Historic NH Fire Lookout Page

[RoySwkr]

In case you never saw the tower on Garfield or Hale

http://www.firelookout.org/towers/nh/nh.htm

 

[dclynch]

Cool.

Thanks. I enjoyed that.

 

[vegematic]

Thanks for that. Great site!
-vegematic

 

[Amicus]

Another NH Fire Tower website; Green Mt. tower

You can find another website devoted to NH fire towers, present and (many more) past, by Googling "Iris Baird" (who I believe is the leading authority on the subject). It's the third link - "Fire Towers." Whether it actually includes information not on the excellent site Roy linked I couldn't say, but it's certainly formatted differently - worth a look by those with a special interest. I'd have posted a link but the URL is way long - it's a page on Geocities.

From Roy's site, I find confirmation of a rumor I'd heard that Green Mountain tower in Effingham (my favorite) was moved from Cedar Mountain in Parsonsfield, Me, in 1922. I've also heard that a foundation remains atop Cedar Mt. and I intended to hike up there in the Spring to take measurements. Since I also now learn from Roy's site that the Green Mt. tower was shortened by 8 feet in 1977, however, I suppose the measurements will be inconclusive. From a 1930's picture (which may be the one on the website), it looks like they must have taken the 8 feet from the bottom, as you would expect, thereby changing the footprint. Oh well.

 

[Periwinkle]

In case you never saw the tower on Garfield or Hale

http://www.firelookout.org/towers/nh/nh.htm

And lots of others I've only seen the foundations of. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TenPeaks]

Thanks for the link. Lots of interesting pictures and facts.

When these fire towers were active, does anyone know if a hiker could go up into the tower to enjoy the view? I imagine if you knocked on the door the fire warden would either kick you out or invite you in. At least he'd have someone to talk to for a little while. Was there a policy in place regarding visitors?

 

[dclynch]

Usually

I was invited into a number of them over the years, but sometimes the door remained closed. Great views and interesting conversations. I met one man in the Catkills who claimed to have been the first to spot a major fire. As time went by and fires decreased, it must have become an incredibly boring job.

 

[Amicus]

Chatting with Fire Tower Wardens

The two NH towers I have visited while the Warden was on duty are Green Mt. (many times) and Red Hill (a few times). They have always had the trapdoor open and welcomed visitors like me. (If they happened to be tracking a big fire I expect they might close the door.) The ones I've met have been very willing to impart interesting info.

The Green Mt. Warden since at least '89 has been Harry Libby, who is deservedly somewhat of a local celebrity in the Freedom/Effingham area. I've seen him go about his duties a lot and can testify that boredom does not seem to afflict him. He keeps in regular contact by intercom with various colleagues and scans the horizon even while discoursing with visitors.

Incidentally, in my two visits to Red Hill last summer it was unstaffed and looked deserted (except for reams of visitors like me). I assumed it had passed into the "formerly staffed" column but perhaps I happened to be there on two of the Warden's off-days. Does anyone know for certain?

 

[jjmcgo]

Garfield similar to Carrigain

The old Garfield looks somewhat similar in construction to the old Carrigain tower.
And Ten Peaks, yes, you could go into the enclosed Carrigain tower cab and sleep overnight. Don't know if it was legal but it was done.
Good post, Roy.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Incidentally, in my two visits to Red Hill last summer it was unstaffed and looked deserted (except for reams of visitors like me). I assumed it had passed into the "formerly staffed" column but perhaps I happened to be there on two of the Warden's off-days. Does anyone know for certain?

Red Hill (the one in the Catskills) is now maintained by a volunteer organization.

I met one man in the Catkills who claimed to have been the first to spot a major fire. As time went by and fires decreased, it must have become an incredibly boring job.

I'm not sure it was decreasing fires that shut them down. I usually hear that air surveillance has made them cost ineffective.

 

[Don L]

Uncanoonuc in Milford? There is/was a tower on Uncanoonus (South Peak) in Goffstown. Used to be a great place for blueberries before a forest of radio/tv/communications towers popped up. Thought there was still a restaurant of some sort in the 1950's with a picture window overlooking the city of Manchester.
Happy Hiking,
Don L

 

[RoySwkr]

Was there a policy in place regarding visitors?

Obviously with the Fire Lookout Quest they are trying to get you up the mountain at least.

Most lookouts liked visitors and it was part of the job to pass out fire prevention information, in the annual reports of the NH Forestry Commissions they started listing the number of visitors to each tower a couple years before they starting listing the number of fires spotted.

Many NH towers now have a sign that unaccompanied persons under 18 are not admitted, that may have to do with a lookout accused of child abuse but who was not convicted and has since retired. There are also physical limitations on the number of simultaneous visitors.

I have also found towers where they locked themselves in, one who said we were trespassing on the summit (which was then on the A.T.), and one who said she was too busy with fires.

Knock on the door, at worst they will say no.

you could go into the enclosed Carrigain tower cab and sleep overnight. Don't know if it was legal but it was done.

It was actually listed as a shelter for awhile, but attracted long-term occupancy by hippie sorts and was eventually removed.

 

[dms]

Very nice link Roy. I've had invitations to "come on up" at Rock Rimmon, Red Hill, Pawtuckaway and Magalloway. Also got an invitation on Big Spencer in ME. The observer at Rock Rimmon in Kingston, told me that in the mid 70's after an early fall snowstorm up north he had seen the summit of Mt. Wasington on the horizon.

 

[RoySwkr]

You can find another website devoted to NH fire towers, ...

If you mean
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/4192/twr1.htm
that is Dave Hilton's site, he is the author of a Maine Lookout book which is more flashy & less historical than the NH book by Baird

He is also deceased, so grab anything you want off this site because it could go away any time

... it looks like they must have taken the 8 feet from the bottom, as you would expect, thereby changing the footprint. Oh well.

New footings are expensive, and probably left a trace of the old ones if they were removed

 

[Amicus]

That second NH Fire Tower website...

is indeed the one Roy Swkr has just posted, by the late (I'm sorry to learn, although I didn't know him) Dave Hilton. (I'll have to get my act together sufficiently to be able to post such links myself, even if Avatars continue to remain beyond me.)

On whether the Green Mountain, Effingham NH tower was indeed on Cedar Mountain in Parsonsfield, ME before being moved in 1922, as has been reported, I will journey to Cedar Mt. at some point with tape measure and report my findings to a waiting world.

 

[Waumbek]

Incidentally, in my two visits to Red Hill last summer it was unstaffed and looked deserted (except for reams of visitors like me). I assumed it had passed into the "formerly staffed" column but perhaps I happened to be there on two of the Warden's off-days. Does anyone know for certain?

My last visit to Red Hill was in September 2004. Ed Maheux of the Moultonborough Fire Department was still staffing the tower full time (except in winter). Like Harry at Green, Ed invited visitors up into the cab and generously answered all questions and shared his experiences. It's a shame if he's no longer there.