Welcome to
Young's Photo Gallery
James W. Young, Professional Photographer
Photographic History of Table Mountain
Observatory
By James W. Young
retired astronomer from Table Mountain Observatory
Introduction
“Table Mountain? I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that somewhere in South Africa?” Yes indeed, but not this one!
There are a gazillion ‘Table Mountains’ around the globe, a term used to describe a flat top mountain just
about anywhere. The most famous one is that found in Cape Town, South Africa, but there are many others
much less known. Among those there are a number of such named mountains in the states of Washington and
California, and in particular, this one in southern California about which this history shall focus on.
Table Mountain (TM) lies on the northeastern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountain range, only 41 airline miles
due northeast of downtown Los Angeles. TM is actually a 3 mile long relatively flat ridge (above 6000 feet)
running WNW to ESE. This ridge is the northern boundary of the Swarthout Valley, wherein the small mountain
community of Wrightwood lies. This valley has a slightly higher boundary to the south named Blue Ridge, with
these two separate ridges approximately one mile apart. The two ridges are closest together three miles west of
Wrightwood at a place named ‘Big Pines’ (not the same as ‘Big Pine’ in the Owens valley), at an elevation of
6852 feet. California Highway 2 (the Angeles Crest Highway) runs east-west through the Swarthout Valley,
through Wrightwood, and cuts between the two ridges at Big Pines. This road continues west through the
San Gabriels exiting the mountains some 60 miles later in the La Canada/Flintridge communities near the
Verdugo Mountains. Although getting to TM from the greater Los Angeles area can be made by a multitude
of different ‘road’ ways, somewhere along the line you will access Highway 2, if not for only a short distance.
The average of these various distances is around 80 miles.
TM’s elevation is 7516 feet above sea level, with a secondary peak (named Mount Peltier) having an elevation
of 7473 feet, just over a mile to the east. Blue Ridge’s elevation ranges from around 7800 feet near Big Pines,
to over 8500 feet (Wright Mountain) about 4 miles to the south-east of TM. At Big Pines, the ‘Table Mountain
Road’ extends 1 ¼ miles to the top of TM from Highway 2. This road curves past the old Big Pines Ski Clubhouse,
through McClellan Flats, then past the Table Mountain Campground entrance to the ski and toboggan play area
parking lot. A small controlled access road extends further up to the east and ends at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory’s “Table Mountain Facility”.
This historical study will include the roads, communities, and reasons for the development of Table Mountain for
the purpose of scientific studies of the sun, solar system, and earth’s atmosphere since the mid-1920’s. Names
of important people associated with all aspects of Table Mountain’s history, along with extensive photographic
records of each step to the present twenty-first century use will develop as an ongoing project from the author.
Preface<>
Researching the history of just about anything, there are seldom enough answers for all the questions one puzzles
over. Rather than avoid all the unanswered questions, I will pose some up front to you readers. Who first named
this mountain? Who were the first to stand on its summit? Several years ago, I posed the following scenario to
those who would listen; “I’ll bet someone climbed to the top of (this) Table Mountain with a picnic lunch in an old
wicker basket, sat down amongst the trees, ate their sandwiches and admired the sprawling desert view below them"!
Although I have never done exactly that, I have gazed out across the broad Mojave Desert north to Mt. Whitney
(160 miles), northeast to Charleston Peak in Nevada (170 miles), and southeast to Mt. San Jacinto (70 miles) for the
last 47 years. It had to be quite a sight to the early Serrano Indians/explorers, and potential picnickers from the
early days of Los Angeles. Then I found this picture, much to my surprise and amazement!
This image was taken of the first Smithsonian people to come to Table Mountain in the early 1920’s,
including Dr. Charles Greeley Abbot, on the right. They seem to be enjoying watermelon out of the
wicker basket. Unknown photographer.
These men were looking for a better ‘field station’ for Smithsonian Institute's on-going solar studies.
