After Smokey Bear, historic lookout towers are the most recognized symbols of the forest service, and at one time, over 200 of these artifacts dotted Alabama.
Made of wood and steel, these tall, commanding structures were marvels of engineering for their time and helped keep Alabama safe from forest fires – even in urban areas permeated and surrounded by forests of green. These structures could blend in with their environment very easily, unnoticeable until you happened upon one while walking in the woods. They could also appear prominently in a viewshed, silent guardians over their domain.
Beloved by all, lookout towers were sites of family and community picnics, and a climb up the stairs for a visit with the ranger was always welcome.
Today, however, there are probably less than 75 of these historic structures still standing in Alabama. Many are looking worse for the wear, are very unsafe, and are illegal to climb.
In the early 20th century, the first lookouts were platforms in trees. Soon after, the forest service began erecting wooden towers built of creosote wood. As far as we know, none of these still stand today, as many were replaced by steel towers during the New Deal.
Upon America’s entry into WWII, the Civilian Conservation Corps ceased building firetowers, leaving a number standing unfinished as Corps workers went to fight. Forestry personnel took over, building new towers both during the war and a few decades beyond.
The most common steel lookout tower model in Alabama’s forests was the Aermotor MC-39, followed by the LS-40 version. Other models were also erected in the state, such as the International Derrick and Equipment Company versions.
Alabama also has two architectural lookouts constructed of stone: Cheaha State Park’s Bunker Tower (featured in the National Park Service’s 1935 book, “Park Structures and Facilities”) and the Flagg Mountain Lookout Tower.
So how did the lookouts in Alabama go from being so important and numerous to being so neglected in our time?
The most common explanation is that aircraft was more efficient in spotting fires in a much broader area than a 100-foot tower could provide. When a lookout ceased to be staffed by a “Tower Man,” the structure remained standing, eventually fitted with antennae for communications, which remain on many firetowers to this day.
Over time, these ranger towers began showing signs of neglect. Cab floors and wooden stairs began rotting, and the steel armature began collecting rust, common conditions for most towers today. Naturally, they are magnets for people to climb – a liability issue for both the state and federal forest service, leading to the dismantling of these historic structures. Today, Alabama retains only about a third of the lookouts it once had.
A critical point must be made and emphasized about these lookouts: they are the only physical record of this highly significant period of forest service history. They are no longer being made, and once they are gone, they are gone forever.
So what can be done to save these honored forest service sentinels that kept Alabama safe for the better part of the 20th century?
The most practical idea would be for a local historical society, trails group, municipality, county commission, or someone who has a passion and interest in restoring a local lookout in their vicinity to get in touch with the owner of the tower and make arrangements for procuring it and the acreage it stands on for a new use as a park, nature trail, or campsite rental, making the tower the centerpiece of the initiative. Think of what individuals, families, companies, churches, and communities could enjoy at a restored tower site! A safe, climbable fire tower – accompanied by cookouts, hiking, picnicking, birding, stargazing, or campfires under the canopy of the night sky.
Restored lookouts in Alabama are attracting visitors, and issues of liability for tower climbing at these sites appear to have been largely resolved. What better way to preserve the past than for a community or group to adopt a local tower and realize it for a wonderful new use that everyone can enjoy?
Thomas Kaufmann is an author and a preservationist. He writes from Montgomery and may be contacted at [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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