SETH BULLOCK
Pennington County - Black Hills National Forest - 1N-5E-16
December 12, 1938: "Seth Bullock, early pioneer of the Black Hills, first supervisor of the Black Hills national forest, and captain in Grigsby's Rough Riders in the Spanish-American war, is to be honored by the national forest administration, by naming a new fire lookout station to be built near Pactola, the Seth Bullock lookout." (Lead Daily Call)
September 22, 1939: "The Seth Bullock fire lookout on Scruton mountain, south of Pactola, is completed, Supervisor C. C. Averill of the Black Hills national forest, reported. The tower is 30 feet high and is built of logs. A 14 by 14 foot cab contains living quarters. It will be manned during the entire fire season, beginning next spring. A truck trail has been built to the lookout, named for Captain Seth Bullock, first supervisor of the forest." (Rapid City Journal)
April 18, 1949: "The fire lookout station on Seth Bullock mountain in the Pactola district of the Black Hills National Forest, will be rebuilt this spring, C.C. Averill, supervisor said.
New pressure treated log stretchers will be placed at the fire station on Seth Bullock. W.N. Goodwin, Sheridan, is construction foreman and repairs are expected to be completed within a month." (Lead Daily Call)
July 14, 1954: "At Seth Bullock lookout a blaze was located one half mile from the tower. The fire, which burned two acres was controlled by the Pactola ranger and crew." (The Black Hills Weekly)
March 9, 1961: "Withdrawal from appropriation, except under mineral leasing laws, has been ordered on 550.69 acres scattered through the Black Hills National Forest.
Most of the land is in tracts of 10 to 40 acres used for fire lookouts." Included in the order: Seth Bullock lookout. (Rapid City Journal)
1975: The original tower was removed by using explosive charges on the legs. ("IMAGES OF AMERICA BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST Harney Peak and the Historic Lookout Towers" by Jan Cerney and Roberta Sago - Arcadia Publishing 2011) The replacement tower is a CL-100 Series all steel tower and observation cab located a short distance from the original site.