Abbot, along with other Smithsonian researchers were engaged in active solar research at Mt. Wilson
Observatory (about 25 miles to the southwest) during the 1910-20's period. Although Mt. Wilson
was quite easy to access, Abbot wanted a better 'field station'. Someone (unknown name and date)
at Mt. Wilson suggestion to Abbot that “. . .Table Mountain was 2000 feet higher, and much drier.”
Who told Abbot about TM? Someone had to have access to a very current (1900’s) USGS survey map
with names and elevations on it. And where did they come to know TM had a much drier climate? With
these additional questions the author is still pursuing more facts, documents, and pictures. Have some
answers? Write me at 'astroyoung@verizon.net'.
Just Where Does One Start ... After 84 Years of History?<>
Before we begin at the beginning, the following story may enlighten the reader to see what can come
from ‘looking into the past’. The author spent 47 years at TM, and finds the following recent series
of events most intriguing and noteworthy, especially into how his own career parallels some of the
following circumstances.
Early in 1940, a Caltech professor and a number of graduate students decided to form the "Planet
Group”. The professor was James B. Edson (1908-2001), and one of the his grad students was Aden
Meinel (1922 -). Edson knew of Smithsonian’s ‘Field Station’ at TM, and contacted Preston Butler
(1904-1985), then the station director. “May we use your site to conduct observations of the
inferior conjunction of Venus in June (1940)?” This question is a purely hypothetical one, but in
principle was the basis for the Planet Group’s successful Venus observations, as told by Meinel
to the author in 2008. The author has some logbooks and observational notes, along with several
pictures of their 1940 telescope setup at TM, but those will come later. Aden went on to graduate
from the University of California, Berkeley in 1949, with his Ph.D. The author first met Aden at
TM in the late 1970s; again at TM in 1989. With the history of the site now fully kindled in my mind
to research and write about, I searched the internet for Dr. Meinel and found him residing in the
state of Nevada. After I was able to contact him, an invitation for him to once again visit TM was
extended, all to ask him, first hand, about his visits to TM in the early 1940s. Aden visited TM in
late 2008, and enjoyed reminiscing about his ‘Planet Group’ days! “But, why not get in direct touch
with James Edson?" he asked me! "Is he still alive?" I asked.
C. Preston Butler in 1940, clearing the dirt road to the top of Table Mountain. Delilah Butler took
this photograph.
James B. Edson at the telescope in June, 1940, during the Inferior Conjunction of Venus. Unknown
photographer.
Aden Meinel at the 20-inch telescope in late 1940, in preparation for Mars observations into 1941.
Unknown photographer.
Getting back on the internet, I ‘googled’ “James B. Edson”, and got several hits. One was the alumni
page of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Edson was listed as retired, but there was an address
and phone number in Colorado Springs, CO. I called. The number had been disconnected. I called
information, and got a different number and address. I called with a similar result . . ."no longer in
service". I then e-mailed the U of K alumni contact person, and a few days later received a
response with yet, another different address, but with no phone number. The address also had
‘floor 400’ so I assumed it was some sort of complex, maybe even a retirement home. On the phone,
I called information for Colorado Springs, but the operator said, “absolutely can not do", when I
asked for a reverse address search to get a telephone number. Now what?
Aden Meinel visited Table Mountain Observatory in October, 2008. Photograph by the author.
Back to the internet, I went to Google Maps, and typed in the address. Wow! There was a big
building (as seen from above) on the southwest corner of the closest intersection to the address.
And to my surprise (since I had never used it) there was also the new ‘street view’ to use. Instead
of looking down, I could now see the building as I panned 360 degrees, and there was a telephone
number on the building corner! I zoomed in, but alas, the resolution was just not good enough. I
panned all around the intersection until I found the name of a business on the northeast corner. . .
a Chinese restaurant, with its name in big bold letters. I called information, and got the phone
number for them. Now, just how does one go about asking for the telephone number of the
building across the street? The woman who answered was definitely Chinese but knew English
well enough to converse with me. When I asked her what I wanted, she snickered and talked
to someone else in the restaurant, all in Chinese, with considerable amount of laughing. I tactfully
pleaded with her to ‘stay’ with me, and that this was not a ‘prank’ call. I gave her a few more
details, and again asked her to please get the telephone number off the building. She was busy
then. “Call me back in 60 minutes," was her answer, and she hung up. How long is 60 minutes?
