PENNSYLVANIA LOOKOUTS

COLE HILL

Warren County
Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
August 21, 1925:  "The work of erecting the two steel fire towers, located at Torpedo and Sheffield, in Warren county, is progressing satisfactorily.  Last week the work of laying the cement foundations took the greater part of the time of the workmen and it is expected that the steel girders will be placed in position as soon as the cement has set.  Through the co-operation of the district forestry office and the state.  Warren county was allotted two new towers this year.  With her many acres of valuable timber, every precaution against the dreaded monster is being taken by local and state officials." (Titusville Herald)

​May 14, 1926:   "The dry weather is keeping the tower watchman busy reporting fires.  He has reported some fires at a distance of twenty miles.  The map which is used in locating fires covers a radius of fourteen miles."   (The Warren Tribune)

April 4, 1927:  "There is expecting to be built a house near the fire tower for use of keeping all kinds of tools for extinguishing forest fires.  There has been logs hauled to the saw mill of John Peru to be sawed into lumber for this construction.  The forest ranger will take the seat in the tower, as soon as the dry weather starts, to report all fires which he sees from a radius of ten miles.  Last spring there was no ranger on the job as the weather stayed moist, instead of it being a dry spell.  But last fall there were fifty-two fires reported from various places to the district forest H.B. Rowland of Warren."  (The Warren Tribune)

May 2, 1927:  "H.B. Rowland, of Warren, the district forester, was on the Hill deciding upon a spot to build a house near the fire tower.  The house Mr. Rowland stated would be used built large enough for the tools and for at least two cots.  The watchman of the tower will live in the house during the dry seasons of the year when there is danger of forest fires.
     The ranger has been in the tower for three weeks, but not every day.  There has been very few fires so far this season reported to the district forester.  Saturday two fires were reported burning, one near Titusville and the other fire near Marionville.
     Yesterday was the first Sunday this spring that there were any visitors enjoyed looking through the field glasses which aided them in seeing distant places."  (The Warren Tribune)

June 1, 1927:  "The first accident that has occurred at the fire tower since the construction occurred Sunday morning when a pup about three months old owned by W.J. Wentworth fell from the tower and was terribly mangled, both of his front legs were broken and internal injuries which was thought.  The pup had followed his master's brother up to the tower.  Was put on the first step to start down, became scared and backed off the step falling sixty feet to the ground.  He still was alive after the fall but was later killed to relieve him of his misery.
     This accident should be a warning to the people who inspect the tower Sundays, especially the boys who race down the stairs making four or five steps at a jump."  (The Warren Tribune)

July 12, 1927:  "There were several visitors at the fire tower yesterday, but no young ladies with low shoes and thin hose.  The rattlesnake that escaped last Sunday has not been located, although everybody is on the guard that goes near.  According to reports from older residents the top of the hill is quite a snake place as several have been killed near the place where the tower stand in the past years."  (The Warren Tribune)

​August 22, 1927:  "Two men from the Warren Planning Mill at Warren were on the Hill Tuesday morning with a load of material for the construction of the house at the fire tower on the Wentworth farm.  The building of the house was supposed to have started last Monday but the carpenters hired to do the work are ill."  (The Warren Tribune)

August 29, 1927:  "Ernest Johnson and a laborer, of Pittsfield, are building the foundation for the house at the fire tower.  They started work Saturday morning."  (The Warren Tribune)

August 31, 1927:  "Ernest Johnson and helper Frank McIntyre of Pittsfield have begun the work of building the house for the fire tower."  (Warren Morning Mirror)

September 6, 1927:  "The cottage or tool house is now built at the fire tower after a week's work of several carpenters from Pittsfield.  Besides the building of the house the tower cabin was sealed up in the inside with some ceiling which will make it more comfortable for the ranger when he is on duty in the fire seasons."  (The Warren Tribune)

September 8, 1927:   "The house near the fire tower is about completed.  Carpenters have been busy all the past week working on it.
      H.B. Rowland of Warren was here Friday looking after the interest of the fire tower and of the work of building the fire tower house."   (Warren Daily Mirror)

September 26, 1927:  "On Monday and Tuesday, Glenn Baker of Pittsfield, finished painting inside the house near the tower and the windows of the tower cupola.  In order to accomplish the feat of painting the windows, Mr. Baker sat outside of the cupola on a fastened chain to the tower."  (The Warren Tribune)

April 11, 1928:   "Ernest L. Martin, fire tower watchman, last Tuesday reported several forest fires caused by dry weather.  None of the fires reported remained burning more than a half hour after being located."   (The Warren Tribune)

