WEST VIRGINIA

BACKBONE MOUNTAIN (OLSON)

Tucker County - Monongahela National Forest

BALD KNOB

Pocahontas County - West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

BARTON KNOB

Randolph County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BEARDEN KNOB

Tucker County - Monongahela National Forest

BEAVER LICK MOUNTAIN (WHITE ROCK)

Pocahontas County - National Forest

BEE MOUNTAIN

Kanawha County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BELL KNOB

Grant County - Monongahela National Forest

BERWIND

McDowell County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BICKLE KNOB

Randolph County - Monongahela National Forest

BIG MOUNTAIN

Webster County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BIG RIDGE

Hardy County - West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

BLACK MOUNTAIN

Pocahontas County - State

BLAIR MOUNTAIN

Logan County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BRIERY KNOB

Pocahontas County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BRUSHY MOUNTAIN

Greenbrier/Monroe Counties - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BUCK KNOB

Lincoln County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BUFFALO MOUNTAIN

Mingo County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

BURNING ROCK

Wyoming County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

CABELL

Cabell County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

CABIN HILL

Logan County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

CADDELL MOUNTAIN

Preston County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

CANAAN MOUNTAIN

Tucker County - Monongahela National Forest

1927 - National Archives (OPA)

1933 - National Archives (OPA)

1937 - National Archives (OPA)

1943: The lookout was no longer needed for fire detection purposes. The duties were transferred to the new lookout at Beardon Knob.

CARLIN HILL

Wetzel County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

CHEAT VIEW

Monongalia County - State

CHERRY POND MOUNTAIN

Raleigh County

CHERTLAND MOUNTAIN

Mineral County

October 10, 1926: "In Mineral county, the Chertland Mountain observer is connected with the Chertland Orchard Company's telephone station which is served from the Cumberland, Maryland central office." (Charleston Gazette)

COALWOOD

McDowell County - Private

COTTLE KNOB

Nicholas County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

Removed

DOLLY SODS (PLAINS)

Grant/Tucker Counties - Monongahela National Forest

ELK KNOB

Boone County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

ELK HORN ROCK

Grant/Hardy County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

FATEWOOD (Same as Gatewood ???)

Monongahela National Forest

1933 - National Archives (OPA)

GARTIN KNOB

Lincoln County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

GATEWOOD

Randolph County - Monongahela National Forest

GAUDINEER KNOB

Pocahontas County - Monongahela National Forest

GAULEY MOUNTAIN

Fayette County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

GRASSY KNOB

Greenbrier County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

HALF MOON MOUNTAIN

Hardy County - Shenandoah National Forest

HANGING ROCK (PETERS MOUNTAIN)

Monroe County - Jefferson National Forest

HIGH POINT (KNOB)

Hampshire/Frederick (Va.) Counties - George Washington National Forest

Situated on the state line between West Virginia and Virginia.

1946 - National Archives (OPA)

HOLLY RIVER STATE PARK

Webster County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

HOPKINS MOUNTAIN

Greenbrier County - Monongahela National Forest

HUFF'S KNOB

Raleigh County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

IVY KNOB

Raleigh/Wyoming Counties - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

JACKSON KNOB

Fayette County

October 10, 1926: "The Jackson Knob tower connects with the mine telephone system at Whitaker which is served from the East Bank central office." (Telephone service) (Charleston Gazette)

JOB KNOB

Greenbrier County - State

c.1915 - 4th Biennial Report of the FG&F Warden

1913-14: "Honorable H.E. Williams donated all of the lumber and delivered same on the ground for the Job Knob Station." (Biennial Report - Forest, Game & Fish Warden - West Virginia - 1913-14)

1916: "This station is located in Williamsburg District, Greenbrier County, nineteen miles from Richwood, and is under the supervision of David Frame. The station may be reached by carriage or on horseback from Richwood. The elevation is 4,388 feet and commands a view of approximately 800 square miles. The watchman, James H. McMillion, lives nine miles from the station, and stays at the station each night. He receives his mail at Trout, West Virginia, once a week, and telegrams can be delivered to the station in twenty minutes from Renick. West Virginia." (4th Biennial Report of the Forest, Game and Fish Warden)

JOHNSON KNOB

Kanawha County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

April 26, 1929: The Southern West Virginia Fire Protective association appropriated $1,500 for the construction of a 73-foot steel forest observation tower at Johnson Knob, Kanawha county. (Charleston Daily Mail)

Removed

KEENEY'S KNOB

Summers County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

LAMBERT KNOB

Wyoming County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

LAUREL HILL

Barbour/Randolph Counties - West Virginia Division of Forestry

LICK KNOB

Fayette/Raleigh County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

LITTLE MOUNTAIN

Pocahontas County - National Forest

LONE STAR

Nicholas County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

LOUDOUN HEIGHTS

Removed

MANN MOUNTAIN

Fayette County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

McGOWAN

Tucker County - State

May 20, 1913: $142.50 was spent on trail and telephone line construction. (West Virginia - Forest, Game & Fish Warden Biennial Report 1913-14)

1916: "This station is located in Black Fork District of Tucker County, three miles from Hambleton, and is under the supervision of F.M. Glenn. The station may be reached on foot from Hambleton. The elevation is 3,354 feet and commands a view of approximately six hundred square miles. The watchman, Clyde Westfall, lives at Hambleton and only stays at the station at night when there is very dry weather. He receives his mail each day at Hambleton, and telegrams can be delivered to him from the same point by phone in ten minutes.
Two and three-fourths miles of phone line have been built. This is known as the "McGowan Line,' and connects with the Mutual Lines at Hendricks. The line is partly built on poles and partly on trees and is in fair condition." (4th Biennial Report of the Forest, Game and Fish Warden)

MICHAEL MOUNTAIN

Pocahontas County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

MIKES KNOB

Greenbrier County - Monongahela National Forest

MINGO (HORSEPEN MOUNTAIN)

Mingo County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

MOUNTAIN VIEW

Pocahontas County - State

1914: A lookout was established on this point.

