NEW YORK LOOKOUTS
PADLOCK
Tompkins County
August 26, 1940: "Blackman Hill in the Town of Caroline, one of the highest central points in Tompkins County, was the site chosen by the New York State Conservation Department for the erection of a fire observation tower, the first of its kind ever located in this section of the state.
Already the towering steel structure has aroused the curiosity of many motorists touring the countryside of a sunny afternoon or evening, and many of them have succeeded in finding the stony truck trail which leads up and up into the Caroline Hills until suddenly they round a bend and the end of the road.
Ten CCC boys from Camp SP-125 at Slaterville, under the direction of Kenneth G. VanNostrand, camp construction foreman, have been working for two months on the tower which is now nearing completion, and within the near future will be the headquarters of a state fire warden for this section.
Of steel construction throughout, the tower measures 17 feet square at the bottom and narrows down to 7 feet square at the top, and is 75 feet high. The hill on which it stands is listed at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level, and is so situated that it has a commanding view of the entire countryside in every direction." (The Ithaca Journal)
Already the towering steel structure has aroused the curiosity of many motorists touring the countryside of a sunny afternoon or evening, and many of them have succeeded in finding the stony truck trail which leads up and up into the Caroline Hills until suddenly they round a bend and the end of the road.
Ten CCC boys from Camp SP-125 at Slaterville, under the direction of Kenneth G. VanNostrand, camp construction foreman, have been working for two months on the tower which is now nearing completion, and within the near future will be the headquarters of a state fire warden for this section.
Of steel construction throughout, the tower measures 17 feet square at the bottom and narrows down to 7 feet square at the top, and is 75 feet high. The hill on which it stands is listed at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level, and is so situated that it has a commanding view of the entire countryside in every direction." (The Ithaca Journal)
April 17, 1941: "The first fire tower erected in this section has just been put in operation. The tower, known as the Padlock Fire Tower, is located in the Town of Caroline, on Blackman Hill, at an elevation of 1,920 feet.
Russell J. Boyer of Slaterville Springs has been appointed observer and will be on duty daily during the spring fire season. The tower is about 3 miles southwest of the village of Caroline and is accessible via automobile. It is of steel with stairway from base to glass enclosed cabin on top. It is 68 feet high and was erected last year by enrollees of Slaterville Springs CCC Camp under supervision of F.E. Fohrman, superintendent.
Fires detected from this tower will be reported to the CCC Camp at Slaterville Springs, and all fires occurring on or near state-owned reforestation areas will be extinguished by the enrollees from this camp. However, other fires, according to law, are the responsibility of the supervisors of the respective towns, under whom fire wardens have been appointed. CCC camps will, however, assist in extinguishing fires in cases of emergency when called upon by the supervisors or fire wardens." (The Ithaca Journal)
Early 1980's: The tower was removed to the State Fairgrounds, where it became a part of the Department of Environmental Conservation exhibit. (The Ithaca Journal)