The early forest rangers traveled on horseback in the area since there wasn't sufficent roads or transportation to justify other means. The US Forest Service owns and maintains many thousands acres of the Ozark area and manage timber sales and timber management. It also built the first telephone service to the Lurton mountain area and the many fire towers, most of which have been removed as of now. The towers in the general area of Lurton were located at the following locations:

Freeman Springs approximately 10 miles south on HWY 7, Fairview, (a small tower), located about half way between Lurton and Pelsor, (Pelsor was also known as Sand Gap at that time) Mount Judea 8 miles north on HWY 123, Ketcherside 8 miles northeast on Forest Service toward Bass (has a number now but I don't have it here), Round Hill tower on further on Bass road then east toward Richland Creek road and one blackgum tree with climbing spikes on it located between Lurton and Cowell. The towers were, all except the tree, connected with telephones and by communicating with each other and using their locater maps could pinpoint a fire in the forest acurately. During the depression, fire fighting was one of the most prosperous businesses. It may not be so, but there appeared to be two fire fighting crews in our particular area, one seeing to it that there were fires to fight and the other putting them out and then alternating between setting fires and fighting them. The government paid good wages for fighting fires. There wasn't a ranger station as such at Lurton but a small office was built and containers holding axes, rakes, shovels and food for the crew was kept on the porch of the general store and kept supplied for ready use. By the way the Forest Service did have vehicles to haul the firemen and equipment and was used until the CCC days.

Colleen H. Rongey
529 Stewart Avenue 
New Orleans, LA 70123
504-737-8459

"Voices of Newton County", Articles by Colleen Haynes Rongey

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