THOMPSON PEAK
Plumas County - Plumas National Forest - 28N-13E-30
April 4, 1931: "Work will be started shortly on a trail leading to the proposed lookout on Thompson Mountain." (Fresno Bee)
June 18, 1931: "A crew of men under Ranger A.B. Gould is constructing a lookout station atop Thompson Peak, on the east side of Plumas National Forest.
When completed, the station will be the fifteenth in the forest. Men are stationed at each lookout through the summer to watch for fires and summon help in extinguishing them." (Feather River Bulletin)
June 26, 1931: "A two-story building has been erected on the highest peak of Mt. Thompson as a fire lookout station. A road has been completed to the summit and a telephone line installed." (Nevada State Journal)
July 7, 1931: "The forest service is building a two story building on top of Mount Thompson, back of Janesville at a lookout station. The mountain is over 7000 feet high and the severe winds at that height are giving the carpenters much trouble in shingling the lookout.
The lookout station had to be anchored by big cables to hold it in place." (Reno Evening Gazette)
July 10, 1931: "The forest service is constructing a two-story building at the summit of Mount Thompson located back of Janesville in Honey Lake valley to be used as a lookout station for the region, visitors from the north said yesterday. The mountain has an elevation of more than 7000 feet, and on account of the heavy winds prevailing at the summit, it has been necessary to anchor the building in place with large cables.
Carpenters at work on the structure declare they are experiencing much difficulty in shingling the building because of the severity of the wind." (Nevada State Journal)
September 11, 1931: "Mr. Harry Foster of the lookout station on Mt. Thompson made a trip to Susanville Monday." (Lassen Advocate)
November 6, 1931: "Ranger Foster, lookout station tender at the summit of Mount Thompson, has moved down to Milford for the winter. He will engage in trapping in the adjacent mountain." (Nevada State Journal)
May 22, 1932: "Harry Foster to be lookout on Mt. Thompson this year." (Lassen Advocate)
June 26, 1932: "Ranger Beard was at Mt. Thompson the past week where there is a lookout station being erected." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
July 26, 1932: "F. Bell of Laufman Station spent the past week painting the Mt. Thompson lookout station." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
October 13, 1932: "The Thompson Peak station where Harry Foster was on duty, was struck by lightning and the tubes of his radio put out of commission." (Indian Valley Record)
August 4, 1933: "A sudden blaze shooting up from below the floorboards of a logging truck, ate its way over nearly six hundred acres of timber south of Thompson Peak as early efforts to check it Friday failed.
A defective wiring underneath the truck blazed forth without warning. The driver alone could not check the flames even with the aid of a passerby, so rapidly did the blaze spread. The lookout on Thompson peak reported the fire to headquarters, and two hundred men from the Crocker CCC camp in Plumas County, were ultimately called to fight the fast moving blaze.
On Saturday, the day after the fire started, the flames were once brought under control, but the high wind which held the fire in the tops of the trees, carried it over the narrow trail and necessitated all night work before being brought under control.
The fire was the largest that has hit this section of the country this season. Over half of the timber was government property, the rest being private holdings of the F.G.S." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
April 27, 1934: "Harry Foster spent several days at the Mt. Thompson lookout station while he was working on the grade going to the station." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
June 8, 1935: "Harry Foster moved up to the Mt Thompson Peak lookout station Wednesday where he will do some road work before going on duty as lookout man for fires. He was accompanied by Ranger Ben Beard who reports the road to the station still blocked by snow drifts of considerable depth." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
October 17, 1936: Mr. and Mrs. Chester Herchberger moved Monday to the lookout station on Mt Thompson, where they remained for this week while the regular lookout man, Keifer Pattan, went deer hunting." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
July 24, 1941: "Everett Brouillard, lookout on Thompson Peak, married Miss Eva Long of Milford, July 20." (Indian Valley Record)
October 21, 1945: "Recent rainfall was sufficient to relieve fire hazard conditions generally, it was declared yesterday by Carl A. Gustafson, supervisor of the Plumas National forest, who announced the termination this week of all but one each of the forest's 19 lookout stations and 16 man suppression crew stations.
Thompson Peak lookout and a small suppression crew at Laufman ranger station are still operating for the protection of the Honey Lake slope area which has had little more than a trace of rain. According to Ranger Ben Beard, who has charge of the eastside district, the Honey Lake and Long Valley slopes are extremely dry." (Nevada State Journal)
June 22, 1950: "Plumas National Forest lookout station atop Thompson Peak which overlooks Honey Lake valley was the scene of a wedding ceremony last Sunday when Miss Elizabeth Allen and Clifford Moore, both of Herlong, were married by the Rev. Thomas Moore of Herlong.
Arrangements for the wedding were made by Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Moore, parents of the bridegroom who are stationed as lookouts on Thompson Peak, and the ceremony was performed in the tower room with refreshments served afterward on the "catwalk" of the lookout. Thirty guests were present for thew occasion." (Reno Evening Gazette)
July 3, 1991: "U.S. Forest Service officials reported June 29 that the fire lookout tower at Thompson Peak had been vandalized. No estimation of the damage was available." (Feather River Bulletin)
2015: Between wind damage and vandalism, the lookout has been closed until repairs can be made. An alternate fire watch arrangement has been taken.
August 3, 2016: "The Thompson Peak lookout and access road in the northeastern Plumas National Forest will be temporarily closed from August 3 to September 30, 2016, due to construction activities. Fire watch coverage will not be affected by the closure." (YubaNet)
DESIGNATION - THOMPSON PEAK LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - LT0523
STATE/COUNTY- CA/PLUMAS
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - JANESVILLE (1994)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1948 (WRH)
TOWER IS LOCATED ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF THOMPSON PEAK. IT IS ABOUT
20 FEET SQUARE, 30 FEET HIGH, PAINTED WHITE, AND OF WOOD STRUCTURE.
STATION RECOVERY (1977)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1977 (CLN)
THE STATION RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
AIRLINE DISTANCE AND DIRECTION FROM NEAREST TOWN--3 MILES SW OF
JANESVILLE