A very long time!
I called and the phone rang, and rang, then she was there. She gave me the phone number,
laughing and talking to others in Chinese, but I thanked her as best I could. I called the number,
and a woman answered, “Medalion East” (a retirement home). I was in!
Asking for Edson, she said I needed to talk to Isabella in ‘records’, and I was transferred
upstairs. After inquiring about Edson, Isabella said Jim and his wife Lilly had lived there
for many years, but that Jim had died in 2001, with Lilly passing away some years later. It
was very disappointing after all that had been done, only to come up empty-handed. But,
wait. . .she said they had a daughter, Priscilla, and Isabella knew her and how to contact her. So
I gave my name, telephone number, and e-mail address to Isabella to forward to Priscilla, as
Isabella couldn’t actually give out information to a perfect stranger (even after I told her
who I was and what I was doing). This was all in mid-October, 2008. I waited, and waited. . . .
After Thanksgiving, I called Isabella telling her that Priscilla had never contacted me. Then
we thought of another method. I would write a letter with details of what I was actually
trying to do, along with phone numbers and e-mail addresses, all to send to Isabella for her
to forward to Priscilla. My letter went to Isabella the next morning, with a JPL envelope
and postage. All Isabella had to do was put on Priscilla’s address and mail it. Much to my
astonishment, the envelope came back (to me) as an ‘unknown address’. Neither myself
nor Isabella would have ever guessed that an incorrect address would, unfortunately, bring
the envelope back to me (the sender, with TM’s return address), all with Priscilla’s full last
name and location (which Isabella wasn’t suppose to reveal). I called Isabella and explained
I would not pursue anything, to protect Isabella’s promise to Priscilla of not disclosing her
last name and address. Isabella was busy, had no other address, and I was not going to try
locating her myself. I needed to think on this. I dropped the issue, still very disappointed.
Early in January 2009, I received an e-mail from Priscilla Edson Greenwood (1937 -) along
with her telephone number! Seems the original e-mail message Isabella sent her in October
got misplaced, and Priscilla just found it. I called her that very evening at her suggestion.
We had a long conversation, all with her being excited at the thought someone was interested
in her dad! She told me her son, Anders, had most of his grandfather’s papers, along with
pictures, etc., and Priscilla wants to donate this material to my research! (We met at her son's
place in May, 2009). Then, near the conclusion of our conversation, she asked me if I knew
about Patricia. “Patricia, who?” I said, “No. Who was this, I thought?" Priscilla then said,
“Patricia is my father's sister!" I responded, “And this is important?" “Maybe, or maybe not,"
she said. "Patricia, or Patsy as many know her, married Clyde - Clyde Tombaugh.” Clyde
had discovered Pluto in 1930 at Lowell Observatory! Small world, indeed. . . !
The author traveled to Union City, CA, in May, 2009, and met with Priscilla, and her son,
Anders, and his family. They spent an entire day going over numerous documents, and with
many pictures, were able to confirm much of the sketchy history I had accumulated from
many other sources as well as from Aden Meinel.
Anders Edson, the author, and Patricia Edson Greenwood in Union City, CA, in May, 2009. This image
was taken by Ander's wife, using the author's camera.
The following weekend I traveled to Las Cruces, NM to meet with Patricia Tombaugh, now
age 94, along with her son Alden and daughter Annette. Here the four of us went over all
of the material acquired from Priscilla (and Annette through e-mails) again to confirm that
all facts were correct. The working relations of Edson and Tombaugh will be touched on
later, as well as the first JPL astronomer hired at Table Mountain in 1962, Charles Capen,
who worked with Tombaugh at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
Patricia (Patsy) Tombaugh and the author in her home in Las Cruces, NM, in May, 2009. This image
was taken by Alden Tombaugh, Patsy's son, using the author's camera.
