MISSOURI LOOKOUTS

WILDERNESS   (Lampe)

Stone County
Mark Twain National Forest
22N-23W-33

November 25, 1936:   "The Forest Service has begun construction of a 100-foot steel tower at Lampe, Mo.  This tower will be known as the Wilderness Tower and is the fourth of such towers to be built on the Kings River Ranger District.  It will be connected with a telephone line which is to be built in the very near future, making communication possible to the other towers as well as making connection with the city of Cassville.
      The construction work on the tower is progressing very nicely under the supervision of Foreman Hopkins, of Shell Knob CCC Camp, and will be completed at an early date.
       With the present towers and communication system, it is believed by the Forest officers, that fires on the district will be held to a minimum during this season."    (Stone County News-Oracle)

December 14, 1939:   "A fainting spell which relaxed his hold upon the guard rail, permitting his body to slump down one flight of stairs, roll off the second highest platform and crash to the ground some eighty feet below is blamed for the death of Jesse James Peterson, whose body was found Saturday morning at the foot of the federal fire tower near Lampe junction in southern Stone county."   (The Crane Chronicle)

FY1956-57:  "Major repairs were made to the residence at Wilderness."   (Missouri Conservation Commission Annual Report FY 1956-57)

FY 1964-65:   "The Wilderness tower cab was reconditioned."   (Missouri Department of Conservation Annual Report FY 1964-65)