CRAB ORCHARD
Illinois - Williamson County
August 30, 1962: "The District 25 Junior Woman's Clubs this year plan to raise funds to erect a lookout tower at Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge." (Southern Illinoisan)
November 11, 1962: "The manager of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Wednesday said the Crab Orchard Lake probably will be used primarily by local people in the future.
Robert Personius, in a speech before the Herron Junior Woman's Club, discounted predictions of some city planners that the lake would draw a great number of tourists from more than several hundred miles.
The district had originally planned to construct a lookout tower at the lake, but was told delivery of the steel alone would cost $6,000. About $3,000 to $4,000 is available for the project." (Southern Illinoisan)
October 13, 1963: "The Fish and Wildlife Service has a fire tower in the southwest corner of the Crab Orchard refuge." (Southern Illinoisan)
Removed
National Geodetic Survey
DESIGNATION - CRAB ORCHARD LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - HB1669
STATE/COUNTY- IL/WILLIAMSON
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - CRAB ORCHARD LAKE (1996)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1960 (GWM)
THE STATION IS THE CENTER OF THE BASE OF THE LOOKOUT TOWER. IT IS
ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF GOREVILLE AND 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MARION ON THE PROPERTY OF THE CRAB ORCHARD GAME REFUGE. IT IS A FOUR
LEGGED STEEL TOWER SUPPORTING AN OBSERVATION ROOM AT THE TOP AND
THE OVERALL HEIGHT IS ABOUT 110 FEET.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF STATE HIGHWAY 37 AND WEST
MAIN STREET AT THE WEST SIDE OF MARION, GO SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 37 FOR
5.9 MILES TO A PAVED SIDE ROAD RIGHT. TURN RIGHT AND GO WEST ON THE
PAVED ROAD FOR 1.95 MILES TO A SIDE ROAD RIGHT. CONTINUE WEST ON
THE PAVED ROAD FOR 6.1 MILES TO A T-ROAD (PAVED ROAD TURNS RIGHT)
TURN RIGHT AND GO NORTH ON THE PAVED ROAD FOR 0.3 MILES TO THE
TOP OF HILL AND THE STATION ON THE LEFT.
A TRAVERSE MEASUREMENT WAS MADE FROM STATION CRAB TO THE LOOKOUT
TOWER. THE DISTANCE IS 42.57 FEET, 12.975 METERS.