Ruidoso Lookout Tower
Ruidoso Lookout Tower was completed in 1940 by the U.S. Forest Service to serve as a fire lookout tower within Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, United States. It remains in active use for detection of urban/suburban fires in the town of Ruidoso, which has grown over the years to surround the tower. The structure is a 30’ Aermotor tower with metal catwalks and is topped with a 14’x14’ wooden cab.[2]
Ruidoso Lookout Tower | |
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| Location | Lincoln National Forest, Ruidoso, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°19′54″N 105°39′43″W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1940 |
| MPS | National Forest Fire Lookouts in the Southwestern Region TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002485[1] |
| NMSRCP No. | 1447 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 27, 1988 |
| Designated NMSRCP | March 4, 1988 |
The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,[1] as well as the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.[3]
The first detonation of a nuclear device by the Manhattan Project at Trinity Site was observed by Herbert Lee Traylor,[4] the forest ranger on duty at the Ruidoso Lookout tower at the time of the explosion.
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- "Ruidoso Lookout Tower". nhlr.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
- "New Deal Properties Listed in the State Register of Cultural Properties" (pdf). Retrieved 2010-04-06.
- Traylor, Herbert Lee. Tales of the Sierra Blanca: Stories of Long Ago. Pioneer Publishing Company, 1983.

