HALLSVILLE #53
Harrison County - Texas Forest Service
1936: The 100-foot steel tower was erected at a cost of $932.00. This structure replaced a Hickory tree that was used by the patrolman.
March 29, 1944: "Vandals broke into the Hallsville fire tower the other night, according to M.V. Dunmire, district forester who took the report from his patrolman, L.M. Perry. Nothing was stolen except a pencil, but the very fact that the tower was entered and the lock broken is enough to worry the forest patrol workers. Dunmire issued a warning that anyone caught entering a tower would be prosecuted." (The Marshall News Messenger)
March 24, 1950: "A young woman plunged to her death early today from a forest service lookout tower eight miles east of this Harrison county town (Hallsville).
Two men and another woman with her took the woman to Gregg Memorial Hospital at Longview where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
It was believed Mrs. Anderson fell from about halfway up the 100-foot tower, located on one of the highest spots in the county." (Corsicana Daily Sun)
1973: The last year that the tower was used on a regular basis.
DESIGNATION - HARRISON
PID - CR1192
STATE/COUNTY- TX/HARRISON
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - HALLSVILLE (1961)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1950 (JCT)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 4-1/2 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF
HALLSVILLE, ON A PROMINENT TIMBERED HILL. THIS HILL IS ALSO
OCCUPIED BY TEXAS STATE FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT TOWER NO. 53.
IT IS 4 FEET WEST-NORTHWEST OF A WHITE WITNESS POST, AND
92.36 FEET SOUTH OF THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE LOOKOUT
TOWER. THE MARK PROJECTS 4 INCHES AND THE DISK IS STAMPED
HARRISON 1950.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN HALLSVILLE,
GO EAST ON U.S. HIGHWAY 80 FOR 3.2 MILES TO A STORE AND
LOWERY SERVICE STATION ON THE RIGHT, CONTINUE ON EAST FOR
0.1 MILE TO A DIRT SIDE ROAD ON THE LEFT. TURN LEFT ON THE
GRADED ROAD AND GO NORTH FOR 1.35 MILES TO THE AZIMUTH MARK
ON THE RIGHT AS DESCRIBED, CONTINUE ON NORTH FOR 0.35 MILE
TO A SIDE ROAD RIGHT. TURN RIGHT AND GO EASTERLY FOR 0.3
MILE TO THE TOP OF HILL AND THE STATION AS DESCRIBED.