JOPLIN (RACINE)(REDDING MILL)
Missouri Lookouts - Newton County - Missouri Conservation Commission - 26N-33W-26
July 23, 1947: "Work on the Racine tower has been halted for lack of funds, but plans are still effective to have a firetruck on the site." (Neosho Daily Democrat)
FY 1948-49: A 10 acre towersite was acquired. (Missouri Conservation Commission Annual Report)
October 25, 1948: "Forest and grass fire control assistance will be available to northwest Newton county woodland owners from the recently acquired observation tower site located in New Hope community, three and one-half miles north of Racine. Plans for the 10 acre site, purchased from Raymond Gillstrap, call for immediate construction of a 65-foot observation tower." (Neosho Daily Democrat)
1949-1950: The 'Official Manual of the State of Missouri' indicates that the towersite is owned by the Missouri Conservation Commission and is 10 acres in size.
FY 1964-65: "One-hundred-foot steel forest lookout tower erected at Joplin Towersite." (Missouri Department of Conservation Annual Report FY 1964-65)
August 20, 1964: "Employees of the Missouri Conservation Commission will begin within the next week to construct a new 100-foot steel fire tower near New Hope, it was reported this morning by Dick Lasater, forest assistant for the Neosho Fire Protection District.
The new tower will replace an old 65-foot wooden structure which was razed yesterday at the tower site in the northern portion of Newton County.
Mr. Lasater said that employees of the district are taking advantage of the 'slack season,' to do maintenance, repair buildings and other work that needs to be finished before the fire season gets under way in late October or early November." (The Neosho Daily News)
Removed