CONNECTICUT LOOKOUTS
TALCOTT MOUNTAIN
Bloomfield
Hartford County
Hartford County
July 5, 1914: "State Forester W.O. Filley of New Haven and C.J. Murphy of the United States Forest service, with James M. Stocking of Simsbury, made a visit of inspection, Thursday, to the new tower which G.F. Heublein of Hartford is erecting on Talcott Mountain.
Mr. Murphy is a representative of the department that has charge of the lookout stations of the forest fire service, and it was with a view to establishing such a station on the Heublein tower that the trip was made.
If the forest service approves of the establishment of a lookout at this place, the government pays for a watchman and provides the telephone service and the necessary maps and supplies for establishing the station. It is understood that Mr. Heublein has approved such a plan." (Hartford Courant)
Mr. Murphy is a representative of the department that has charge of the lookout stations of the forest fire service, and it was with a view to establishing such a station on the Heublein tower that the trip was made.
If the forest service approves of the establishment of a lookout at this place, the government pays for a watchman and provides the telephone service and the necessary maps and supplies for establishing the station. It is understood that Mr. Heublein has approved such a plan." (Hartford Courant)
August 16, 1915: "Permission has been denied the Federal Government by Gilbert Heublein, owner of the Hotel Heublein of this city and head of a wholesale liquor house, for the use of his tower on Talcott Mountain in Simsbury. This fact became known today through a statement made by Walter O. Filley, State forester and fire warden, who said that he and L.F. Murphy of the National Forestry Service had been unable to arrange with Mr. Heublein for a lookout station for forest fires in Connecticut.
The tower, which is the highest point in the State, commands a view for miles around, and in a recent magazine article on what might happen in the event of a foreign invasion it was pictured as the chief New England wireless station.
C.H. Veeder of Hartford, who owns property on the mountain near the tower, is willing to aid the Government in the establishment of a lookout station, and the tower at Tariffville, which was built by Mrs. Antoinette Eno Wood, daughter of the owner of the old Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York, may be obtained." (The Sun)
August 25, 1915: "The facts in the case are these: The Heublein tower overlooks a large section of the state, and it was very natural that local fire wardens should suggest its use as a forest fire lookout to be maintained by the state in cooperation with the United States forest service, under the Weeks law for the protection of the forested watersheds of navigable streams. Before the tower was completed it seemed possible that such use could be arranged for; but Mr. Heublein's plans for the use of the tower as a private residence prevented any arrangement satisfactory to the forest service. This does not mean that Mr. Heublein refused the use of the tower for the purpose; on the contrary, he offered the services of his own caretaker as a lookout so far as other duties would permit, and also offered to allow the state to build a tower on some other portion of his property which would be entirely under (state) control. It is quite possible that this offer may be accepted, although lack of funds for building towers makes it more desirable to use already existing ones if possible." (Hartford Courant)
April 1, 1917: "It is with great interest, therefore, that those in this section who are interested in the matter of controlling forest fires have observed the offer of the Heublein Tower on Talcott Mountain to the state or government. Whatever use might might be made of the tower, it would seem feasible to combine with it the duties of a lookout station. The tower would be almost ideal for such a purpose, as it is said to command a view of over 1,000 square miles. The elevation of the tower above the Connecticut and Farmington rivers is dotted by cities and villages. Although the tower as a forest fire lookout would not be of much help to those towns and villages on the outskirts of its vision, it would be of inestimable value to a section of several hundred square miles." (Hartford Courant)
c.1926: "The Talcott Mt. Association was the first one organized. It secured the co-operation of the Travelers Insurance Co. in establishing a lookout station in its tower, and has also maintained a lookout observer at the Beach place on Talcott Mt. overlooking the territory west of the range which is not visible from the tower. The patrolman employed by the Association have done considerable detective work in protecting its members." (Report of the State Forester)