Bell Hill (Herkimer County, New York)
History
In May 1911, the Conservation Commission built a wood fire lookout tower on the mountain. In 1919, the Conservation Commission replaced it with a 47-foot-tall (14 m) Aermotor LS40 steel tower. Due to the increased use of aerial fire detection which was better, the tower was closed at the end of the 1970 season. Ownership of the tower was later transferred to the owner Diamond International. The company had the leg bolts removed and the tower pulled over and left at the site, due to liability concerns. In 1989, a new owner of the 18,000 acre tract entered into an agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where the State purchased the development and recreation rights but left the land itself and the timber in private ownership. The public can visit the site, but due to no tower there is no view.
References
- ^ "Bald Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ "Searchable list of NY Fire Towers". nysffla.org. The New York State Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association. Retrieved December 6, 2021.