End of story? Well, not really. Smithsonian’s TM Field Station director, Preston Butler, and his wife
Delilah (1903-1993), had a baby girl, Alice, born on Thanksgiving Day, 1941, while at TM. There were
twelve-foot snow drifts that day, and Delilah was taken out of the residence building's second story
window, to a snow cat, transported down to the highway, and driven to San Bernardino for delivery of
Alice. Alice doesn't remember, of course!
Delilah Butler, with 6 month old Alice just outside the main gate to Table Mountain, in May, 1942.
Yes, those are 'snow plants' next to Delilah. Photograph by Pres Butler.
The author, having known Pres (short for Preston) Butler from Butler's 1977 visit to TM, knew of Alice,
and had already corresponded with her on numerous occasions about her father's involvement at Table
Mountain as a 'field director' for the Smithsonian Institute.
Alice had supplied me with numerous pictures and articles about her father at TM back in the early 1940s.
After my initial contact with Priscilla, I related this previous story to Alice, wherein she then added the
following note: After the Butlers and Edsons moved on to different endeavors, separated by different job
and career changes, they coincidentally ended up in the Washington D.C. area in the late 1940s. Here, the
Butlers and Edsons lived and worked, but still managed to socialize and get together for dinner and other
events occasionally . Well, are we done? Well, actually we’re not. It seems very ironic and extremely
coincidental that when I was hired by JPL in 1962, I started work at Table Mountain on November 12, and my
first assignment was to assist in observations of the Venus inferior conjunction occurring that very day! In less
than 3 months, I would find Pluto for the first time, not yet knowing all this history to be later uncovered!
Alice Butler Ronald and the author at Table Mountain in May, 2008. Photograph taken by Bruce Ronald,
Alice's husband with the author's camera.
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's (SAO) Research Field Stations
The Smithsonian Institute's interest in solar research began before 1900, but soon thereafter, Charles
Greely Abbot became the driving force into the development of 'field stations' to conduct research
far away from the environs of Washington, DC. Just exactly what the sun was sending into space in the
form of all kinds of radiation was the interest. Was the sun stable in this outpouring of solar radiation
in the various wavelengths then being studied? The haze, moisture, and other pollutants would never
permit careful and statistical analysis of minute changes to be made from the sea level circumstances
of Washington, DC. Abbot established many worldwide field stations over the next two decades in
Asia, Africa, South and North America. One attempt was to go all out by building a facility atop Mt.
Whitney in California. During the first years of the 20th century, a building was constructed on the
very summit of Whitney, with a full array of instruments. The trouble was getting there, and even
staying there long enough at a time to gather qualified and calibrated data for any conclusions to be
made about the stability of the sun's radiation output. To make it plain and simple, this was called the
solar constant; a measure of flux, or the amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit
area. The smallest variations due to pollutants and moisture was (and is) minimized by finding high
elevation sites that are dry and far from pollution found in large cities. Although Mt. Whitney had
some of these good attributes, getting there was the hardest part. It was soon abandoned.
The original 'hut' built by and for Smithsonian's solar research on the summit of Mt. Whitney in 1904.
Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
Here is an image of that same 'hut' taken in 1991 by the author. The author's daughter, Eileen is
in the foreground. This was our third trip to the summit. Photograph by the author.
With the 'hut' on the right, several tents and instruments are seen in this image also from 1904.
Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
During the 1910s, Abbot was very involved with the newly established Mt. Wilson Observatory in
southern California. Again, they conducted solar research using several facilities at their disposal.
The Mt. Wilson 'Snow Telescope' in the early 1910s. It was completed in 1904, and George Abbot
used this facility during many of his visits to the mountain. The white coverings helped control the
temperature inside the long narrow 'tunnel' where the solar radiation instruments were located.
Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
The 60-foot solar tower at Mt. Wilson. This was built and completed in 1908, affording additional
methods for conducting solar radiation research. The instruments were well above ground, to
keep heat waves and ground radiation at a minimum. Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
Although Mt. Wilson was used during the early 1910s, other facilities that proved very effective
were constructed in Chile, Egypt, and the southwest United States.
The 'field' station at Montezuma, Chile in the early 1920s. Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
The 'field station' at Harqua Hala, Arizona in the 1920s. Smithsonian Institute Archives photograph.
