LATTA
South Carolina - Dillon County - South Carolina Forestry Commission
February 28, 1934: "A meeting of farmers and owners of timber lands will be held at Latta Thursday morning, March 1 at 10 o'clock in the Town Hall, in the interest of forming a fire protection association unit to operate in connection with the fire tower to be constructed near Latta." (Florence Morning News)
December 6, 1935: "Robert Bethea, keeper of the Latta fire tower, dropped dead here shortly after noon Thursday while helping extinguish the flames of a dwelling near the tower. Death was due to heart failure." (The Columbia Record)
March 11, 1936: "Signed cooperative agreements between the South Carolina State Commission of Forestry and landowners in Dillon County, covering an additional 18,032 acres in connection with the Latta Forest Protective Association have been secured by Horace Campbell, of Dillon, association ranger.
With this additional acreage, the Latta association now comprises a total acreage under forest fire protection of around 35,000 acres, which is approximately one-fifth of the total woodland area of Dillon county.
One steel lookout tower near Latta, manned by H.L. Cottingham, has been operating since the organization of the Latta association." (Florence Morning News)
2010: The tower was sold at auction.