ARIZONA LOOKOUTS
MINGUS MOUNTAIN
Yavapai County
Prescott National Forest
Prescott National Forest
1911: Mingus Mountain was first used as a daily patrol lookout.
April 27, 1921: "After about a week spent on the Prescott forest, J.C. Kircher, fire prevention specialist from the Albuquerque office, has approved the plans of Supervisor H.B. Wales for the construction of four lookout towers in the Prescott district. During their inspection trip Kircher and Wales went to the tops of Mount Union, Spruce mountain, Mingus mountain and Table mountain in the Crown King district and have planned that the towers be erected at these points." (Arizona Daily Star)
June 18, 1921: "Timbers have been cut for the Mingus Mountain fire lookout tower of the forest service which will be built immediately. It will be 44 feet high." (Prescott Evening Courier)
June 9, 1923: "It will be interesting to note that 10 minutes after the sounding of the siren, the fire guard at the Mingus Mountain lookout, reported the smoke to H. Basil Wales, supervisor of the Prescott national forest office, and said a fire was burning in South Prescott. The Mingus Mountain lookout is 22 miles from Prescott, across country.
The guard rode a mule half a mile to a telephone and put in a long distance call through Jerome, and his report reached town only 10 minutes after the discovery of the fire here." (Prescott Evening Courier)
February 1, 1924: "Fire protection in the Prescott National Forest will receive the added protection of three new towers for lookout stations which will be in service when the fire season opens next summer, according to the supervisor of the forest.
One lookout tower on Mingus mountain near the recreational area established on the summit last fall, is under construction." (Phoenix Arizona Republican)
May 20, 1927: "V.J. Hopkins, formerly a mechanic in the Floyd Williams Motor company, arrived in Prescott yesterday morning from San Diego, Calif., to take over the duties of lookout in the tower atop Mingus mountain. Constant lookout, every day and Sunday, too, is maintained during the summer season at this tower because it is during this season that fires usually start. Hopkins had in an application for the position before he left Prescott several months ago." (Prescott Evening Courier)
July 13, 1932: "Forest Lookout William Anderson on Mingus mountain had an experience with lightning a few days ago he swears he never will have to go through again.
The incident was related today by Assistant Supervisor Llew J. Putsch of the Prescott national forest, who returned yesterday afternoon from a trip over at the Jaeger Canyon ranger station on Mingus.
Anderson's lookout tower is about forty feet above the ground. The lookouts have instructions, when they see the approach of an electrical storm, to evacuate their tower and take refuge elsewhere.
Well, the day Anderson had his big experience he saw just such a storm approaching and forthwith deserted his tower and skeedadled for his lookout cabin, only a short distance away. The lookout cabins, by the way, are a network of what might be called lightning rods in order to divert the electricity should it pick out the cabin or a place nearby to strike.
Anderson told the assistant supervisor the approaching electric storm was not long in arriving and when it did get in his neighborhood it was in an awful reckless mood. Thunderbolts were cracking around everywhere and while it was happening, over a period of fifteen or twenty minutes, there stood Anderson in the middle of his cabin, as far away from the four walls as he could get. And good reason, too, because he said all about him the lightning was flashing down those wire conduits, just as though he were going to be put on the spot and all this preliminary performance was just to give him time to say his prayers. However, Anderson was let off that time but of course he had a few grey hairs for the experience, especially when not more than a hundred yards away from his cabin he discovered a large pine tree had been struck by a bolt and knocked into smithereens.
Some people figure a lookout's job is a snap, but how about it now?" (Prescott Evening Courier)
February 10, 1944: "TWENTY YEARS AGO" "Three new lookout stations will be in service when fire season opens next summer, according to the supervisor of the Prescott national forest. One on Mingus mountain, near the recreational area established on the summit last fall, is under construction a cabin and tower being built. Towers on Mt. Union and Tower mountain have been completed but the apparatus for triangulation work in locating smoke and equipment for fighting flames have not been installed." (Prescott Evening Courier)
June 21, 1956: "A forest fire roared over the Mingus Mountain in the Prescott National Forest, 20 miles east of here (Prescott), today, barely missing a number of summer camp buildings and a forest service lookout post.
The flames, fanned along bu southwest winds that at times reached 35 miles an hour, marched to within 300 yards of a forest lookout station and half a mile to a Methodist Church camp, a Forest Service recreation area and several summer lodges. The Forest Service said one barn was burned, but all other buildings were safe unless the winds change unexpectedly." (Albuquerque Tribune)
June 22, 1956: "Firefighters Friday had most of the Mingus Mountain forest fire contained by firelines and were working on a few hard-to-reach open spots.
Ranger Oscar McClure, spokesman for the Forest Service here, said that while the fire has not yet been listed as under control, the situation is steadily improving and 'most of the line is being cleared up.'
He said the few upon places left were in rough country difficult to reach.
The fire has covered 13,500 acres, about one-fifth of it timber. It burned over the top of the 7,700 foot mountain peak.
The fire broke out Tuesday when a range experiment being conducted by the University of Arizona just outside Prescott National Forest got out of hand. The flames raced up the brush covered mountainside into the timber.
The fire at one time threatened a lookout station and a number of summer camps but the danger is now reported ended although a high wind could cause further trouble.
About 600 firefighters, most of them trained Indian crews, are working on the fire." (Arizona Daily Sun)
1988: National Register of Historical Places "Mingus Lookout Complex (added 1988 - - #87002490)