CHELAN COUNTY
STORMY MOUNTAIN
Wenatchee National Forest
28N-20E-29
28N-20E-29
c.1914: Developed as a heliograph lookout site and camp. Used in conjunction with Sugarloaf Peak and Tumwater Mountain to pass messages from Chelan to Leavenworth in 1915.
June 20, 1924: “Forest Supervisor A.H. Sylvester has virtually completed the placing of summer employees in the Wenatchee National Forest.” “Entiat Ranger District – Arthur Fowler is lookout on Stormy Mountain.” (The Leavenworth Echo)
June 11, 1930: “As a result of existing conditions lookouts have already been posted on Stormy mountain, south of Lake Chelan. Others will be sent to their posts in the near future.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
June 11, 1930: “As a result of existing conditions lookouts have already been posted on Stormy mountain, south of Lake Chelan. Others will be sent to their posts in the near future.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
September 18, 1930: “The look-out station on Stormy mountain, between the Entiat river and Lake Chelan, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning during the absence of the lookout., it was announced today by Wenatchee national forest officials. No reason for the fire has been determined, officials said. The damage was estimated at about $1200.
J.B. Richardson, the lookout stationed at Stormy, had left the day before for his homestead, before Blackie Glanert, sent to replace him had arrived, according to Walter Anderson, fire assistant at Leavenworth. Richardson, an old timer in the forest service, was positive that he had left no fire in the place, according to Anderson, who says Richardson did not smoke and had a reputation of being exceedingly careful.
Glen Charlton, ranger at the Steliko ranger station on the Entiat, who visited the scene of the blaze yesterday, could shed no light on the cause of the fire, he said.
The fire was reported by a lookout in the Chelan National forest, and later confirmed by the Sugarloaf peak lookout.
The look-out tower, four sides of which was covered with glass, was totally destroyed, including the telephone, fire finding instruments and other equipment, Anderson said.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
September 18, 1930: “The look-out station on Stormy mountain, between the Entiat river and Lake Chelan, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning during the absence of the lookout., it was announced today by Wenatchee national forest officials. No reason for the fire has been determined, officials said. The damage was estimated at about $1200.
J.B. Richardson, the lookout stationed at Stormy, had left the day before for his homestead, before Blackie Glanert, sent to replace him had arrived, according to Walter Anderson, fire assistant at Leavenworth. Richardson, an old timer in the forest service, was positive that he had left no fire in the place, according to Anderson, who says Richardson did not smoke and had a reputation of being exceedingly careful.
Glen Charlton, ranger at the Steliko ranger station on the Entiat, who visited the scene of the blaze yesterday, could shed no light on the cause of the fire, he said.
The fire was reported by a lookout in the Chelan National forest, and later confirmed by the Sugarloaf peak lookout.
The look-out tower, four sides of which was covered with glass, was totally destroyed, including the telephone, fire finding instruments and other equipment, Anderson said.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
September 19, 1930: “It went up in smoke yesterday morning early. There was a cloud of fog over the neighboring lookout station, Sugarloaf, so the lookout there knew nothing about it until asked 'if he could still see Stormy.' 'No,' he says, 'The little white speck is gone.'
Mr. J.B. Richardson has been lookout on Stormy for several years. September 10 he had to leave his station to take care of his homestead. He left the station about 3 p.m. Tuesday. 'Blackie' Glenart was to take care of the lookout work on Stormy for the balance of the season and started up there the following morning, but in the meantime the Chelan Forest called up to inform that the station had burned. Ranger Charlton went in to investigate yesterday morning but was unable to determine how the fire was started. He reports the station entirely wiped out, equipment and all. It will cost at least $1,200 to replace the station and it is doubtful if funds can be raised before the 1931 fire season.
Stormy lookout is one of our most important stations, being on the Entiat-Chelan divide and overlooking both the Wenatchee and the Chelan Forests. We have just completed a station on Icicle Ridge and were just starting to feel that we are getting our lookout system in shape. Though the loss is serious and to be regretted, public cooperation in preventing and suppressing forest fires this season far overshadows this loss. Ranger Glenn Charlton, who will feel the loss the most, should get considerable consolation out of the way the Entiat folks have responded to fire calls this summer.' By W.E. Anderson, Fire Assistant. (The Leavenworth Echo)
September 19, 1930: “It went up in smoke yesterday morning early. There was a cloud of fog over the neighboring lookout station, Sugarloaf, so the lookout there knew nothing about it until asked 'if he could still see Stormy.' 'No,' he says, 'The little white speck is gone.'
