CAMEL'S HUMP
Vermont - Washington County
August 12, 1911: "Camel's Hump is soon to have the first fire lookout station ever to be established by the forest department. These stations, for there will be many more of them probably before the end of the present season, are made possible by an act of the last legislature relating to forest fire protection." (Spirit of the Age)
1911: "On account of the splendid view of large timber tracts to the south and in other directions and especially to protect the land owned by the State from further fires, it has been decided to establish a fire lookout station on the summit of Camel's Hump, and at this writing the telephone line is being constructed." (Third Annual Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Vermont)
1911: "In 1911 a telephone line was built to the summit of Camel's Hump to serve as the first lookout site. No tower was ever built. Merely a cement table was constructed upon which the map of the country side was placed." (History of Forestry in Vermont)
June 16, 1912: "An act recently passed by the Vermont Legislature to help in the prevention of forest fires permitted the State Forester to maintain a watchman during a danger season on any high hill or mountain which was properly connected with the outside world with telephone. This is along the line of the system of lookouts maintained in New Hampshire, Maine and New York.
Last summer a telephone was constructed by the State to the summit of Camels Hump and an arrangement was made with the Waterbury Club, which maintains a camp on the summit, to look for fires. It is planned, says the Vermonter, to build a permanent shelter this year and maintain a trained watchman during dry seasons.
This is not only for protection of the land which was given to the State by Col. Battell, but to prevent fires in the neighboring towns which can be overlooked from the summit." (Story continues at Bromley Mountain) (The Sun, New York)
1913: "The Camel's Hump station, being on the watershed of the Winooski River, is used only during very dry weather, and then at State expense." (5th Annual report of the Vermont State Forester)
1915: "Camel's Hump Mountain, elevation 4,088 feet, can most easily be ascended from North Duxbury. A drive of three miles brings one to the foot of the mountain, where one should be careful to take the new trail made by the Forestry Department. From this trail can be inspected on the north side the forest plantations and fire lines described in this report. Just below the Hump is the Camp maintained by the Camel's Hump Club of Waterbury for the accommodation of climbers. This is also a state fire lookout station. From the summit is a splendid view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks on the west; on the other side most of eastern Vermont with glimpses of the White Mountains; and north and south the great stretches of the Green Mountains." (7th Annual Report of the Vermont State Forester)
1916: Mr. Chamberlin, the lookoutman on Camel's Hump, during the past year cautioned over 500 people in the woods in regard to leaving camp fires burning, etc." (8th Annual Report of the Vermont State Forester)
Removed