National Register of Historic Places

Udell Lookout Tower

Wellston, Manistee County, Michigan
Listed
August 21, 1996
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
95001013

About this property

The Udell Lookout Tower is a fire lookout tower located on Forest Road 5207 in the Manistee section of the Huron-Manistee National Forests, near Wellston, Michigan. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The Manistee National Forest was created (as the Manistee Purchase unit) in 1933. In 1936, a fire control plan for the area was designed and implemented. Part of that plan was the construction of Udell Lookout Tower. Soon after a residence and garage were constructed near the tower; these buildings were moved about ten years later. Udell Tower remained a primary fire lookout tower until the 1960s, when aerial observation flights became more common. Many other lookout towers were abandoned at the same time, and were eventually destroyed or demolished. The Udell Lookout Tower is the last standing example of this type of tower in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. The Udell Lookout Tower is a 100 foot tall prefabricated steel frame tower, constructed from galvanized steel angles bolted together, located atop a hill. The foundation is made of four reinforced concrete pedestals. An enclosed hipped roof observation cab made from galvanized sheet steel is located on top of the tower. The cab has a wooden floor and windows on all sides. A small prefabricated metal building is currently located immediately adjacent to one corner of the tower. Media related to Udell Lookout Tower at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Wellston, Manistee County, Michigan
44.20807, -86.09991

Categories

ENGINEERINGCONSERVATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Manistee Iron Works Machine Shop
Industrial
11.1 mi
Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Industrial
11.2 mi
Guardian Angels Church
Industrial
11.3 mi
Ramsdell Theatre
Industrial
11.4 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
11.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Udell Lookout Tower listed on the National Register?

Udell Lookout Tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1996.

What type of historic resource is Udell Lookout Tower?

Udell Lookout Tower is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Udell Lookout Tower?

The period of significance for Udell Lookout Tower is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Udell Lookout Tower?

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