All five Florence County towers were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. These manned towers were critical for wildfire detection and management, allowing spotters to locate fires and coordinate local firefighters’ response efforts.

Spread throughout Florence County were the Buckeye Tower in the Commonwealth, Wis., which stood 80-feet tall; the Florence Tower, also known as Rainbow Lookout in Tipler, that was 80 feet as well; and the Long Lake Tower that rose to 84 feet and was the only tower equipped with a telephone. Additional towers were the Newald Lookout in Fence and the Base Lake Tower in Homestead.

Florence County Historical Society Secretary/Treasurer Debbie DeMuri noted all of the man-made towers stood at an elevation of about 1,500 feet. Each featured cement base with a wooden or metal cab elevated on stilts, accessible by ladder or stairs, and provided a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape.

Most towers were staffed about 17 days each year, typically before trees had leaves or during periods of high fire danger in June through October. Shifts lasted about eight hours when conditions warranted, and visibility on clear days could reach 15 to 20 miles.

A photograph taken by the Florence County Historical Society in 2025 of the Buckeye Fire Tower in Commonwealth, Wis. Owned by Brant and Cindy Brolin, it is the only tower of the five built in the county that remains standing. (Photo provided by the Florence County Historical Museum)

“Spotters would use binoculars, maps and a table-sized 360-degree compass rose to identify the location of smoke,” DeMuri said. “They would then radio the coordinates to one of the seven ranger stations.”

She added that other spotters might see the same smoke and help to pinpoint the exact location of the fire.

Priscilla Porter, known as the “Lady in the Tower,” once described the realities of the job: “I only climb the tower with my equipment bag of binoculars, a radio and my lunch. No drinks, as there was no bathroom.”

Porter, referred to as “Percy,” worked in the Buckeye Tower beginning as a young woman and continuing into her 70s.

Others who served as lookouts at the same tower were Marvin Peterson, Jack Greenquist, Paul Weber, Barry Perron and Jim Vassar.

After World War II, the U.S. Forest Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began using aircraft to detect wildfires, reducing reliance on manned lookout towers.

As newer technologies developed — such as cell phones — the need for manual monitoring continued to decline, while citizen reporting became more effective. In response, the DNR gradually phased out the towers.

By 2016, all 72 of Wisconsin’s forest fire lookout towers had been taken out of service. Today, about 90% of wildfires are reported by citizens.

DeMuri said that with the exception of the Buckeye Lookout Tower, few records or pictures exist of county towers. “It is the only one that remains standing and is owned by Brant and Cindy Brolin,” she said.

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“Remember when?” appears every Wednesday in The Daily News. Those with suggestions or historical photographs they would like to submit can email Terri Castelaz at tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.