Recently, a reader contacted me requesting information about the fire lookout tower that once stood on Haoe Bald.
At one time, Graham County had three forest fire lookout towers: Haoe Bald, Wauchecha Bald and Joanna Bald.
Construction of the 25-foot tower on Haoe Bald – elevation 5,249 feet – began in 1938. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps under the leadership of Elbert Wilkey and Garland Wilhide of the U.S. Forest Service.
There wasn’t – and still isn’t – a road to Haoe Bald, so all the building material for the tower was carried by hand from Deep Creek Road to the site. The person serving as a lookout either walked or rode a horse to the tower. A hitching rail sat beside the tower and the tower had no electricity, but did have a hand-cranked telephone.
The tower was first manned by Civilian Conservation Corps members and later by U.S. Forest Service personnel. The last person to staff the tower while it was standing is thought to be Sam Adams.
After the tower had fallen, Jim Burchfield spent six weeks in 1963 serving as a lookout in the ruins of the tower, as Graham County had a severe fire season, with numerous large wildfires set by arsonists.
The Haoe Bald tower was abandoned around 1950 and soon fell into disrepair.
In 1980, the remains were removed using a helicopter that airlifted them to a waiting dump truck at the end of Maple Springs Road.
Construction of a lookout tower on Joanna Bald – elevation 4,716 feet – was started in the mid 1930s and resembled the one on Haoe Bald. It too was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was replaced by the present day tower, built by the U.S. Forest Service in 1952. It stands 31 feet tall.
I had the privilege of serving as a lookout in this tower during the late 1960s and early 1970s with the U.S. Forest Service.
The tower on Wauchecha Bald – elevation 4,380 feet – is 32 feet high and was constructed in 1952 by the U.S. Forest Service. Years of little or no maintenance – due to lack of funding, along with vandalism – has the tower in poor condition.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.