The above two 'field' stations were significant to the eventual development of the new facility at Table
Mountain. The site at Montezuma had been the SAO's most useful and prolific data gathering station in
the quest for pinning down an accurate number for the solar constant. Always looking for improvements
in the calibration of data, a second station was needed to produce data of similar statistical accuracy
for confirmation. Such a station was established at Harqua Hala, Arizona, about 90 miles to the west
of Phoenix.
The Montezuma station was doing extremely well, until a mining company began operations very near in
the SAO facility. This created a pollution problem that showed up in their data, and from then on the
Montezuma facility no longer could be used effectively. On top of that serious problem, the Harqua Hala
station suffered severe problems due to the yearly summer monsoon activity that came up from the Gulf
of Mexico in the form of thunderstorms. Abbot and the SAO researchers were continuely looking for some
additional sites in the southwest United States. One was Clark Mountain, near the Nevada border with
California (near where Interstate 15 is today). As mentioned earlier, Abbot had been advised of Table
Mountain, which was just a mile or so up from the newly developed 'Big Pines-L.A. County Camp'. The Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors had purchased considerable acreage from local ranchers in the
upper, or west side, of Swarthout Valley. The old road through the valley had been re-graded through
Lone Pine Canyon, making passage more tolerable up the steep grade from the Cajon Pass out of San
Bernardino.
This is a copy of a 1912 USGS topo map of the then 'Cajon Pass' area. The railroad was already
in place, and the roads were primitive, but passage up Lone Pine Canyon was possible in the cars
of the early 1920s. Along Lone Pine Canyon Road water stops were placed to fill car radiators
as needed. Cars would have to usually stop half way up to cool and get their radiators filled!
The road was full of ruts, especially after the winter storms. Rocks were placed at the side
of the road for 'chocking' car wheels on the steep grade.
This is a portion of the 'San Antonio' 1903 USGS map showing the top of Lone Pine Canyon at the
extreme lower right, and extending into the 'Swartout Valley'. Note the incorrect spelling of
Swarthout. The 'bench mark' (BM) in the upper left says '6862 Feet', and was located at Big
Pines. The summit of Table Mountain (red dot) was only a little more than a mile up a steep and
rut strewn access road. This USGS map shows an elevation contour line of 7500 feet, accepted
as the elevation of Table Mountain to this day.
The Big Pines-L.A. County Camp was initially started in 1922-23, and by the late 1920s, had facilities
for skiing, tobogganing, and ice skating in winter, and full campgrounds, playgrounds, and cabins for
rent year-round. There was a large lodge, restaurant, shops, gas station, and even a post office.
This large amount of activity far overshadowed the small community of Wrightwood, then developing
three miles to the east.
When Abbot was told about Table Mountain sometime in the late 1910s from someone at Mt. Wilson,
(as mentioned earlier) he traveled to the area to see if this area could be a replacement site for the
ineffective Harqua Hala, Arizona site suffering from weather related problems. It is said that his
trip from Mt. Wilson to Table Mountain took appoximately five hours! Once again, here is the picture
of his initial visit with a few of his partners, unidentified.
Charles Abbot on the right, with a few partners eating watermellon near the top of Table Mountain
in the fall of 1924.
Abbot and partners survey the top of Table Mountain here and the next four images (1924).
This, and the next two images appear to have been made later, with snow on the ground. There is no
indication who the gents are, but the one on the left was with Abbot during the initial visit in 1924.
In this 1920s map, the route used by most travelers to the Big Pines Camp (and Table Mountain), is
highlighted. The newer route bypassed the lower Lone Pine Canyon out of Kennbrook, by going past
Camp Cajon in the Cajon Canyon area.
This is the Camp Cajon area, taken sometime in the 1920s. Somewhere at the top of this picture,
a road goes across the wash on the extreme upper left into Lone Pine Canyon. Some sort of wash
barrier is seen above and to the left of the camp to protect the area when the wash is especially
active during severe rain storms.
