TURNER MOUNTAIN
Tehama - Lassen National Forest
December 6, 1913: "During the summer just closed three lookout houses were constructed on the Lassen National Forest. These houses are each ten feet square with windows all the way around. One is on the summit of Turner or Bald Mountain and overlooks the southwestern portion of the forest.
These houses were first cut out according to plan, put to gether, then taken down and bundled up, each piece and bundle being marked. They were then hauled as near the desired location as possible. The first two houses were carried to the top of the peaks by pack train.
Each lookout house is equipped with a stove, a bed which folds against the wall, a folding table and a telephone which connects either with the supervisor's headquarters at Mineral or with the district ranger's." (Chico Record)
These houses were first cut out according to plan, put to gether, then taken down and bundled up, each piece and bundle being marked. They were then hauled as near the desired location as possible. The first two houses were carried to the top of the peaks by pack train.
Each lookout house is equipped with a stove, a bed which folds against the wall, a folding table and a telephone which connects either with the supervisor's headquarters at Mineral or with the district ranger's." (Chico Record)
September 30, 1914: "Lassen peak, the volcano whose activities have been growing more pronounced daily, started spouting fire and superheated rock tonight.
Seventeen 'balls of fire' were counted by a forest service lookout on Turner mountain, with an accompanying appearance as of burning gases.
Previous reports of flames have not been well substantiated." (Sacrament Union)
September 30, 1914: "Lassen Peak, the Northern California volcano, more active than usual of late, started spouting fire and superheated rock tonight, according to a lookout of the Forest Service on Turner Mountain." (New York Times)
September 26, 1915: "J.M. Stark, who has been lookout on Turner Mt. has returned to Corning where he has started to teach school again. A.E. McDonnell has taken Stark's place on Turner Mt. Mr. McDonnell is an old friend of Supervisor Rushings' having served a season as fire guard on the Kern Forest when Mr. Rushing was in charge there." (Red Bluff Daily News)
October 26, 1915: "Supervisor Rushing is installing a water tank on Turner Mt. for the use of the lookout. The tank will be filled with water from melting snow in the spring and can be kept full for some time during the season. As water is one of the principle problem in connection with the lookout system, this experiment is watched with interest. If it is a success, a similar water system will be established at other lookout stations both on the Lassen National Forest and on other forests." (Red Bluff Daily News)
December 28, 1915: "J.M. Stark, lookout on Turner mountain the summer season, and school teacher at Corning through the winter, is spending the Christmas holidays in Red Bluff." (Red Bluff Daily News)
March 21, 1930: "The Turner Mtn. lookout on the Lassen Forest was one of the first established in District 5. Usually on most lookout peaks water is the greatest problem, although in some cases this might be mere apparent than real, as it was in this one.
After struggling along for years with a 1,000-gallon tank that had to be filled with snow water every spring, we found that the tank itself actually covered an excellent little spring of water which affords an ample supply for the lookout's need. Our good fortune in discovering the spring came about through the misfortune of having the old tank crushed flat by heavy snow.
The mountain on which the lookout is situated is the highest in that vicinity and has a more or less flat top with an area of about three acres. The formation is lava with a layer of about 40 foot of hard rock on top of a softer ash-like material. It is not in any sense just a lava-capped mountain because the entire country around is of a lava formation.
For convenience in filling, the old tank was placed on the north side of the mountain at the base of the hard rock layer. In the summer of 1922 when we found the old tank had been flattened out, we started to make repairs. It was a considerable job to pack up a new tank so we had a tinsmith come and make two small tanks out of the wreckage. In order to avoid a repetition of the disaster we decided to put the new tanks under the hard rock a short distance so that they would not be affected by the weight of snow.
When we started digging in this softer material we found it to be very wet, but in a firm condition. Our first thought was to try to get a temporary supply of water, but we could not find just where it was coming from and in a short time after being exposed to the air the surface would become dry. On picking off another it would again become wet with water oozing out all over. In order to reach the source of supply we gouged back a little tunnel with a bar about three feet in length and ten inches in diameter. We did not find any greater quantity of water, but by damming up the opening we were able to obtain a sufficient supply. We later put a short piece of pipe in the hole and closing the opening completely we were able to get a supply of 20 gallons a day. It has stood the acid test of six dry years so wee feel confident of a perpetual supply.
One of the peculiar features about the spring is that there is no apparent seasonal variation, although it is affected by the relative humidity of the day. -- Williams, Lassen." (California District News Letter)
July 3, 1937: "Oscar Edwall, lookout man on Turner Mountain, picked up the smoke at 1:14 a.m. The Mineral suppression crew was called and got away in one minute. The fire was in a very dangerous place, and had it not been for the quick action of Henry Foster and the men with him, this would have proven a very dangerous fire." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)
August 10, 1937: "The lookout tower on Turner Mountain, on the Mineral District of the Lassen, has been thoroughly remodeled and painted during the past week, according to Ranger Brokenshire. The work was done by O.E. Edwall, lookout on Turner Mountain, and Lide Barber, ERA foreman. The tower is 65 feet high and has been thoroughly covered with aluminum paint from top to bottom. The old windows have been replaced by modern ones, insuring better visibility." (Lassen Advocate - Susanville)