Mount Grace is the third-highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River at an elevation of 1,617 feet. Only Mount Wachusett and Mount Watatic have a higher elevation, according to Fredericka Fellows of the Warwick Historical Society..
Thousands of fire lookout towers were built throughout the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century. Today, while satellite and infra-red devices lessen the need for lookouts, they still have a place in the fire monitoring system.
JOSEPH â A new exhibit featuring photos taken from Northwest fire lookout towers will have a limited opening on Friday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, 403 Main St., Joseph.Â
The Josephy Center is currently authorized for just 31 visitors on first come, first served basis. There will also be unlimited access via Zoom; call the center at 541-432-0505 for instructions.
In the 1930s, with a camera designed by U.S. Forest Service worker William Bushnell Bush Osborne and built by Leupold-Volpel & Co. in Portland, foresters took pictures from fire lookout towers across the Northwest. Each photo covered 120 degrees, so three photos covered the entire region surveyed from each tower, and, matched with the Osborne Firefinder, allowed lookout guards to pinpoint the fires and communicate up the line.