GILMONT
Upshur County - Texas Forest Service
September 8, 1960: "A new radio relay system is being installed at the Texas Forest Service fire lookout tower at Gilmont, five miles northeast of Gilmer.
Crew Leader Carl Stewart explained that the new relay system, which will be ready by January, will provide more reliable communication between the towers here, at Hallsville and Negley and with the Texas Forest Service District headquarters at Linden.
Cost of the new relays, which will operate like telephones in each tower, will be about $200,000. Radio communication is necessary to quickly locate fires from smoke, and to dispatch fire fighting equipment.
Danger season for the Northeast Texas forest area is at hand. Residents should recall the Black Wednesday of Nov. 25, 1959, when dozens of fires burned thousands of acres of valuable timberland and grass, in addition to many homes, outbuildings and fence posts." (The Gilmer Mirror)
Crew Leader Carl Stewart explained that the new relay system, which will be ready by January, will provide more reliable communication between the towers here, at Hallsville and Negley and with the Texas Forest Service District headquarters at Linden.
Cost of the new relays, which will operate like telephones in each tower, will be about $200,000. Radio communication is necessary to quickly locate fires from smoke, and to dispatch fire fighting equipment.
Danger season for the Northeast Texas forest area is at hand. Residents should recall the Black Wednesday of Nov. 25, 1959, when dozens of fires burned thousands of acres of valuable timberland and grass, in addition to many homes, outbuildings and fence posts." (The Gilmer Mirror)
September 2, 1965: "Two fires in a northeast section of Upshur County were spotted on August 17 and a later investigative report by Texas Forest Service crew leader Carl Stewart indicated there might have been malicious mischief behind their cause.
Upshur County Sheriff's office was alerted of these fires by Mr. Stewart, who is in charge of the Gilmont Fire Lookout Tower." (The Gilmer Mirror)