1916: "This station is located in Edra District, Pocahontas County, four and one-half miles from Marlinton, and is under the supervision of F.M. Glenn. The station may be reached on foot or horseback from Marlinton. The elevation is 3,198 feet and commands a view of approximately 450 square miles. The watchman, Warwick Ratliff, lives within one-half miles of the station, and has phone service to his house, so only stays at the station at night during very dry weather. He receives his mail daily from Marlinton, from which point telegrams can be delivered to him within ten minutes by phone.
Three-fourths of a mile of phone line has been built to this station, this being known as the 'Birds Run Line,' and connecting with the Mutual Lines of the Mountain View Orchard. The line is built on poles and is in fair condition." (4th Biennial Report of the Forest, Game and Fish Warden)

MOZARK MOUNTAIN

Tucker County - Monongahela National Forest

MT DESERT

Kanawha County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

NATHANIEL MOUNTAIN

Hampshire County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

NIGES CLIFF

Pendleton County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

NORTH MOUNTAIN

Berkeley County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

NORTH FORK MOUNTAIN

Pendleton County - Monongahela National Forest

1935 - National Archives (OPA)

Removed

OLGA

McDowell County

OLGA #2

McDowell County

OLGA #3

McDowell County

PADDY KNOB

Pocahontas County - Monongehela National Forest

PANTHER STATE FOREST

McDowell County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

PARTING SPRINGS

Randolph County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

October 10, 1926: "The Parting Springs tower is served by a telephone connected with the Ranwood Store at Pickens where messages may be relayed over the lines of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone company." (Charleston Gazette)

PICKERING KNOB

Mingo County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

Removed

PIGEON ROOST

Grant County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

PIKE KNOB

Pendleton County - National Forest

PILOT KNOB

Mercer County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

PINEY KNOB

Boone County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

PINNACLE KNOB

Mineral County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

1916: "This station is located in Elk District, Mineral County, eight miles from Barnum, and is under the supervision of F.M. Glenn. The station may be reached on foot from Barnum, but carriages or automobiles can get within one mile of station by going from Piedmont. The elevation is 3,327 feet and commands a view of about 800 square miles. The watchman, Charles H. Broadwater, lives five miles from the station, and goes home each night. The station is only one story high, but a cabin will be built in the near future so that the watchman may remain there overnight in extremely dry weather. He receives his mail from Barnum three times each week, and telegrams may be delivered to him from the same point by phone within ten minutes.
Seven miles of phone line have been built to this station, three miles being known as the 'New Creek Line,' and connecting with the Mutual Lines at New Creek. This line is built on both poles and trees and is in fair condition." (4th Biennial Report of the Forest, Game and Fish Warden)

October 10, 1926: "The Pinnacle Knob tower telephone is served from the New Creek Valley line which is connected with the Keyser central office." (Charleston Gazette)

POINT MOUNTAIN

Webster County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

POND RIDGE (WIDEN)

Clay County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

POPLAR RIDGE

Braxton County - West Virginia Conservation Commission

RED OAK

Webster County - Monogahela National Forest

RED SPRUCE

Pocahontas County - Monongahela National Forest

RICH KNOB

Greenbrier County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

RICH MOUNTAIN

Randolph County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

July 9, 1925: "The Rich Mountain tower in Randolph county has an average observation range of 20 miles and in some directions forests for 30 miles can be observed from it." (Charleston Gazette)

October 10, 1926: "The Rich Mountain tower in Randolph county is connected with the central office of Beverly>" (Telephone service) (Charleston Gazette)

1999: The lookout tower was purchased by the Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, dismantled and re-erected at the resort.

ROUND KNOB

Raleigh County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

SAND SPRING

Preston County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

postcard, pm 1942 - Ron Kemnow Collection

Removed

SHARP'S KNOB

Pocahontas County - Monongahela National Forest

SHAWNEE MOUNTAIN

McDowell County - West Virginia Div. of Forestry

SIDELING HILL

Morgan County - West Virginia Division of Forestry

1929: A tower was erected.

SIGNAL KNOB

Pocahontas County - State

c.1915 - 4th Biennial Report FG&F Warden

1913-14: "Wildell Lumber Company furnished lumber and assisted in construction of Signal Knob Station." (Biennial Report - Forest, Game & Fish Warden - West Virginia - 1913-14)

1916: "This station is located in Green Bank District, Pocahontas County, two miles from Wildell, and is under supervision of F.M. Glenn. The station may be reached on foot from Wildell. The elevation is 4,200 feet, and commands a view of approximately 900 square miles. The watchman, Paul Jones, lives two miles from the station and goes home each night except in very dry weather. He receives his mail daily at Wildell, from which point telegrams can be delivered to him by phone in ten minutes.
Two miles of phone line, known as the 'Signal Knob Line," has been built to the station, and connects with the Association line at Wildell. This line is built on trees and is in fair condition." (4th Biennial Report of the Forest, Game and Fish Warden)

October 10, 1926: "The tower at Signal Knob near Wildell in Greenbrier County is connected by National Forest telephone circuits." (Charleston Gazette)