WESTONIA
Hancock County - Mississippi Forestry Commission
August 29, 1929: "A lookout tower for detecting forest fires is being completed at Westonia in Hancock county, according to an announcement made in Gulfport today by K. E. Kimball of Wiggins, district forester of the Mississippi Forest Service. The tower is of steel, 100 feet high and is fitted with a glassed in cabin at the top. The forest service is stringing 16 miles of telephone lines from the tower to the homes of fire wardens and smoke detectors. The tower is located in the third ranger district which covers 100,000 acres of cut-over pine lands. Equipment for extinguishing forest fires and trucks are stationed at the tower for use in this district." (Sun Herald)
September 17, 1929: "The fire lookout tower at Westonia has been completed, K. E. Kimball, district forester with headquarters at Wiggins, announces. This is the first tower to be completed in Hancock county. Horatio Givens, long time employe of the Western Lumber Company, has been appointed ranger for this tower and the territory covered by it in the forestry survey in this section. A towerman and two fire chasers have also been appointed to serve this tower. The telephone line to different sections of this forestry area has been strung and is in operation for use in fire detection, Mr. Kimball said.
The tower in Hancock county is 115 feet over all, and the tower is next highest tower in this district." (Sun Herald)
September 21, 1929: "A new lookout tower has been completed in the Pascagoula forest protective area. The tower, which is 115 feet high, is located in Hancock county and is the fifth tower to be put in service. It is manned by two fire chasers and a towerman. Members of the protective area, co-operating with the American Forestry Association, are accumulating an exhibit to be placed in the Gulf Coast Fair." (Clarion-Ledger)
March 18, 1930: "On the night of March 13, Towerman Welsh of the Weston Lookout Tower discovered a fire on Highway No. 49 east of the tower. The smoke chasing crew responded to his call immediately and extinguished the fire. Deputy Sheriff Miller arrested a tramp in connection with the fire and took him before Judge Jones of Logtown. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to pay $100 fine and serve sixty days in jail. The fine was suspended and the defendant placed in the jail at Bay St. Louis. The defendant's name is Walter Sheppard.
This is the first prosecution brought by the State Forest Service since the establishment of the forest protective area in Hancock county. In this area the work of suppressing forest fires has been declared successful so far this year. The area is watched over by a 100-foot lookout at Westonia and guarded by wardens and smokechasers scattered over the area and connected with the tower by telephone. H. W. Givens of Westonia is forest ranger in charge." (Sun herald)