S. Forest Service is to erect a 75-foot steel tower on Santiago peak.
The tower is to be used by the forest lookout, who, during the dry months of each year, is stationed on the peak for the purpose of making immediate report upon rising smoke.
Fourteen of 15 years ago, forest rangers constructed a wooden lookout station on the peak. That station still stands, but its days of service are about over. A new tower is to take its place. The parts for the tower have been ordered from a windmill company that makes steel towers. They are to arrive at El Toro soon and will be taken by truck to the foot of the Joplin trail. From that point, the steel will be taken on muleback to the destination.
The purpose of building a high tower is that the lookout may get his eyes upon a considerable are not now discernible. Lifted 75 feet into the air, he will be able to watch a number of canyons now hidden by nearer ridges. The lookout will be able to give more definite information concerning fires that may break out in spots not now within his vision." (Santa Ana Register)
April 25, 1929: "Members of the federal road-building crew, who are running a road along the crest of the mountains south of Corona from the Corona Sky Line Drive to the Santiago lookout station, yesterday completed a gigantic task, when they got out a tractor from the ravine at the foot of a steep grade, brought it to Corona and loaded it aboard cars for shipment to the factory. This is the tractor, which a few weeks ago, overturned and in its topple down the mountain side, killed the driver, Wm. Johnson. The tractor was badly damaged. Several days was spent in getting the tractor back to the crest of the hill and on down the valley into Corona." (Corona Daily Independent)
September 8, 1929: "Mr. Baird has been kept busy the past few days. On Saturday. lightning started three fires in his district, all of which were dispatched with very little damage, thanks to the watchfulness of the Santiago Peak lookout and the ability of Mr. Baird to be on the job within a short time after getting the warning. Monday he put out three small blazes after the mountain top lookout had discovered and located the fires for him." (Corona Courier)
October 3, 1930: "The Cleveland may possibly eliminate the necessity for cross readings and concentrate its detection service in one 'super station' on top of the modern 75-foot tower on Santiago Peak, provided J.F.G. Cone can be induced to accept the position of 'super lookout.' This man confidently informed us at the spring guard meeting that merely giving the azimuth on a smoke didn't complete the job with him at all. He would give the location, and, if provided with a range finder, the area of the fire. The first attempt was the Agua Tibia Ranch fire, which he overshot about 11 miles and placed on the Nigger Nate grade. However, he reported to Corona soon afterwards, with considerable chagrin, that he had made an error in his calculations. Just to show that he could do it, recently he spotted the San Ysidro Mtn. fire (67 miles air line) within the section, and the Kitchen Creek fire (88 miles air line) within a mile. This is accomplished by a series of scientific deductions, and not through familiarity with the terrain. --Gwin, Cleveland" (California District News Letter)
December 1, 1942: "Fred Williams and Frank Justis, who for the past fire season months have been stationed at the Silverado Guard Station are now at the Santiago Peak lookout station as United States Forestry lookouts." (Santa Ana Register)
