MASSACHUSETTS LOOKOUTS
MOUNT WATATIC
ASHBURNHAM
Worcester County
November 22, 1913: "Charles T. Crocker speaking for Crocker, Burbank & Co. says the company is anxious to see the plan carried out and has offered to contribute. During recent years this company has been much bothered by brush fires and is willing to cooperate in a movement to help others from having like troubles. Mr. Crocker said he has no interest in the location save that the best possible one shall be chosen. He thought Watatic mountain would be a good place." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
February 29, 1916: "Art. 35 is to see if $100 shall be raised toward establishing a fire lookout station on Watatic mountain (adjoining towns also bearing a proportionate share) and which after established, the state promises to support and bear all funding expenses." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
March 7, 1916: "Article 22---For appropriation of $100 to aid in establishing a fire lookout station on Watatic mountain, adopted." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
June 10, 1916: "A 'tower' or 'fire-tower' is under construction on Watatic mountain." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
1917: "The tower purchased last spring for Watatic Mountain has been erected during the past season and 2 miles of telephone line has been constructed. This is a 40-foot tower equipped with fire-escape stairs." (Public Document - No. 73, The State Forester Report of 1917)
August 24, 1918: "E. Walker, who has charge of the station lookout station on Watatic mountain, killed a wild cat early in the week. It weighed 24 pounds." (Fitchbeurg Sentinel)
October 3, 1918: "John Mattson of the Massachusetts institute of Technology is at the home of his parents for a few days.--G.E. Walker, who has been in charge of the 'lookout' on Watatic mountain, has finished his duties and is back at his home for the winter." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
June 6, 1921: "Phillip C. Thayer, Miss Grace D. Thayer and Miss Hester Howe recently rode on horses to the summit of Mt. Watatic in Ashby. The fire warden at the tower on the mountain took their pictures on account of the unusual feat." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
November 12, 1924: "The fire department was called out Monday afternoon by the fire warden on Mount Watatic. He reported a blaze near Lake Maukeag. It was found on investigation, that one of the residents in Lane Village was burning rubbish." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
April 30, 1934: "On a report from the tower man on Watatic mountain, the fire department was called about 3:30 yesterday afternoon for a brush fire in North Ashburnham. It was found that a resident of that district was burning brush without a permit. Chief Merrill G. Derick responed to the alarm with a crew of men." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
October 28, 1935: "A grass fire burned over two acres of land in the big field off Whitney street yesterday noon. It was extinguished by the Lunenburg fire department with extinguishers, the forest fire pumper being sent to the scene. The fire swept the field when it got beyond control of a Whiting street resident who had obtained permission to build a bonfire on his place. The smoke was sighted by the fire lookout on Watatic mountain, who telephoned to the Lunenburg department." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
August 3, 1936: "An alarm for fire Saturday afternoon was for a small grass blaze near the Mills farm on the Ashby road. The alarm was given by the tower man on Watatic mountain. The fire was believed to have been started by a lighted cigaret. There was no damage." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
September 21, 1938: The lookout was destroyed in the Great New England Hurricane of 1938.
August 28, 1940: "The fire department was called to a brush fire yesterday afternoon on land owned by the Fessenden Co. Inc., located on Meetinghouse hill between the Bert Wright and Carl Willard houses. The fire apparently started in or about a lean-to built and used by boys as a playhouse. The lean-to was burned down and about an acre or more of cut-off land burned over. The fire was discovered by the lookout on Mount Watatic and Henry C. Felch, fire chief, was notified by telephone." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
April 29, 1941: "The fire lookout forestry worker on Watatic mountain reported this noon that the smoke over the area had diminished considerably and that the fire was apparently under control. Associated Press reports, however, indicated that an additional 2000 acres had gone up in smoke before the fire could be curbed." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
September 23, 1941: "Fanned by a brisk wind, the Ashburnham forest fire took new life and was 'out of control' at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, according to word received from Mt. Watatic fire observatory tower. A change of wind was pushing the flames back over some of the area destroyed during the night and embers started other fires along the state road, a half-mile away from the scene of the original blaze, in the direction of Winchendon." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
November 1950: "Heavy supports buckled and crumbled when winds of gale force toppled the 65-foot-high fire observation tower on Mount Watatic in Ashby." (Fitchburg Sentinel)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY MASSACHUSETTS GEODETIC SURVEY 1983
THE STATION WAS RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION. A NEW DESCRIPTION
FOLLOWS.
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 6.8 KM (4.25 MI) NORTH OF ASHBURNHAM, 1.6
KM (1.00 MI) SOUTH OF THE MASSACHUSETTS-NEW HAMPSHIRE STATELINE ON THE
SUMMIT OF THE HIGHER OF THE TWIN PEAKS OF WATATICK MOUNTAIN, AT A FIRE
OBSERVATION TOWER AND IS IN THE TOWN OF ASHBURNHAM.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF STATE ROUTES 101 AND 119,
ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF ASHBURNHAM, GO EAST ON ROUTE 119 FOR 0.16 KM
(0.10 MI) TO A CROSSROAD. TURN LEFT ANG GO NORTHEAST ON PILLSBURY ROAD
FOR ABOUT 1.8 KM (1.10 MI) TO A T-ROAD. TURN LEFT AND GO NORTHWEST ON
BENNETT ROAD FOR ABOUT 0.48 KM (0.30 MI) TO A FORK. TAKE THE LEFT FORK
AND GO WESTERLY FOR ABOUT 0.6 KM (0.40 MI) TO THE END OF THE ROAD. A
JEEP TRAIL LEADS TO THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE STATION.
THE STATION IS A DISK SET IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE ROCK LEDGE AT GROUND
LEVEL AND IS LOCATED IN LINE WITH THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE TWO WEST
CONCRETE PIERS OF THE FIRE TOWER AND IS 1.7 M (5.6 FT) NORTH OF THE
SOUTHWEST PIER.