Information
Names: Mason Ridge
Location: Morgan-Monroe State Forest
County: Monroe (there are 3 in Monroe County: Hickory Ridge, Mason Ridge, and Dutch Ridge)
Topo quad: Hindustan
Condition: Climbable up into cab. Gate around tower is locked most of time.
Maps
Hindustan 1948
Hindustan 1961
Note: The Indiana Geological and Water Survey TM05 map has this area, but does not show the tower.
Data
Latitude: 39.32949
Longitude: -86.42249
Mystery: There are two references online to there being -two- Mason Ridge tower sites, but I am not aware of any evidence for one in Morgan County. The Forest Service website page lists that, as does Ron Kenmow’s webpage. They both list two sites, one in Monroe County and one in Morgan County.
History
The above is an undated photo.
A page about Monroe County history says that the CCC camp here was “Company 542 and consisted of young men of color.” It doesn’t definitively say that this CCC company built the Mason Ridge tower, but it seems possible.
The IDNR Outdoor Indiana video from 2013 (available on YouTube) has an interview with Dennis Goen, a Mason Ridge towerman from 1963-1965.
Personal photos
Notes: In 2022, my brother secured permission for us to climb this tower. This involved calling ahead to the MMSF office and asking them to unlock the gate.
