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I grew up near Hamner Tower in Tampa. I never set foot in the park until I visited home many years later. These pictures are from May, 2005. The fire tower was always an object of some fascination for me, as I imagined it was something unique to our area. Alas, similar fire towers exist in many other places. This tower, and a nearby street named Hamner Avenue, were named for B. E. Hamner, a Tampa real estate developer. According to this document (PDF) at the Hillsborough County and City of Tampa Water Atlas: "The tower is a remnant from when this area of the County was more rural. The eighty-five-foot tower was constructed in 1936 as a fire lookout. As this area of the county became more urbanized and served by the fire department, the structure fell into disuse. In the early 1990's, the fire tower and the 8.7 acres surrounding it were threatened by impending sale and subsequent development. A group of residents banned together to save the historic treasure and the natural environment surrounding it. Hillsborough County bought the land and the tower through the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) and turned the small parcel on the corner of Fletcher Avenue and North Boulevard into its first urban wildlife preserve."