ALABAMA LOOKOUTS
WESTERVELT
Pickens County
Alabama Forestry Commission
Alabama Forestry Commission
March 5, 1966: "Timber damage in Thursday night's tornado was estimated at $100,000 today by Lambert Smith, district forester for the forestry division of the Alabama Conservation Department.
'The estimate doesn't include two forest fire towers in the district we lost,' Smith said.
Towers destroyed were the Westervelt Tower at Buhl and the Grove Tower at Benevola in Pickens County.
The Westervelt Tower was the oldest forest fire tower in the county. The wooden tower was built in 1940 and dedicated to H.E. Westervelt, founder of Gulf States Paper Corp. and a pioneer in conservation of timber land and the manufacture of pulp and paper in the South.
The old wooden tower was lifted completely off of its foundation. Only guide wires saved it from being blown from the tower site.
Smith said he did not know how quickly the two towers could be replaced. Plans were already under way to replace the Westervelt Tower with a steel structure, however." (The Tuscaloosa News)
'The estimate doesn't include two forest fire towers in the district we lost,' Smith said.
Towers destroyed were the Westervelt Tower at Buhl and the Grove Tower at Benevola in Pickens County.
The Westervelt Tower was the oldest forest fire tower in the county. The wooden tower was built in 1940 and dedicated to H.E. Westervelt, founder of Gulf States Paper Corp. and a pioneer in conservation of timber land and the manufacture of pulp and paper in the South.
The old wooden tower was lifted completely off of its foundation. Only guide wires saved it from being blown from the tower site.
Smith said he did not know how quickly the two towers could be replaced. Plans were already under way to replace the Westervelt Tower with a steel structure, however." (The Tuscaloosa News)