Category: Lookout Towers

30.896009421652145, -87.15847447514533

3778 Greenwood Rd, Jay, FL 32565 (Co Rd 164)

Santa Rosa County Fl.

This tower is not on the National Historic Lookout Registry at this time.

#42 on the Alabama State listing.

31.597727, -86.991468

This tower is located a short distance from Al hwy 83 North of the Bowles Community.

I have very little other info on this tower at this time. I will update it as info is found.

https://rumble.com/ve6i09-sepulga-tower.html

Reg #’s US 850, AL 29

31.786054, -87.335826

Lookout Hill Tower was built by a junior African-American Company 4435 at CCC camp P-76 in 1939, Lookout Hill Fire Tower is a 100′ MC-39 tower with 7’x7′ cab.

Of all of the towers that I have had the privilege of of filming and documenting this one holds a special significance for me.

My Grandfather Will Knight worked for the Alabama Forestry Commission from 1933 till 1966. In the latter years that he worked he was tower man on this tower.

As a child I would often times get to come out and sit on this tower with him on Sunday afternoons. It holds many memories for me of good times with my grandfather.

The last time I got to climb this tower was in 1983. that day it was locked and I did not get to go into the cab.

In the very 1950’s and very early 1960’s there was a family that lived at the tower and manned it by the last name of Findley. To the best of my knowledge they were the last family to live in the house that was at the base of the tower.

The tower site is part of the Red Hills land management area for the Red Hills Salamander. The area referred to as The Red Hills is probably about 5 air miles to the west. The entire area is named after the color of the soil, predominantly red clay gravel. The Red Hills Salamander is a threatened species of Amphibian salamander. The salamander habitat begins in southeastern Wilcox County and ends in Western Butler County.

Quoting Mr Gary Cole “I was the last tower man at Lookout Hill. I was the Forest Ranger assigned to north Monroe County beginning in June of 1976. I manned the tower until 1982 when I became the County Forestry Supervisor. Jane Ellen Briggs was the tower person before I started. Her husband was the Forest Patrolman.”

The house at the base of the tower was torn down prior to 1976.

https://rumble.com/ve6dp5-lookout-hill-fire-tower.html

Here is a video I did of this tower in Feb of 2016.

https://rumble.com/vbktff-lookout-hill-fire-tower-and-more.html

Reg #’s US 869, AL 48

Womack Hill Tower is also known as Daniels Fire Tower on some maps.

Sits in Choctaw County Al

31°51’43.4″N 88°11’37.8″W

Womack Hill Tower was built in 1951

The Womack Hill Lookout Tower is a 100′ Aermotor MC-39 with a 7’x7′ cab. 

https://rumble.com/vcbpft-womack-hill-tower.html

Reg #’s US 864, AL 43

32°01’51.6″N 88°16’14.6″W

Choctaw County Al.

Butler Mountain sits atop a 428′ Elevation

Butler Mountain Lookout Tower is a 100’Aermotor MC-39 with a 7’x7′ metal cab. It was constructed in 1948.

https://rumble.com/vcbl9h-butler-mountain-tower.html

Reg. #’s US 865, AL 44

32.123744, -88.358121

Scott Mountain Tower is located in Choctaw County Al.

This is a 120′ Aermotor MC-39 model.

It was completed in 1949.

It sits at an elevation of 504′

https://rumble.com/vcat2r-scott-mountain-tower-choctaw-county-al..html

Registry #’s US 866, AL 45

32°09’43.1″N 88°09’16.7″W

Allison Fire Tower is also known as Rudder Hill Tower

According to the National Historic Registry, “Allison Hill Lookout Tower is a 100′ International Derrick tower with a 7’x7′ cab. It was constructed in 1953 by the Allison Lumber Company as a replacement for their earlier wooden Rudder Hill Tower.”

https://rumble.com/vc9y5h-allison-fire-tower.html

Registry # US 1415, AL 74

Located just outside of Grove Hill Alabama at the Office of the Alabama Forestry Commission office.

31.7356560, -87.7573020

https://rumble.com/vc8t35-grove-hill-fire-tower.html

Registry # US 863, AL 42

Located near Chatom Al in Washington County

31.531052,-88.247412

Described by the National Registry, Jordan Fire Tower was built in 1935 by the CCC. It is an 100′ Aermotor MC-29 structure with a 7’x7′ cab.

If you have info on this tower please share it in the comments section.

https://rumble.com/vc7df3-jordan-lookout-tower.html

US 851, AL 30

30.702260, -87.774990

Simerly Fire Tower was built in 1963.

It is located on Al hwy 59 South of Stapleton Al.

Thousands of people pass Simerly Tower every day traveling to and from the beaches in Southern Baldwin county al.

Simerly is the Southern most tower in Alabama.

It is a 100′ Aermotor MC-39 tower it replaced a 91′ creosote lookout tower.

If you have any info on this tower’s history please comment below.

https://rumble.com/vc6ktn-simerly-tower.html

Registry # US 853, AL 32 

Blacksher Tower is located on Tower Road ESE of Uriah Alabama.

It is in Monroe County, Alabama

31°19’12.0″N 87°33’36.0″W

This tower was constructed in 1941.

Blacksher is a 120′ It is an International Derrick tower with 7’x7′ cab.

It was started by CC Camp 1485 and completed by the AFC.

Blacksher Tower near Uriah was last manned by Forest Rangers Ernest Johnson and Johnny Kline. Blacksher Tower was manned until around 1988. 

The following information was graciously shared by his daughter of Mr Ernest Johnson, Judy Johnson Hendrix. “Ernest A. Johnson began working with the Forestry Commission as a forest patrolman at Blacksher Firetower in October, 1963. He retired in March, 1990 having reached the rank of forest ranger. My mother, Bendia Johnson, worked as the towerman that first fire season (fall and winter.) When it was not fire season, the state did not employ a towerman, the patrolman would man the tower. We lived in a four-room house (owned by the state) near the foot of the tower. When we first moved there, the only indoor plumbing was a cold water pipe to the kitchen sink. (We did eventually get an indoor bathroom.) Around 1985, the state decided to no longer maintain these houses, so my parents vacated the house. I have many fond memories growing up at Blacksher Firetower. I served as part-time towerman from the time I turned 16 until I graduated from high school, November, 1966 to June, 1969. My sister, Kathy Johnson Anthony replaced me.”

Mr Will McKinley served on it before then Mr Johnson.

If you have info on who served and what years please share in the comments below.

https://rumble.com/vc516d-blacksher-tower-12-23-20.html

Registry # US 854, AL 33

Wildfork Tower is located on the Monroe County Side of the Old Stage Road which is the county line.

31°21’13.3″N 87°20’10.0″W

According to he National Historic Registry it is one of the few remaining 120′ towers, Wildfork Lookout is an International Derrick model with sun visors on the cab. It started by the CCC and completed by AFC in 1941.

Wildfork Tower on the Old Stage Road was last manned by Forest Ranger Colbert Wright of Excel. Colbert retired in 1981 and the tower was closed due to budget restrictions. 

If you have info on who worked and especially the years also on it please share in the comments below.

There are two videos linked below. One was shot in 2016 and the other one was shot in Dec 2020

https://rumble.com/vc2udp-wildfork-tower-dec-2020.html

Below is a video shot in 2016

https://rumble.com/vb22fz-wildforkold-stage-rd-fire-tower.html