salt lake city  (walker bank bldg)

Salt Lake County
Wasatch National Forest

April 2009
Ron Kemnow photo

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July 27, 1939: "Utilizing the many-storied Walker Bank Building as a lookout, the Wasatch National Forest has again manned this post in the present hazardous period for coverage of the Wasatch Mountain front and foothill country surrounding Salt Lake Valley. Proving its worth promptly, this lookout station has during the past few days quickly spotted and reported several fires in the foothill section that were speedily suppressed before gaining headway and spreading to the steeper and highly inflammable brusg covered slopes." (Daily News – Intermountain Region)

July 27, 1939:  "The new forest fire lookout established recently atop the Walker Bank building tower proved its worth Wednesday noon when the guard sighted a blaze at the block U north of Douglas.  A forest service truck and CCC crew was dispatched to the scene immediately and succeeded in halting the fire after it had burned over less than one acre."  (The Salt Lake Tribune)

July 14, 1941:  "Erected as a safety precaution against forest fires, a fire lookout station was in operation atop the Walker Bank building Sunday with operators on duty 12 hours a day to spot possible conflagrations in Salt Lake valley forest areas.
     Long contemplated by officials of the forest service, the lookout station will be maintained jointly by the Salt Lake City water department and the United States forest service.
     Jay M. Hamilton of Salt Lake City has been employed to occupy the station as lookout, and will have at his disposal facilities connecting him directly with the forest service fire dispatcher, J.E. Gurr, Wasatch forest supervisor, said Sunday.
     The lofty height of the Walker Bank building and its centralized location will afford the lookout a clear view of the entire valley, and enable him to spot fires 'almost instantly,' Mr. Gurr said.  The lookout will be maintained from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the period during which forest fires usually occur, the official said.
     Mr. Gurr said there have been only a minimum of forest fires in this area during 1941, most of those which have occurred being minor grass fires near Ensign peak.
     The lookout station was established to cut down further the possibilities of a major fire in the vast forest areas in the valley, Mr. Gurr asserted."  (The Salt Lake Tribune)

October 2, 1941:  "Officials of the Wasatch National Forest believe they have the only lookout station in America atop a downtown office building.
     The station was installed on the roof of the Walker bank building in Salt Lake City -- a 15-story structure.
     Officials said the location of the tower in the center of the Salt Lake valley would permit the lookout to "spot" fires over an area of 25 miles."  (The Times - San Mateo, Ca.)

October 31, 1941:  "A letter has been sent to officials of the Walker Bank and Trust company, thanking them for allowing the forest service to establish a lookout station on the top of the building, Mr. Gurr reported.
     'In loaning the forest service the use of your lookout tower, you have been rendering the public of this city a valuable and unselfish service for which we are all grateful,' the letter said."  (The Salt Lake Tribune)

June 24, 1944:  "James Sarvis, 16-year-old veteran fire-watcher, has returned to his post atop Salt Lake City's tallest building and scans the horizon every few minutes through binoculars for fires in Wasatch national forest.
     He has located three since the4 close of school.  He joined the U.S. forest service a year ago."  (Ogden Standard-Examiner)

June 16, 1946:  "It's a rugged life, this business of being a forest fire watcher.  But not for ex-serviceman Christian Jensen.  He's doing his job amid the roaring traffic's boom in downtown Salt Lake City.
     From his citified forest fire lookout, located on top of the Walker Bank building, Jensen scans the nearby slopes of the Wasatch mountains for evidences of forest fires.
     He's new at his job but in spite of his metropolitan surroundings, Jensen wants to become a full-fledged forest ranger and next year draw an assignment not quite so civilized."  (Ogden Standard-Examiner)