HOMINY HILLS (FARMINGDALE)
New Jersey - Monmouth County
July 31, 1924: "Richard Taft and George McMurtrie went on a bicycle and hiking trip to Hominy Hills, Monday, where the new fire lookout tower is nearing completion. From the enclosed platform part way up where visitors are permitted to go, they could see as far as Lakehurst, and could distinguish the mooring mast of the dirigible Shennandoah." (Monmouth Democrat)
August 22, 1924: "The Hominy Hills and the nearby Hockhockton swamp are thickly wooded with pine and cedar and provide some fine picnic grounds. The State has erected its newest fire tower on one of these hills to protect the woods. This tower id plainly visible from such opposite sides of the county as Glendola and Colts Neck and offers to the visitor to its top a superb view of the whole of Monmouth county." (The Freehold Transcript and The Monmouth Inquirer)
June 14, 1926: "Possibly one of the most conspicuous and interesting objects in Monmouth county and the least visited is the watch tower located on the highest peak of Hominy Hills near here. This tower is 65 feet high, built of metal, and is enclosed on all sides with glass, affording a clear vision for miles around. It can be seen from practically all the highways near here and can be reached from two ways, tho neither is easy to travel due to the sand." (Asbury Park Press)
September 15, 1926: "James Cummings, who was recently appointed to the official position of watcher in the fire tower on Hominy Hills in Atlantic township and family have moved to Colts Neck." (Asbury Park Press)
March 23, 1927: "Everett Tower has resumed his duties as look out in the New Jersey forest fire tower on Hominy Hills near Colt's Neck." (Red Bank Register)
March 30, 1927: "The fire tower near Colt's Neck is open for the season and visitors are welcome at all times. In rainy or damp weather the tower is not open as there is no danger from forest fires when these conditions exist. The tower can be reached by driving out the Colt's Neck and Farmingdale road until a sign is seen directing one to the tower, which is located on a hill about a mile from the road. The road into the tower is somewhat sandy but a car can drive most of the way in. From the top of the tower one can see the hangar at Lakehurst, the ocean and many of the towns in the county. The tower is maintained by the state and Everett Tower of Colt's Neck is employed as lookout." (The Daily Register)
April 25, 1928: "During the past year 640 persons visited the observation fire tower in the Hominy Hills section, south of Colt's Neck. The number of visitors for the previous year was 169. The tower is on a high hill and it affords a fine view of the surrounding country. Visitors are always welcome.
The tower is open every dry day and Everett Tower of Colt's Neck is on duty scanning the country for signs of forest fires. The best way to get to the tower is by way of the Colt's Neck-Farmingdale road, on the west side of which is a sign marking the route to the tower. Mr. Tower requests that anyone seeing a forest fire let him know as soon as possible. The fire tower telephone number is Freehold 106 F-5." (Red Bank Register)
April 5, 1929: "During the season of 1928, 670 persons visited the forest fire tower. This is considered quite remarkable, as the tower is closed every rainy day. Evert Tower, the lookout watcher is again on duty. The fire tower is located about a mile west of the Colts Neck-Farmingdale road.
There seems to be quite a number of forest fires caused by persons burning without permits. A permit costs nothing. When burning near a forest, the law requires that one shall have a permit. For intentional violation of this law; the fine is from $200 to $400. For unintentional violation from $50 to $200." (The Freehold Transcript and The Monmouth Inquirer)
April 2, 1930: "The forest fire tower on Harmony Hills, near Colt's Neck, was visited by 735 persons in 1919 as against 670 in 1928. During the year 22 forest fires were discovered from the tower." (Red Bank Register)
April 17, 1931: "Friends of Everett Tower, who has just returned to the state fire lookout tower at Hominy Hills on the Colts Neck-Farmingdale road for the season, are expecting his elevation to the post of section fire warden on July 1.
This would be in line with a statewide plan to increase the personnel of the forest fire system. If named, as expected, he will assist Warden John Wylie of Wayside.
The lookout post in charge of Tower was visited by 850 persons last year, Tower reports, as compared with 100 five years ago.
Last year 41 fires were discovered from the tower, many of which were believed to have been of incendiary origin. A state prison term or a heavy fine is the penalty for setting fires in the woods, Tower points out. In event of forest fire Tower can be notified by telephoning Freehold 106-f-5." (The Freehold Transcript and the Monmouth Inquirer)
October 13, 1931: "Everett Tower, lookout man in the forest fire tower at Hominy Hills, today said a light frost inland last night would increase the fire hazard in the woods since it will cause leaves of trees to fall.
The lookout tower will remain open until Jan. 1, probably, or until the hazard of forest fires has ended. It will be reopened in March." (Ashbury Park Press)
August 6, 1936: "Everett Tower, forest fire lookout at the forest tower, Colts Neck, is being credited with saving the life of a man in danger of succumbing to the effects of the heat last week, it has been revealed.
Tower's attention was attracted to the man's plight, when he heard a faint call as he stood at the window of the lookout tower atop one of the Hominy Hills. Glancing down he spied a soldier struggling along slowly in the hot sand. Another second and the man collapsed.
Rushing down the long winding stairs, the lookout was soon at the side of the stricken man who was lying in the hot sun unconscious. Administrating first aid Tower brot the man partially too and assisted him into the shade.
Shortly a detachment of National Guardsmen, who were engaged in war game maneuvers in the section appeared on the scene looking for their companion. He was private Kingsley Snyder, of Bogota. Snyder had been overcome with the heat and it was necessary to call a Red Cross detachment to take him out of the woods back to the camp." (Matawan Journal)
October 15, 1936: "The Farmingdale fire tower, which is located about four miles north of Farmingdale on the Farmingdale-Colt's Neck road, is now equipped with a low-wave sending and receiving radio set. The call letters of the Farmingdale tower are W 3 XCJ. The radio operates on a frequency of 37.8 megacycles by authority of the Federal Communication commission.
It is possible for Everett Tower, watcher of the tower, to converse with any other of the 15 fire towers in the state or division headquarters at Mount Holly in a few seconds. In the near future it will be possible for the tower man to talk with Colonel Coyle, the state fire warden while Mr. Coyle is touring the state by airplane." (Red Bank Register)
April 15, 1937: "Everett Tower, lookout watcher of the Farmingdale fire tower, has passed the examination for third class radio telephone operator and has received his license from the Federal Communications commission at Washington, D.C. In the examination Mr. Tower received 93 per cent for the test.
A third class operator's license is the type of license for a dispatcher of a police sending and receiving radio station and also fulfills the requirements for sending and receiving radios on passenger airplanes.
The call letters of the Farmingdale tower have been changed from W3XCJ to W2XNO." (Red Bank Register)
December 24, 1959: "The 60-foot fire tower that stood straight and tall against the sky at Hominy Hills--a landmark in this area for some 30 years--is no more. Last Wednesday it was dismantled by contractors, put on trailers and carried to Bear Swamp Hill in Penn State Forest where it will serve Burlington and Ocean Counties." (The Freehold Transcript and the Monmouth Inquirer)