OHIO LOOKOUTS
WEST POINT
Columbiana County
1951 - ____
March 7, 1951: "Columbiana county will soon have its first fire lookout tower, according to Herbert F. Maturen, county extension forester, at Lisbon.
The 80-foot steel tower will be erected two miles south of West Point, just off Route 45, to protect the Beaver Creek and Yellow Creek forest areas.
Steel is being trucked to the site. Construction will begin at once.
It will be manned during daylight hours by a lookout to be appointed by the Ohio Division of Forestry. Mr. Maturen said it will be used only during the critical fire seasons--late March to May and September and October." (East Liverpool Review)
The 80-foot steel tower will be erected two miles south of West Point, just off Route 45, to protect the Beaver Creek and Yellow Creek forest areas.
Steel is being trucked to the site. Construction will begin at once.
It will be manned during daylight hours by a lookout to be appointed by the Ohio Division of Forestry. Mr. Maturen said it will be used only during the critical fire seasons--late March to May and September and October." (East Liverpool Review)
March 13, 1951: "Forest and grass fires in the area are being detected by a plane flown from New Philadelphia, but this soon will be supplemented by a fire tower under construction about eight miles southeast of Lisbon. The tower probably will be in use in time for the fall fire season." (East Liverpool Review)
April 27, 1951: "The 80-foot fire lookout tower is nearing completion at West Point--one of 10 being erected by the Division of Forestry Department of Natural Resources. Located two miles south of West Point, just off Route 45, it will protect the Beaver Creek and Yellow Creek forest areas.
The glassed-in cabin is expected to be completed early next week and the tower will be ready for use in the critical fire season in September and October.
Augmenting work of fire wardens in the townships and the daily aerial scouting from the Cambridge district, it will be hooked by phone to other fire control points in District 3, comprised of 17 Northeast Ohio counties.
Eventually, the department hopes to install two-way FM radio so the tower warden can be in instant contact with other points and the aerial patrol.
The tower is on the highest elevation in Columbiana County--the 1,447-foot Round Knob in Madison Township. The warden will be able to see 10 to 15 miles on a clear day." (East Liverpool Review)
October 4, 1951: "Floyd H. Beatty of Apples Corners will be the towerman during the Fall fire season. The 80-foot steel tower is located on Route 45, two and a half miles South of West Point." (The Evening Review)
October 31, 1951: "The Wellsville Volunteer Fire department quelled a grass fire, two miles Northwest of the Jefferson-McCullough Children's Home Tuesday afternoon about 2. They were notified by the fire tower at West Point, which spotted the blaze." (East Liverpool Review)
March 12, 1952: "This Spring marks the second season that the forest fire tower near West Point has been in operation.
The center of the forest fire protection in the county it is manned on all days that are dry enough to have grass and forest fires start and spread, the forester said.
At present the tower is equipped with a telephone but before the end of the Spring fire season the tower and area fire warden may be linked by two-way AM FM radio, Haudf said." (East Liverpool Review)
March 6, 1968: "No grass or forest fires have been reported in the Columbiana County area since the start of the annual spring fire season, according to Mrs. Margaret Ronshak of West Point RD, observer at the Madison Township fire tower.
Mrs. Ronshak, who began her job in the spring of 1967, said a number of blazes have been reported in parts of Jefferson County, however." (The Evening Review)
Removed