A fallen forest ranger

The Gaudineer Fire Tower was named in honor of a fallen forest ranger, Donald R. Gaudineer. Gaudineer was a district ranger in the Monongahela National Forest. On April 28, 1936, he and his three daughters perished in a house fire.

The Gaudineer Fire Tower was dedicated on July 5, 1937. It was located on Gaudineer Knob, the highest point in Shavers Mountain. The tower was a steel structure with a glass-enclosed cab. It was staffed by a lookout who would scan the surrounding area for signs of smoke.

The Gaudineer Fire Tower was decommissioned in the 1970s, but it remained standing for many years. In 2003, the tower was dismantled and removed from Gaudineer Knob.

The Gaudineer Scenic Area, which includes Gaudineer Knob, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. The area is home to a variety of plants and animals, including the rare spruce-fir forest.

The legacy of Donald R. Gaudineer lives on in the Gaudineer Scenic Area and the Gaudineer Fire Tower. His dedication to protecting the forest is an inspiration to us all.

---------------------------------------

Donald R. Gaudineer

Forester Donald R. Gaudineer was district ranger of the Greenbrier Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest at Bartow from 1926 to 1934, and ranger of the Cheat Ranger District at Parsons from 1934 until his untimely death. Gaudineer was well-liked, and his six-foot, seven-inch frame commanded much respect. He was a native of New York City and a 1922 graduate of the New York State Ranger College. He had served the U.S. Forest Service in Maine and New Hampshire before coming to West Virginia. His accomplishments at the Monongahela National Forest included new roads and trails, reforestation, and the construction of the original Middle Mountain Cabin, which stood until 2002.

Gaudineer met tragedy on April 28, 1936, when he lost his life attempting to rescue his children from their burning home. Ranger Gaudineer’s wife was the only survivor. On July 5, 1937, a new fire tower on the Randolph-Pocahontas county line on Cheat Mountain was dedicated in his memory. The tower was abandoned in the early 1970s, but Gaudineer Knob and Gaudineer Scenic Area still bear his name. Gaudineer Scenic Area, established by the U.S. Forest Service on October 1, 1964, is dedicated to the preservation of a virgin red spruce stand, one of the last remnants of the Mountain State’s original forest.

This Article was written by Robert Beanblossom

Last Revised on December 03, 2020