TERRY PEAK
Lawrence County - Black Hills National Forest - 4N-2E-12
March 10, 1917: "Yesterday's meeting of the forest rangers was given to the discussion of protective measures against fire and water and soil pollution. In the discussion lookout stations the question of locating such a station on Terry Peak was brought up. With the further extension of lookout stations it was found that Terry Peak has been given consideration by the officers of the Black Hills national forest. Terry Peak is the highest point in the northern Hills and occupies a strategic position. Tentative plans provide for the use of Terry Peak as an auxiliary station during the summer months, when the danger from fire is greatest. Before much use can be made of it telephone and other means of communication must be provided and this phase will receive consideration as soon as weather conditions permit." (Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
April 10, 1921: "H.S. Vincent, at present time official surveyor for Lawrence county, thru the resignation of H.S. Albion, has volunteered to take charge of the work of surveying a permanent road from Trojan to the summit of the mountain, and officials of the forest service have agreed to place a regular ranger station and lookout at the top, equipped with a large telescope for the benefit of all tourists traveling thru the Black Hills." (Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
May 8, 1928: "George A. Duthie, supervisor of the Black Hills forest, visited the lookout station on Terry Peak yesterday, and found Ranger Menard and his wife very comfortably located in that high point of vantage, and enjoying the situation greatly." (The Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times)
February 19, 1931: "A project that has been given considerable local discussion is the construction of a road to the top of Terry Peak. It has been suggested that a building of some sort with a lookout tower at the top of this peak, the third highest point in the Black Hills, would be an attractive feature both for Hills people and for visitors. Anyone who has seen a sunrise from Terry Peak describes it as a profoundly beautiful spectacle." (Lead Daily Call)
August 13, 1948: "Plans of the Black Hills National Forest call for the construction of a fire lookout on Terry Peak, C.C. Averill, supervisor, said this morning. The plans have been made and the work programmed for several years and construction will begin just as soon as funds are available." (The Black Hills Weekly)
September 1, 1949: "Construction of a new fire lookout on top of Terry Peak, the second highest mountain in the Black Hills, is expected to start soon, C.C. Averill, supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest, said today.
It is hoped to get the understructure completed this fall. The lookout will be entirely of stonework and will be built similar to other lookouts on the forest. It will contain an observation room, and living quarters for the lookout." (Lead Daily Call)
April 11, 1950: "Crews of the Black Hills National Forest are clearing out the road to the top of Terry Peak, preparatory to constructing a fire lookout station, C.C. Averill, supervisor, said this morning.
The men are encountering 8-foot drifts, he said, and it will take several days to get the road open so that materials can be taken to the top of the mountain.
The new lookout will be the second highest in the Black Hills with the one at Harney Peak in first place. It will be constructed at the very top of the peak, Averill said. Concrete foundations for the posts were set last fall.
The lookout will be a 14 by 14 foot glass enclosed cab on a rock understructure. The living quarters will be in the understructure.
It will be the only fire lookout in the Black Hills to have electricity. The outlets will provide for electric stove, refrigerator and other equipment to make living during the fire season more comfortable for the lookout, Averill said." (Lead Daily Call)
August 31, 1950: "Construction of the new fire tower on Terry Peak, six miles southwest of Lead, is near enough to completion so that it can now be manned as a lookout station, C.C. Averill, supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest, said today.
Vernon Tollefson, lookout at Cement Ridge, will be on duty at the new lookout September 1 and will continue until the end of the fire season." (Lead Daily Call)
April 28, 1952: "Verne Tollefson will go on duty at Terry Peak Tuesday." (Lead Daily Call)
July 11, 1955: "Lightning hit the Terry Peak lookout and area a severe blow about 6:30 p.m. A bolt sent its force down the police radio antenna burning out the radio.
It also took all other radios and telephones out of service and burned out a transformer on the 12,000 KV line of the Black Hills Power and Light Co.,, cutting off power to Lead, Trojan and the Canyon.
Partial electric power to Terry Peak lookout was restored by 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. Sunday afternoon radios were repaired and communications back in service, according to Vernon Tollefson of Lead, lookout, who with his family 'rode out' the storm in the tower." (Lead Daily Call)
It also took all other radios and telephones out of service and burned out a transformer on the 12,000 KV line of the Black Hills Power and Light Co.,, cutting off power to Lead, Trojan and the Canyon.
Partial electric power to Terry Peak lookout was restored by 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. Sunday afternoon radios were repaired and communications back in service, according to Vernon Tollefson of Lead, lookout, who with his family 'rode out' the storm in the tower." (Lead Daily Call)
April 17, 1962: "Construction of additional room at Terry Peak fire lookout of the Black Hills National Forest will commence soon. Bids were opened Monday. The apparent low bidder was Stoneberger Construction Co., Lead. His bid was $14,000. Two other bids, Garland Construction Co., Rapid City, for $19,670, and Brezina Construction Co., Rapid City for $19,632, were entered.
The construction calls for elevating the present fire room at the lookout, and building an additional fire room, approximately the same size between it and the foundation, Harvey (Hoot) Gibson, Spearfish district ranger, said." (Lead Daily Call)
July 5, 1963: "The U.S. Forest Service site is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Northern Hills. In fact, it has become so popular that the forest service had to do something about it.
And so last year they solved the problem of the tourist vs. fire suppression operations by separating the two. And as a result, the lookout room was put on stilts and a special room for visitors was built between it and the lookouts' bachelor quarters on the first floor.
And now the three story structure runs smoothly when it is loaded with tourists, and busy, at the same time, serving as a guiding beacon for forest service crews as they attempt to locate a timber fire.
Last year over 65,000 persons visited the tower, and each year it has surpassed its previous record." (Lead Daily Call)
December 3, 1963: "The forest fire hazard is high today, Ranger Jerry Martinez Nemo District, pointed out. Royce Coffield, Nemo, was ordered to the fire lookout at Terry Peak on a temporary day-to-day basis, and a lookout was to be placed on Custer Peak on the same arrangement." (Lead Daily Call)
1970's: The lookout was no longer needed and the top two levels were removed leaving the stone base with an open viewing platform for visitors to the site. ("IMAGES OF AMERICA BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST Harney Peak and the Historic Lookout Towers" by Jan Cerney and Roberta Sago - Arcadia Publishing 2011)