CEDRO PEAK
New Mexico - Cibola National Forest
January 13, 1913: "As soon as weather conditions permit work will begin in the Manzano national forest east of this city of completing a telephone system which will efficiently covers the forest from Placitas to Mountainair, including the Sandia and Manzaon mountain ranges from end to end. A line at present connects the end of the Mountain States line at Tijera with San Antonito and most of the way has been cleared for the installation of a line from San Antonito to Madera and over the divide to the Ellis ranch. A short line will also be built to a lookout station at the top of Cedro Peak. Last year a telephone was installed at the lofty Rea ranch lookout station on the Bosque Peak, and connection extends now from clear to Mountainair at the south end of the range." (The Evening Herald)
May 20, 1929: "The Department of Commerce was recently issued a Special Use permit to construct a 40 feet steel tower on which is to be placed a beacon light. Incidentally, we are to be given the privilege of using this tower for our lookout. A power plant is to be installed to supply the beacon with juice. (Manzano Ranger) - D. 3."
(Service Bulletin - VOL. XIII No. 20)
June 4, 1933: "A government airways beacon tower on the contenental divide, at Oso Ridge, N. M., is being made to serve as a fire lookout station at a substantial saving to the Forest Service, Supervisor John Adams of the Cibola forest said Saturday.
A cabin for the lookout men is to be built soon, and bids for its construction will be opened by the Cibola office June 8." (Albuquerque Journal)
April 23, 1935: "A new fire lookout tower, rearing it's steel frame more than 45 feet above the summit of Cedro Peak in the Sandia mountains, and a new automobile road leading to it are rapidly nearing completion, according to Cibola National Forest officials.
Visibility will be greatly increased by replacing the antiquated 30 foot pole tower of years past, and within 30 days another important link will be welded into the chain of fire prevention agencies of the Forest Service.
CCC boys from Camp Manzano, under Forest Service supervision are pushing construction in preparation for the fire season of approximately May 15 to July 15.
Cedro Peak, rising above Cedro Canyon, was accessible only by trail in former days. Connection between Tijeras Ranger Station and the peak will be made from the Cedro Canyon highway, by way of Sabino Canyon road, going by the Riedling Fox Farm. The road will be about eight miles long. Construction of the last two miles, from the Fox farm to the peak, is expected to be completed within a month.
Modern in every respect, the tower will be fully enclosed and have inside steel steps instead of the old outside ladder. Electric lights for the lookout's quarters will be made possible by a connection with the power line which supplies the airway beacon located alongside. But water will still have to be packed in.
During the past few years, no large fires have hit the Sandias. Numerous forest trails, graded roads, co-operation between ranchers and rangers, and eternal vigilance during the six to ten weeks of the fire season have been responsible in most part for stemming the ravaging tide of fire." (Albuquerque Journal)
June 28, 1935: "The motorcade will visit the gigantic steel lookout tower on Cedro Peak. Modern in every respect, the towering steel frame rises high above the top knoll, side by side with the aeroplane beacon. Visitors from the enclosed crow's nest will b e able to see many miles of the sweeping plains of New Mexico. Fires, not only in the Sandia country, but also on Mount Taylor and north to Santa Fe, can be seen on clear days." (Albuquerque Journal)
August 17, 1935: "CCC workers are building a new lookout cabin at Cedro Peak in the Sandia mountains, according to O. F. Arthur, Cibola supervisor. (Albuquerque Journal)
December 24, 1936: "Cooperating with the Department of Commerce, the Forest Service now undertakes to be 'watchman' for the airplane beacon light atop Cedro Peak, it was announced Wednesday by O. Fred Arthur, superintendent of the Cibola Forest.
The revolving beacon is not attached to the fire lookout tower and the duplex power plant that serves the light automatically has been moved from a point near the foot of the peak to the top." (Albuquerque Journal)
June 9, 1938: "Reports have been received in the Cibola Forest office that seven small fires have been caused by lightning during a three day period and that the fire lookout station at Cedro recently had been struck twice.
Fire Lookout Van Epps received a severe shock when lightning hit the lookout tower, but escaped serious injury because the building is insulated, O. Fred Arthur, supervisor of the Cibola , said.
The fire lookouts are insulated by copper wires run around the top and the base of the building and are connected with a metal rod erected on the roof. Lightning hitting the building is carried off by ground wires." (Albuqueque Journal)
July 6, 1945: "Assistant forest fire lookout on Cedro Peak this year is 'Bing,' a ninemonth old scottie dog.
The tiny dog has learned to climb the zig zag stairs to the crow's nest 50 feet above the ground. And there he keeps a sharp lookout over the portion of the Cibola National Forest around the peak.
Chief lookout man on Cedro Peak, the owner of 'Bing,' is Ray Houswley Jr., a 17-year old Albuquerque High School senior and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Housley.
Housley and Bing take their first look from the tower not later than 7 a.m. and a funal look just before dark. Between these hours, the two spend smost of their time in the crow's nest watching for smoke that may break anywhere within the circle of their vision. From the top of the 50 foot tower, the lookouts watch for forest fires on most of the 116,500 acre Sandia Ranger district and also south into the Manzanos, west to Mount Taylor and north into part of the Jemez country on the Santa Fe National Forest." (The Albuquerque Tribune)
May 15, 1946: "Fire guards entered on duty at the Cedro Peak lookout Tuesday, marking the official opening of fire season with full-time fire crews in the Cibola National Forest, Ellis Wiltbank, supervisor, said." (Albuquerque Journal)