The author spent the better part of two days trying to locate the area from where the previous
picture was taken. In the lower center is the original roadbed located about where the entrance to
Camp Cajon was located. Note the historical marker with the author's car next to it. With the
extensive changes to Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass in 1972, much of the land and nearby
hills were either removed or 'shaved off' to accommodate the widening freeway and truck stop.
This was the closest place to duplicate the previous location used in the 1920s picture.
When Abbot and his partners arrived in the upper Lone Pine Canyon, they saw this mountain peak.
This is now known as Circle Mountain, and is located at the eastern edge of Swarthout Valley. This
image was taken by them, and they even considered it (see note below). Although there were trees,
there was no water whatsoever, and Table Mountain became their prime interest.
This is a note Abbot sent back to Smithsonian referring to Circle Mountain. His quote of an elevation
of 6917 feet means he had access to a USGS topo map which, indeed, does show "6917", however,
current maps show a true elevation of only 6875 feet.
In this image taken by the early SAO visitors, this photograph of the Swarthout Valley from well
west of the valley center, Circle Mountain is the predominate landmark in the center. Blue Ridge
is off to the right (south). The primitive road can be seen from the center of this image running
off to the right side.
The author spent a day in the spring of 2007 locating the same spot from where the previous picture
was taken from. The actual spot has too many trees in this direction, so the above image is about 30
feet higher and to the left of the original one.
By late 1924, Abbot decided to use Table Mountain for the new field station to replace the one
at Harqua Hala, Arizona. The following images are from additional trips to the mountain to prepare
for building the site to house the field director, his assistant, the shop, office, and instruments. They
show the developing Big Pines Camp, road, and the new cabin area at McClellan Flats, a half mile up
the Table Mountain Road.
Here is the road leading west out of Swarthout Valley to the Big Pines Camp area in the early 1920s.
The sign reads:
"...Length 14.67 miles..."
This is the Big Pines Lodge, constructed in 1923, and prior to the expansive development soon to
come with the addition of the 'arch' over the road (about where the tree to the left stands). The
tree on the extreme right also was removed.
This is an SAO image taken in 1926 of the road above Big Pines, just below McClellan Flats (off to
the left of the image). This image was taken 200 feet southwest of Cabin 13 (later described), and
is looking due south with the western slopes of Blue Ridge in the background.
The 1926 Table Mountain Road had a jog in the far west end (left on map) that can clearly be seen
in the picture above this map. The blue colored line is the best estimate of the original road to the
top of the mountain, and the road bed can be traced in parts of McClellan Flats (noted herein as
'Camp McClellan'). Looking forward four images, you will find a closeup of a map of the McClellan
Flats area. You will note the jog just west of Cabin 1 on that map. The road then follows a 'north'
side approach to the general topography to the 'Smithsonian Observatory'. No documentation can
be surfaced as to when the three changes were made (as shown in red), but the large parking lot
was made in the 1950s to accomodate the skiers after the Ski Chalet was built in 1954 (green dot).
In researching all the 'paper' material at the Smithsonian Institute Archives, there are a few small
excepts that talk about the road change to the south side of the summit area, and although no date
is mentioned, the reference leads to the late 1930s. It is the author's opinion that this change was
made because of the terrible snow drifting during winter on the north side. The author can add his
47 years of on-site experience to that fact alone!
This image the author acquired in October, 2008 from virtually the exact same spot as the image
above (82 years later)! Note Highway 2 (The Angeles Crest) in the right center on it's way up to
Inspiration Point.
Part of the road just before McClellan Flats, looking southwest with Mt. Baden-Powell in the center.
The early development of McClellan Flats: The original 13 cabins were built for the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors and their families, using some used wood from torn down buildings in
other parts of the county.
Here is an image of Cabin 8, also with a house tag number of '617', the significance is unknown.
This is a copy of an original drawing (cleaned up, with identified cabin numbers) of the McClellan
Flats area, with cabins and out-buildings (garages and storage sheds). The original Table Mountain
road, coming up from the lower left side, enters the area and fans out to the various cabins. An
extension of the road swings around cabin 1 to the south, and swings around to the northeast and
eventually to the northwest (upper right corner) on its way to the top of Table Mountain.
