Historical Reflections

This picture from the Richard Fink photo collection is dated August 1951. It shows the Lima Mountain Lookout Tower. Fink recalls that there were several of these towers around at this time. There was another at the east end of West Bearskin Lake, a bit east of the Clearwater Road, which was easily seen from Caribou Rock. Others were at Pine Mountain, Brule Lake, to the west of Gunflint Lake and Kekekabic Lake. These towers were manned during the fire season. When a plume of smoke was spotted, the towers were used for triangulation and the precise location of the smoke source could be identified. Crews would then be sent in to fight the fire. Aircraft ultimately took over the function of these towers, and the towers were eventually disassembled.