SIGNAL PEAK (DEVILS PEAK)
Mariposa County - Sierra National Forest
September 7, 1913: "Signal Peak, on the north of the reserve, overlooks the Yosemite and all the northern forests." (The Fresno Morning Republican)
September 8, 1922: "On July 29th, a party of State Foresters, fifteen in party, from several Eastern States, visited the Signal Peak Lookout, and from the questions asked they were greatly interested in the work. In the party was a French lady whose father is a forester in France. She seemed very much interested in the work and asked many questions regarding the methods of handling fires in our forests, all of which were answered in an able manner by District Ranger, Mal McCleod, who met the party there.-- Signal Peak Lookout --" (California District News Letter)
June 2, 1939: "Henry McNally, lookout on Signal Peak, has a newly acquired pet. A tired carrier pigeon recently paid Henry a visit and it looks as though the bird intends to be a permanent fixture at the lookout.
At first the bird would not eat the food offered to him but took on plenty of water. Henry will not take the pigeon to bed with him so the bird flies down into the canyon where it is warmer at night and comes back to the lookout tower in the morning.
After inquiry, Sam Munhill was told that this bird was one of four hundred that had been released at Oakgate, Oregon. The birds had gone through one storm in the Siskiyous and another here in the Sierra which had tired them out. -Roseberry - Sierra" (California Ranger)
August 10, 1968: "Mrs. Inez Robie, a U.S. Forest Service lookout stationed at the Signal Park Lookout northeast of here is living up to the oft-stated contention that lookout people are very light sleepers.
She awoke about 3 o'clock this morning after hearing a slight rumble in the sky and reported a lightning-set fire that Forest Service officials said could have been a major blaze had it not been spotted quickly.
The fire, set by a single lightning bolt, was contained at 7:30 a.m. today on Snyder Ridge about 10 miles northeast of Mariposa. It destroyed about two acres of timber and brush in rough terrain.
Mrs. Robie reported the fire at 3:16 a.m., fireman reached the scene at 4:30 and contained the blaze three hours later. A fire crew from the Mt. Bullion Conservation Camp and 11 men from the U.S. Forest Service in Mariposa fought the fire.
A Forest Service spokesman in Fresno said the timing of the lightning strike and rough terrain could have resulted in a much more serious fire had it had time to get established.
Mrs. Robie, who has been a lookout for 10 years, has her home in Portola, where her husband is a minister." (Fresno Bee)