FEDERAL HILL
New Hampshire - Hillsborough County
1911: A lookout established, a platform built at the 20 foot level of a large tree.
January 3, 1930: "The station on Federal Hill in Milford, established in 1911, when a platform was built around a large tree about 20 feet from the ground, has been put in service again with the construction of a steel tower 45 feet, in height, with an enclosed observation room. A two room cabin also was built and telephone connection provided." (Portsmouth Herald)
March 28, 1935: "Harry W. Pearsons of Nashua is back as forest fire watchman at the Federal Hill lookout tower for his third year. Although he assumed duties only this week, Fire Warden Pearsons has already reported five forest or grass fires. He is acting in conjunction with the Milford fire wardens who have issued positive instruction that no fire for burning over land is to be started without permit. Property owners doing this will be subject to a heavy fine. Already Milford has had severe loss by fire over that of the six months of 1934, and fire chiefs want to check this growing record." (The Telegraph)
October 4, 1963: "Federal Hill is the dispatching tower for the five fire towers in Hillsboro county. The five towers are under supervision of Winthrop Hannaford, Hudson, district fire chief.
Wayne McCalvey, lookout watchman for Federal Hill, is responsible for spotting fires in Milford, Wilton, Amherst, Brookline, South Merrimack and part of Merrimack. Fires in Hillsboro county are reported to him.
In addition to spotting fires, McCalvey reports on the weather to the Concord office at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Getting the weather involves compiling information from an anemometer and a fuel moisture scale. With a forest fire danger meter, McCalvey works out a burning index by combining wind velocity, moisture and buildup." (Nashua Telegraph)
February 2015: Advertisement for bids published for "cab replacement, structural steel reinforcement, guy cable attachments, painting of the tower, concrete footing replacement, construction of new hand railings and miscellaneous repairs." (Concrete Bid Network)
August 8, 2016: "Millford's Federal Hill fire tower is expected to receive significant renovations before the end of the year. Thomas Mansfield, an architect for the New Hampshire Department of Economic Resources and Development, said the scheduled project includes replacing the tower's building, reinforcement of the structural steel supports to better withstand strong winds, concrete foundation repair, installation of new stair treads, guard rails and painting of the steel superstructure.
The project, paid for from the state's general fund, will cost about $84,000. The work will be performed by J. P. MacDonald Services, LLC, of Massachusetts. Part of the project, removal of the cab, will require workers to dismantle and lower it by hand to the ground." (Nashua telegraph. com)