This is a reconstructed detailed map of McClellan Flats as it was in the 1950s (and still today). The
Table Mountain road was altered somewhat in the time since the 1920s, but for the most part follows
the same path as the original. Note the small building to the east of cabin 8, as it is a garage, and
its significance will later be described. Look again at the image of cabin 8, and you will see the very
edge of the garage (with a curved roof line) on the far right side.
In the wintertime, getting up to Table Mountain was just not possible by any automobiles. Here, one
can see the tracks of snowshoes that had to be used by SAO personnel to get supplies and the mail
at the Big Pines Camp.
This is the road just above McClellan Flats, and shows Mt. Baden-Powell in the background.
Table Mountain was surveyed for building placement by additional trips of SAO personnel to the
summit in the summer of 1925. The Smithsonian records do not actually indicate where all the wood
was obtained for the buildings, but one can presume it came from local woodcutters, located in
Saw Mill Canyon in the Swarthout Valley. Local wood was cut for much of the buildings at the Big
Pines Camp, and certainly could have been used for the 'field station' buildings on Table Mountain.
Before making any final decision, tests of the sky clarity, moisture content, and other measurements
were made during that same summer. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sold part of
the Big Pines-L.A. County Camp property, namely the top of Table Mountain, to Smithsonian and also
helped with making the primitive road better for auto travel to the summit from McClellan Flats!
This property ownership transfer probably occurred by the end of 1925.
An unknown Smithsonian researcher makes some initial tests on the summit of Table Mountain during
the winter 1924 to spring of 1925.
An additional piece of test equipment used in 1925.
One of the first dated documents made from Table Mountain data.
Now it was time to build the necessary facilities for the new field station at Table Mountain.
In the summer of 1925, A. F. Moore took charge of the construction of five separate buildings;
two residences, a garage, a shop, and a tunnel 'bunker' for the instruments. As with all previous
field stations, the site director and assistant were expected to live on the mountain, year-round.
The road needed to be plowed for site access in the winter, and needed to be housed in a garage.
A shop for computations and office work was also needed. A water tank system for the site was
also necessary.
This is the director's residence, with a kitchen, living room, full bath, and large bedroom.
The assistant director's residence was much smaller, but had similar rooms as the director's home.
The garage for the snowplow, later to become the bunk house.
The shop and computations office.
The two 1200 gallon water tanks, however one is directly behind the other as seen in this view.
The pump house which contained a model T engine for pumping water to the top of the mountain.
The observations/instruments tunnel/bunker set up. The opening faces due south.
Sometime in the 1930s, after much difficulty with winter snows completely covering the access
road on the summit's north slope, a new route was choosen around to the south side of the final
summit climb. The following four images show some of the winter snow difficulties.
The south facing slope contains much less snow.
This picture shows the area where the current road arrives at the summit of Table
Mountain, and is looking northeast, with the site entrance itself at the far right.
Before we get into the further development of Table Mountain by Smithsonian, we shall look at
some additional maps and notes concerning methods of getting to the site.
In this 1931 map of unknown origin, the distance from Los Angeles to Wrightwood is listed as 90 miles.
Unknown source and date.
The extension road from Highway 138 at 'Mountain Top' into Wrightwood was completed in 1937.
This is a 1943 Automobile Club of Southern California map.
In this Shell Oil Company map, dated 1947, we can see the progress of the Angeles Crest Highway.
This is a 1948 revised edition of a USGS topo map. There is no mention of Table Mountain, or even
an elevation. In fact, the elevation contour lines are very poor at best in that area. Circle Mountain
(center) is still listed as having an elevation of 6917 feet.
Richfield Oil Company map dated 1952.
In this most recent USGS topo map, dated 1956 (with revisions in violet color for 1968), it shows
several new buildings at Table Mountain (JPL owned/operated as of 1962), and a mistake that has
showed up elsewhere over recent years. "Smithsonian Observatory" is listed nearly 1/2 mile east
of the actual facility. The violet colored dot (1968) refers to the solar test building constructed
there in 1965. Smithsonian never was out on that point with any instrumentation or building during
their 1924-1961 occupancy!
since December 7, 2009