- Coordinates: 38º45’44.70″ N, 89º41’31.70″ W (38.76242 N, 89.69214 W)
- County: Madison
- AT&T call sign: KSB74 (inactive)
- Antenna Structure Registration number: 1036159
- Height (overall): 97.8 meters (320.9 feet)
- Current owner: American Tower Corporation
- Current use: Cell tower
- Horn antennas? Yes, several KS-15676 horn antennas
- Original paths: 1960 — Saint Louis toll office, Gillespie (phone only), Van Burensburg, Mascoutah (phone only)
- Later paths: 1966 — Hookdale, Centralia Junction (phone only)
The Highland, Illinois, site was a major repeater in the Long Lines microwave relay network east of the Saint Louis metropolitan area. In 1960, it supported four paths — with an additional two (to Centralia Junction and Hookdale) added by 1966.
The Highland repeater station was constructed in 1953 as part of the Pittsburgh-Saint Louis microwave route. The 321-foot tower would have originally supported KS-5759 delay lens antennas, which later been replaced with newer KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas to increase capacity.
At the base of the tower is a large solid concrete equipment shelter building. An interesting feature of the shelter is its windows, which have not been covered up like at other sites with windows (e.g. Dover and Gray Summit in Missouri.)
Highland was also part of the Saint Louis Bypass route. Calls made west of Saint Louis destined for a location east of Saint Louis would have been transmitted along the bypass route, which would have also redirected traffic in case of trouble (or a nuclear blast) at the Saint Louis station.
Today, the tower is host to multiple cellular telephone antennas. Despite the cellular antennas, the KS-15676 antennas are still present on the heavily-loaded tower.
Photos: May 7, 2025
Historic photo
The following photo was featured in the May 1, 1953, issue of the Saint Louis Globe-Democrat:
