MISSOURI LOOKOUTS

FORT LEONARD WOOD

Pulaski County
Missouri Conservation Commission
36N-11W-27

1942:   ​ Land acquired in 1942: Fort Wood towersite, 27 acres.   (Missouri Conservation Commission Annual Report)

1943:     Seventy acres were acquired for a towersite.   An 85-foot steel tower erected.   (Report of the Missouri Conservation Commission)

March 30, 1944:   "James Krausland, who formerly lived on the Clarence Hudgens place, is now fire tower keeper just north of Fort Leonard Wood."   (Rolla Herald)

1945-1946:   The 'Official Manual of the State of Missouri'  indicates that the towersite is owned by the Missouri Conservation Commission and is 70 acres in size.

November 13, 1947:   "Fort Leonard Wood district covers a portion of Pulaski County and is under the care of James F. Crossland, forest fire tower man of Waynesville."   (Warrenton Banner)

October 14, 1948:   "A wood lookout tower is already in operation in this territory and is located near Fort Leonard Wood on the margin of the Mark Twain National Forest."   (The Bland Courier)

November 18, 1949:   "The Missouri Conservation Commission's Fort Leonard forest fire lookout tower located along U.S. Highway 66 near Waynesville has many visitors from many places.
      Even though numbers of sightseers are greater in mid-summer, people representing 12 different states and one foreign country stopped during October to get a bird's eye view of the Ozark hills.  The foreign visitor was a Mr. Kaug White of Calcutta, India, enroute to England."   (Brookfield Daily News Bulletin)

May 4, 1950:   "Services were held as usual at the Gospel Ridge Union Church on highway 66 near Waynesville. Sunday, April 23, despite the fact that earlier that morning the building caught on fire and was given up as lost.
      The blaze started in the ceiling of the church soon after Bobby Mitchell built a fire in the stove.  An alert member telephoned Forest Towerman James Crossland of the Conservation Commission's Fort Leonard Wood Fire Tower who arrived and extinguished the blaze with his tank and pump-mounted pickup before any appreciable damage was done."   (Gasconade County Republican)

FY1954-55:  "The Fort Wood Tower in Pulaski county was replaced with a new 100 foot steel tower."   (Missouri Conservation Commission Annual Report FY 1954-55)

FY 1968-69:   "The Fort Wood towersite garage received new overhead doors."   (Missouri Department of Conservation Annual Report FY 1968-69)

FY1969-70:   "The Fort Wood residence received new wall tile in the bath and new countertop in the kitchen."   (Annual Report of the Missouri Department of Conservation)

FY1971-72:   "The Fort Wood tower residence was repaired."   (Annual Report of the Missouri Department of Conservation)

FY1972-73:   "A new heating system was installed in the Ft. Wood residence."   (Annual Report of the Missouri Department of Conservation)

FY1980-81:   "Installed a new water line from the new water district supply to the Ft. Wood Tower Residence."   (Missouri Department of Conservation Annual Report)
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