The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-05-10
WOODLAND TOWER STARTS
OPERATION IN CECIL
COUNTY
Towerman Harry Hartestine Trans
ferred From FOys Hill Tower
To New Structure

On April 3 at 1890 A. M. the new
Woodlawn forest fire tower, standing
close to the old Baltimore and Phila
delphia turnpike of colonial days,
and near the ancient community OF
Battle Swamp, sighted its first
threatening smoke in the vicinity OF
Childs, a distance of eleven miles
from the tower. Upon investigation
the smoke proved to be from a large
field that was being burned off by the
owners, but this marked the begin
ming of what is believed will be
long period of vigilance to be main
tanned during reoccurring dry sea-
sons in an effort to detect fires that
may threaten the forests of Cecil
County.
The AZ foot tower erected on Toys
Hill in 1924, located miles to the
southeast of the new structure, has
been operated for more than ten
years by Harry Hartenstine, Mary
lands veteran towerman. While the
Foys Hill tower has served the south
western portion of the county in an
efficient manner, it has always been
at disadvantage in sighting smokes
along the Susquehanna River bluffs
and between Conowingo and Rising
Sun. The new 100 foot steel struc-
ture at Woodlawn provides excellent
detection for the difficult section in
northwestern Cecil County, and for
a portion of northeastern Hartford
County which was previously with
out detection services. Quite an i'm
pressive section of Pennsylvania in
the vicinity of Quarryyille, Oxford
and Pleasant Grove is visible from
the new tower. Mr.. Hartenstine has
taken up his new duties at the
Woodlawn Tower and new tower
man is now on duty at Foys Hill.
The tower stands several hundred
feet north of the Port Deposit-Rising
Sun State road in a grove of birch
and oak timber and is approached by
gently curving driveway which en-
tiers from the Woodlawn-Liberty
Grove county road. The one-halt
acre tower site and driveway were
purchased from Howard, Pearl ana
Olive Jackson of Woodlawn for the
sum of $50. and no doubt the site
would have been donated due to the
interest of the property owners in
the project, if it had not been for the
necessity of paying off an indebted
ness against the property. The ridge
on which the tower is located is 47O
feet above sea level, enabling a
splendid view of the surrounding
country from the tower cab at 100
feet higher elevation. Many promi-
nent land marks can be picked out
such as Conowingo Dam, the town OF
Rising Sun and far TO the southeast,
at a distance of over 16 miles, the
tall towers on the bridge over the
MISUNDERSTANDING Canal at Chesa-
peake City can be seen beyond the
Elk River on clear days. To the
south of the tower are many miles OF
rolling wooded hills, while 20 the
north and west the woodlands are
broken up into farm woodlots.
Construction on the tower started
on January 2, 1885, under the super
vision of District Forest Warden
Charles W. Bayles of Principle Fur
mace. The foundation layout was
made the following day by Assistant
Forester Walter ]. Quick, Jr. and
District Forester Nelson H. Fritz.
Pouring of cement for foundation
piers started on January Ia and the
first steel work was placed on the
concrete abutments on January 80
Due to cold, windy weather and much
snow erection of steel progressed
slowly during February but by March
i all steel was in place and tenn
porary floor had been placed in the
cab. Cleaning up the tower grounds,
surfacing the drive with gravel, fin
ishing the cab and attaching anchor
cables progressed during March and
several smokes were sighted by the
workers and were investigated. On
April l the tower was officially
placed in service.
Emergency Conservation funds of
the Franklin d. Roosevelt admins
tration purchased the materials for
the tower and paid for hauling the
materials and transportation of
laborers. Actual labor was perform
ed by relief workers paid by Federal
emergency relief funds under the
Cecil County Emergency Relief
Board. Construction, supervision,
purchase of tower site and equip
ment for the tower were paid from