Published: October 13, 2009 01:29 pm      

Tater Knob Fire Tower fundraiser a success

Tater Knob Fire Tower enthusiasts rocked and rolled during a concert fundraiser for the tower Saturday.

Local groups and out-of-town bands performed at the concert to raise money for the Tater Knob Fire Tower.

The tower was destroyed when an arsonist set it on fire last December. It was used as a scenic view of Rowan, Bath and Menifee counties but its original purpose was to spot forest fires.

A $2,500 reward was offered by the Department of Forestry for anyone having information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the fire. Forestry officials could not make any statements concerning the arson case.

Performers were Unreserved, Delayed Reaction, Trista Mabry, Wild Boogers and the Whiskey River Band. There was an art show with the Tater Knob Fire Tower artifacts on display, A local volunteer fire departments had fire trucks and some equipment outside for all to see and the Department of Forestry had a truck available. The concert was from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Morehead Conference Center.

Those who came to the concert reminisced about the good old days when they were young and the Tater Knob Tower was their main hangout.

“I hated to see it go,” said Butch Cassity, a Salt Lick resident. “I was a teenager when we ran up that hill. I miss climbing it. I’m not able to now. We used to climb it once a year.”

Cassity’s sisters Janet Johnson of Hustonville and Jeanie Burton of Lexington expressed how they felt about the tower.

“It has memories for us,” Johnson said. “I hated to hear that someone set it on fire. We went there a lot to climb the tower. It was something we always did. I went and got my sister and we came here. We came here just for this.”

“It was a shame someone had to do that,” Burton said. “It made us all sad. It took away a lot from us. I climbed all 263 steps of the tower at the age of 71.”

Ed Curtis, a Farmers resident, said he was a frequent visitor of the tower.

“I used to play up there a bit,” Curtis said. “That’s where everyone went to party.”

Curtis said it was a tragedy that the tower was destroyed but he was happy to see that there are people who care about having it rebuilt.

Salt Lick Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brent Frizzell said he has a special tie to the tower.

“I’m from that area,” Frizzell said. “My uncle worked at the tower as a lookout.”

Frizzell was on the scene after the fire was discovered.

“My fire department made the run on that fire,” Frizzell said. “I hope to see it rebuilt. A lot of people want to see that happen.”

District Ranger for the Cumberland Ranger District Dave Manner said he wasn’t sure when the reconstruction of the tower would begin.

“It’s hard to say,” Manner said. “We have to get the plans for the tower.”

Manner said reconstructing the tower would take time and precision.

“The tower had culture and integrity,” Manner said. “We want to reconstruct the tower in honor of that.”

Manner added that Rowan, Bath and Menifee fire departments support the tower and its history.

Kentucky Forestry Fire Lookout Chapter Director Danny Blevins said the fundraiser went well.

“I thought the event was very successful and it got the word out about the tower,” Blevins said. “It was obvious there were people who traveled great distances for the fundraiser. Many people had stories about the tower. For many, going to the tower was a yearly trek.”

Blevins said the concert wasn’t just a fundraiser.

“It was a good event to rally good support for the construction of the tower,” Blevins said. “We made a lot of contacts from different fields for the reconstruction of the tower.”

Blevins said donations generated from the concert and mailed donations totaled $1,500. Donations can still be made.

“Donations for the fire tower can be made to the Salt Lick Deposit Bank into the Tater Knob Fundraiser account,” Blevins said. “They can be mailed to PO Box 157, Salt Lick, KY 40371.”