MCCLELLAN PEAK
.
February 14, 1931: "Recommendations for establishing at once a fire lookout station on Mount McClellan in the Virginia range a few miles south of Virginia City will be made by H.I. Snider, district ranger, to the United States forest service, he said today, following a survey of the district. The station, if established, will be maintained by forest service funds.
The peak is 7600 feet high and commands a view for fifty miles to the south in Carson Valley and to the Pinenut range and also commands a view of the east slope of the mountains bordering on the west side of Lake Tahoe. A private telephone line belonging to the Virginia & Gold Hill Water Company is within half mile of the proposed lookout station and an old road is within two hundred yards of the summit. At the present time there is no lookout station that commands a view of the east side of the mountains west of Reno and Carson Valley." (Reno Evening Gazette)
The peak is 7600 feet high and commands a view for fifty miles to the south in Carson Valley and to the Pinenut range and also commands a view of the east slope of the mountains bordering on the west side of Lake Tahoe. A private telephone line belonging to the Virginia & Gold Hill Water Company is within half mile of the proposed lookout station and an old road is within two hundred yards of the summit. At the present time there is no lookout station that commands a view of the east side of the mountains west of Reno and Carson Valley." (Reno Evening Gazette)
October 23, 1932: "The forest fire lookout station located at the summit of McClellan Peak in the Virginia range, on the east side of Washoe Valley, under construction the past summer by the United States forest service, is now nearing completion, according to H.I. Snider, district ranger, who was a visitor here yesterday from Truckee.
Snider made a trip of inspection to the new station, which will be entirely fitted up and equipped this fall and be manned for service next year.
A road was built to the site by Washoe county early in the summer from a point near the Five-Mile reservoir of the Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company, over which lumber and material was taken to the peak. The station also will be connected by telephone.
Funds for building of the station were provided by the forest service to the extent of $800 and the balance of approximately $400 was supplied under the Clarke-McNary act.
The operation of the lookout station will be the first in the western Nevada area bordering the Sierra." (Nevada State Journal)
November 26, 1932: "The McClellan Peak look-out station, in the Virginia range, has been finished. Part of the money for this work was obtained from the forest service, and some from the government under the Clark-McNary act." (Reno Gazette-Journal)
August 11, 1933: "A fire sighted on the ridge at the head of Jack's Valley by George Merkle, lookout at McClellan mountain, west of Washoe Valley, after the thunderstorm Monday, was extinguished Wednesday without serious damage to the area.
Lightning struck three trees on the ridge and was noted as soon as the storm clouds cleared. Word was phoned to W.T. Daniel, fire warden at Glenbrook, who with an aide, traveled several miles on foot over a rough country and reached the blaze in time to hold it within an acre of territory.
A crew of 16 men followed from the c.c.c. camp and armed with pack pumps and other equipment entirely extinguished the embers. Water was secured from a nearby creek." (Nevada State Journal)
July 27, 1935: "The allotment is an increase of about $400 over last year. One project being considered is the construction of a telephone line from the look-out station on McClellan peak, west of Washoe valley, direct to the transient relief camp in the Galena Creek section. This will enable quick notification of the camp of any fires in the area as soon as spotted by the lookout. Part of the allotment may be used for purchase of necessary equipment, and it is proposed to have the labor done by the transient camp workers." (Nevada State Journal)
October 3, 1936: "A fire located on the old King's canyon road near the Carson City reservoir, was placed under control yesterday afternoon after burning over six acres of timber.
The fire was located by the McClellan Peak lookout." (Nevada State Journal)
August 3, 1951: "Eighteen air miles from downtown Reno, on a high wind swept mountain peak in the Washoe mountain range overlooking Big Washoe lake lives Nevada's only woman fire lookout.
She is Mrs. Iola Ferguson who has lived in the Carson area for the last 11 years and has been employed as a lookout since 1944 when a manpower shortage forced the state to seek women employes for the job." (Mrs. Ferguson spent every season from 1944 to 1951 on McClellan with the exception of one season.) (Reno Evening Gazette)
July 3, 1970: "The forest fire lookout is gradually being phased out in Western Nevada, not by the pressure of economics but by necessity due to smog.
Smog has increased in the surrounding valleys to the point that it has forced the closure of McClellan lookout, a short distance south of Virginia City. McClellan lookout was formerly manned by the Bureau of Land Management." (Nevada State Journal)
Removed
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1951 (LGT)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF CARSON
CITY, 5.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VIRGINIA CITY, AND ON WHAT IS
LOCALLY KNOWN AS MC CLELLAN PEAK. IT IS A ONE STORY BUILDING
ABOUT 14 FEET SQUARE AND 12 FEET HIGH. IT IS THE PROPERTY
OF THE FOREST SERVICE. THE LIGHTNING ROD ON THE TOP AND CENTER
OF THE BUILDING WAS THE POINT INTERSECTED. THE CENTER OF THE
BUILDING IS 42.0 FEET OR 12.8 METERS NORTH-NORTHEAST OF
TRIANGULATION STATION MC CLELLAN.