ARIZONA LOOKOUTS
MOUNT BALDY
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
May 28, 1914: "Up to a few days ago the Supervisor was unable to station a lookout on Mount Baldy on account of the depth of snow near the summit; however a lookout man is now on this point." (St. Johns Herald and Apache News)
May 17, 1918: "Miss Hanna Crosby, of Eager, was the guest of St. Johns friends the first of the week. Miss Crosby has been engaged by the Forestry Department to take charge of the lookout station at the top of Mt. Baldy this season and will begin her duties on May 15. Miss Crosby's appointment to this important post is due to the scarcity of help caused by the demand for more men 'over there.' She is a typical Arizona girl, an expert with her cow pony and lariat, and of course there is no such word as fear in her vocabulary. The altitude of Old Baldy is nearly 12,000 feet. It is a wild and isolated place, where fierce wild animals abound, and would be shied at by a timid, nervous girl, but Miss Crosby is not that kind and she expects to derive much pleasure from her work and experience as lookout sentinel.--St. Johns Observer." (The Coconino Sun)
June 11, 1922: "Fire of unknown origin and proportions, located near Duquesne, in the Patagonia mountains, was reported this morning to local forest service officials from the lookout station on Mt. Baldy, and steps were taken to rush men from that point to bring the flames under control as rapidly as possible. The fire is located, according to best information available, on the east slope of the Patagonia, which section of the mountain range is heavily wooded.
According to the report here, the fire was first spotted about 9:30 and effort was made to get in touch with a neighboring forest lookout station. This failed, so the report was relayed immediately into the local headquarters. Up to a late hour this afternoon, no further report had been received from any of the neighboring lookout stations." (Tombstone Epitaph)
September 1, 1922: "Arrangements are going forward for the construction on the top of Old Baldy, one of the highest peaks in this section, of a glass house for the fire lookout. According to Assistant Forest Supervisor McKenzie, this lookout station overlooks more territory than any other in the district. The watchmen have been hampered in their work in the past by the excessively high and cold winds that constantly sweep the top of the hill, even in the summer time.
At present there is at the lookout station a cabin in which the man may spend a part of his time but the necessity for looking constantly in every direction makes the cabin impracticable as it now is.
For this reason a requisition has been sent in for eleven glass panes which will be packed to the top as soon as they arrive and will be installed in the walls of the cabin, which is 8 by 8 feet.
These panes will make every side of the structure open for observation and will practically make it a glass house while at the same time the ranger will be afforded shelter from the winds:
Another improvement will be the digging of a cistern in the solid rock at the top of the peak. This cistern will be made about seven feet deep and about four feet square. In the early spring it will be filled with snow and will be later replenished by the rainfall.
It is stated by the foresters that water in a cistern of this kind, which is concreted and sealed, will keep fresh and in excellent condition for as long as eighteen months in very high altitudes." (Prescott Evening Courier)
October 7, 1928: "Lightning may never strike twice in the same place, as the saying goes but the forest service lookout cabin atop Mount Baldy near here (Tucson) is one exception. In a recent storm the cabin survived eight distinct electric shocks, a lightning rod saving it each time." (Twin Falls Daily News - Idaho)