May 7, 1928:  "H.B. Rowland, district forester, of Warren, made an inspection tour to the Cole Hill fire tower, Thursday.  Mr. Rowland brought nine small spruce trees and set them out near the tower which is on the Wentworth farm.  He also brought a stove and other necessities for the towerman's cabin.  With installation of the stove, the cabin is now equipped so that three men can live in the shanty during the dry season.  There is sufficient fire fighting equipment for a force of ten men.  The towerman has been on duty about half the time this spring, Mr. Rowland stated.  After Mr. Rowland got through with business affairs, he left for Clarington where a bad fire was raging."  (The Warren Tribune)

May 15, 1928:   "E.L. Martin, the fire tower watchman, is busy at the tower reporting all forest fires to the district forester at Warren.  On Wednesday nine fires were reported burning in different places at the same time.  One of the most serious blazes was along the Allegheny river, near Tidioute, Thursday.  L.L. Dey, a fire warden, of Torpedo, and a force of fire fighters were battling the blaze late Thursday night.  Last evening another fire was burning near Tidioute.  This blaze was found late yesterday afternoon."   (The Warren Tribune)

April 17, 1931:   "The fire tower watchman of the Cole Hill firetower went on duty Thursday for the first time this year, and is still on duty."   (Warren Times Mirror)

April 23, 1931:   "The Cole Hill fire tower watchman, Ernest Martin of this place is on duty every day now and he is a very busy man locating and reporting fires."   (Warren Times Mirror)

May 25, 1931:   "The Cole Hill fire tower watchman is again on duty at the fire tower this afternoon notwithstanding the hard rain we had here Saturday night."   (Warren Times Mirror)

October 29, 1931:   "Robert McKee, fire inspector of Titusville was here Friday mending the roof of the Cole Hill fire tower and doing other repairs.  The frequent rains here have kept down the forest fires, so that the fire tower watchman hasn't been called on duty yet this fall."   (Warren Times Mirror)
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   November 3, 1932:   "District Forester R.R. Houpt of Warren motored here in the yellow state car and Fire Inspector Robert McKee of Titusville motored here Friday looking after the Cole Hill firetower interests.  The fire tower is almost built.  The roof is on, etc.  The new fire tower is twenty feet higher from the ground than the old fire tower.  However, the old fire tower site on the Wentworth farm was on higher ground."   (Warren Times Mirror)

​May 19, 1933:   "E.L. Martin, the Cole Hill fire tower watchman, has built a barb wire fence around the fire tower and house the past week."   (Warren Times Mirror)

October 31, 1938:   "The Cole Hill fire tower watchman, Ernest Martin, went on tower watch for forest fires Wednesday.  No fires at present, however."   (Warren Times Mirror)

June 9, 1939:   "E.L. Martin, the Cole Hill fire tower watchman, spent his last day in the fire tower for this season on May 31."   (Warren Times Mirror)

April 12, 1941:   "The Cole Hill fire tower watchman, E.L. Martin, went on duty in the fire tower here Friday.  There is no danger of forest fires here in this section, however, for some time yet.  There is more snow in the woods at this time of the year this year than has been for several years."   (Warren Times Mirror)

November 5, 1941:   "The Cole Hill fire tower watchman Ernest Martin finished his work here in the fire tower watching for forest fires Friday, the last of the month.  There will be no more forest fires here until next spring."   (Warren Times Mirror)

December 4, 1941:   "Owing to the dry pleasant weather here the past week the Cole Hill fire tower watchman, Ernest Martin went on duty at the fire tower several days last week."   (Warren Times Mirror)

June 11, 1942:   "William Crippen, the Cole Hill fire tower watchman, has left the fire tower for the summer and gone to his farm work on York Hill."   (Warren Times Mirror)

April 13, 1949:   "The Cole Hill fire tower has been opened for the season, with L.L. Dey, of Torpedo, as the watchman.  Mr. Dey has been fire warden for many years and has been with the crew on many forest fires.  Mr. Dey was the one who hauled the fire tower material from the railroad siding at Torpedo in Auigust, 1926.  The fire tower has had women stationed there on watch for fires for the past seven years.  Three women have had employment since the tower was built."   (Warren Times Mirror)

National Geodetic Survey

DESIGNATION - COLE HILL FIRE LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - MA1902
STATE/COUNTY- PA/WARREN
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - PITTSFIELD (1975)

STATION RECOVERY (2011)

RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2011 (RLM)
RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
UPDATED DIRECTIONS FOLLOW. FROM THE CROSSROADS IN TORPEDO, GO
SOUTHEAST ON ROSS HILL ROAD FOR 1.2 MILES TO A CROSSROAD. TURN LEFT
AND GO NORTH ON COLE HILL ROAD FOR 0.7 MILE TO A SIDE ROAD RIGHT. TURN
RIGHT AND GO EAST ON WYNDYN LANE FOR 0.5 MILE TO THE FIRE TOWER ON THE
RIGHT.