CONNECTICUT LOOKOUTS
HIGH ROCK
.
1926: "The High Rock Association, which was organized in the spring of 1926, has already secured the erection of a new lookout station on a hill opposite High Rock. This station overlooks the lower part of the Naugatuck Valley and the surrounding hillsides and will undoubtedly br helpful in reducing the fires in this bad region." (Report of the State Forester)
May 1931: "The family of the late Harris Whittemore have presented the High Rock tract to the State of Connecticut, for park and forest purposes. This is an area of approximately 2,000 acres of hill country on both sides of the Nagatuck River, near Beacon Falls. A pleasure park was formerly maintained at this point by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co., and trails which were made at that time leading to the summit of the cliff known as High Rock are still usable. Mr. Whittemore, who served for many years as a member of the Connecticut Park and Forest Commission, began acquiring this area soon after the war with the intention of presenting it to the State. The State park and forest commission has designated it for the present as the High Rock State Forest and intends when appropriations permit to develop portions of it as a park.
A lookout tower is maintained by the State on the hill east of the river, and 30 miles of firebreaks were cleaned out last winter." (The Forest Worker)