NORTH CAROLINA LOOKOUTS
CAMERON HILL
Harnett County
North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
1925-26: "Through the effective efforts of District Forester K.E. Kimball and the County Wardens, Mr. J.A.D. McCormick, a 60-foot wooden lookout tower has recently been erected on Cameron Hill in Harnett County in cooperation with certain members of this same group. This is being connected up by telephone with the surrounding country so that quick action can be secured in getting to a fire discovered by the lookout." (Department of Conservation and Development of North Carolina - Biennial Report 1925-26)
September 1926: "The first fire lookout tower erected by the North Carolina Forest Service has just been completed on Cameron Hill, in Harnett County. District Forester K.E. Kimball and his wardens designed and built it, with generous local cooperation. The expense of building the tower and about 50 miles of connecting telephone lines was met from the dues of local members of the Cape Fear Forest Protective Association and from Federal cooperative funds. The corner supports of the tower are 60-foot juniper poles 6 inches in diameter at the upper end, and its braces are heart longleaf pine. It is sunk 4 feet in very hard soil, with heavy dead men bolts across the base of the poles on two sides. Creosote treatment given the base is believed to guarantee the tower's usefulness for at least 15 years. The 8 x 8 foot cabin surmounting the tower is glassed all around. On fairly clear days it commands a view of objects 15 to 17 miles distant, and its average effective range is estimated at about 10 miles." (The Forest Worker)
1926-28: A 65-foot wood tower was constructed on Cameron Hill. (Department of Conservation and Development of the State of North Carolina - Biennial Report 1926-28)
August 19, 1938: Erected by the CCC. "100 foot creosoted wood tower, inside stairway. located at Cameron Hill, Harnett County; erected August 19, 1938 from SCS Camp 18 as a cooperative project." (Department of Conservation and Development - 8th Biennial Report - 1940)
1951: A steel tower was erected to replace the earlier wood tower.
March 3, 1965: "The Air Force lost a truck here Monday and this Harnett County came close to losing a church.
An Air Force C-130 cargo plane dropped a three-quarter ton truck from 1,500 feet. The vehicle landed about 200 feet from a forest fire tower and narrowly missed a church steeple.
William Holder, who was in the fire tower with his wife said the truck 'kinda drifted down. It came right over the corner of the manse of the Cameron Hill Presbyterian Church and hit the ground about 200 feet from the tower.'
Holder said his wife was 'so sick from the incident she had to come out of the tower.'
There were no injuries.
Pope Air Force Base, which expressed 'regret over the incident,' said the multiple safety devises failed to stop the truck from sliding through the rear cargo door.
The truck had a parachute attached but it failed to open." (Statesville Record and Landmark)
An Air Force C-130 cargo plane dropped a three-quarter ton truck from 1,500 feet. The vehicle landed about 200 feet from a forest fire tower and narrowly missed a church steeple.
William Holder, who was in the fire tower with his wife said the truck 'kinda drifted down. It came right over the corner of the manse of the Cameron Hill Presbyterian Church and hit the ground about 200 feet from the tower.'
Holder said his wife was 'so sick from the incident she had to come out of the tower.'
There were no injuries.
Pope Air Force Base, which expressed 'regret over the incident,' said the multiple safety devises failed to stop the truck from sliding through the rear cargo door.
The truck had a parachute attached but it failed to open." (Statesville Record and Landmark)