Fire in the Piney Woods: Texas Lookout Towers, the Forest Service, and the Civilian Conservation Corps

Fire lookout towers are enjoying a retrospective rebirth, attracting the curious and the adventurous, as Americans seeking escape for moments of solitude rediscover the structures’ national significance. Though the Civilian Conservation Corps’ national fire control policies and reforestation efforts have been covered elsewhere, each state’s legacy is as unique as its people, forest conditions, traditions, and legislative history. In Texas, what emerges is a story that shaped national polici...