Ossipee Hill Fire Tower

Ossipee Hill Fire Tower. . , In 1916 the towns of Alfred, Limerick, Shapleigh, and Westboro appropriated $50.00 each for the purpose of erecting a lookout station at Ossipee Mountain with a like amount appropriated by the Federal Government. This move seemed assured but the party who owned the top of the mountain wanted such an exorbitant price for erecting such a tower than the plan fell through., The lookout station at Ossipee Hill was erected in the fall of 1918, (sic) was connected to the system of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company. The tower was opened in early May and stayed open until Early (sic) October, spotting 21 fires in the year of 1918., In October of 1947 watchman Mike Ferguson of Sanford was driven from the tower when the flames overran the mountain and destroyed the fire tower. Mike served as watchman in the tower for 20 years., In 1948 the tower was rebuilt in a wooden version and had a 30-foot height with a 13’ X 13’ wooden cabin., Monroe Bean convinced towns to furnish money to put a radio in the tower. He also got the 33.6 band for area departments to use., In 1991 when the state stopped funding the tower, it was manned by volunteers from the area., Ossipee Hill Lookout Tower is sponsored by the Waterboro Fire Department., The tower was accepted to the National Historical Lookout Register at the 1997 summer conference of the Forest Fire Lookout Association in Alfred, Maine on August 23, 1997 to fire officials and Waterboro town officers., Ossipee Hill Tower Personnel manned this tower and employed by the Maine Forestry Service from 1918 until the State (sic) stopped funding in 1991 , C.W. Fluent 1919 , Mike Ferguson 1942-1962 , Austin Wyman 1962 , Rick Brandt 1962-1963 , Wayne Foss 1963-1972 , Mike Carter 1978-1998 , Real Lizotte 1998-1991