Mr. J.B. Richardson has been lookout on Stormy for several years. September 10 he had to leave his station to take care of his homestead. He left the station about 3 p.m. Tuesday. 'Blackie' Glenart was to take care of the lookout work on Stormy for the balance of the season and started up there the following morning, but in the meantime the Chelan Forest called up to inform that the station had burned. Ranger Charlton went in to investigate yesterday morning but was unable to determine how the fire was started. He reports the station entirely wiped out, equipment and all. It will cost at least $1,200 to replace the station and it is doubtful if funds can be raised before the 1931 fire season.
Stormy lookout is one of our most important stations, being on the Entiat-Chelan divide and overlooking both the Wenatchee and the Chelan Forests. We have just completed a station on Icicle Ridge and were just starting to feel that we are getting our lookout system in shape. Though the loss is serious and to be regretted, public cooperation in preventing and suppressing forest fires this season far overshadows this loss. Ranger Glenn Charlton, who will feel the loss the most, should get considerable consolation out of the way the Entiat folks have responded to fire calls this summer.' By W.E. Anderson, Fire Assistant. (The Leavenworth Echo)
September 24, 1930: “The cause of the fire which last week destroyed the lookout station on Mt. Stormy remains shrouded in mystery, no sign of visitors or other clue having been discovered by forest service men who investigated the blaze, it was stated today by officials of the forest service.
The report of J.B. Richardson, the lookout who had left the station for the summer on the day preceding the fire, states that there had been no fire in the heating stove for two days and that before leaving he had felt of the wicks of the oil cook stove, which had been used more recently, to make sure that no spark remained.
The telephone had been disconnected and the wires fastened to a tree outside the station, the report shows.
Richardson did not smoke, eliminating the possibility of a smoldering match or tobacco having caused the damage, according to officials.
The only possible cause for the fire advanced by Richardson is that a match may have been dropped at some time into a box of kindling and afterwards ignited by a rumaging chipmunk or squirrel.
The work of replacing the lookout station has been gotten under way and will be completed this fall if possible, it was announced.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
September 24, 1930: “The cause of the fire which last week destroyed the lookout station on Mt. Stormy remains shrouded in mystery, no sign of visitors or other clue having been discovered by forest service men who investigated the blaze, it was stated today by officials of the forest service.
The report of J.B. Richardson, the lookout who had left the station for the summer on the day preceding the fire, states that there had been no fire in the heating stove for two days and that before leaving he had felt of the wicks of the oil cook stove, which had been used more recently, to make sure that no spark remained.
The telephone had been disconnected and the wires fastened to a tree outside the station, the report shows.
Richardson did not smoke, eliminating the possibility of a smoldering match or tobacco having caused the damage, according to officials.
The only possible cause for the fire advanced by Richardson is that a match may have been dropped at some time into a box of kindling and afterwards ignited by a rumaging chipmunk or squirrel.
The work of replacing the lookout station has been gotten under way and will be completed this fall if possible, it was announced.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
June 23, 1934: “Between the hours of 10:30 o'clock Thursday night of this week and 6:30 o'clock Friday morning, J.B. Richardson, a resident of the Chelan Valley for eight years, was probably performing one of the most unique tasks that could be recorded for that particular time and for this part of the nation.
Mr. Richardson fills the position of look-out for the forest service near the 8,000-foot summit of lonely Stormy Mountain peak. It is well over 22 miles from Chelan and offers good transportation facilities only to goats.
Thursday evening the recently formed Technocracy club of Chelan held a meeting. Richardson, who has a great deal of time to spend with his books, is an enthusiastic Technocrat. Leaving his post early Thursday afternoon and astride his sure footed pony, Richardson arrived in Chelan and attended the meeting.
At 10:30 o'clock, in the face of a boisterous and cold wind, he started the return journey. There was no moon. The trail is precarious. There are no friendly lights to cheer one on. But he had a job that needed looking after. And so, with the wind whipping through his scholarly goatee, of which there is no finer in the community, Richardson left.
Friends here called his post at 8:30 o'clock the next morning. Yes, he reported, he'd had a fine trip, arriving at 6:30.
'How's the weather up here?' Oh, fine! We're enjoying an elegant snow storm right now.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
June 4, 1935: “U.S. Forest Service lookout stations have been manned in the lower areas of the Wenatchee national forest, where an unusually dangerous fire season is in prospect, Walter E. Anderson, fire assistant,announced this morning.
J. B. Richardson on Stormy.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
J. B. Richardson on Stormy.” (The Wenatchee Daily World)
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