In the early 1960s, an unmanned microwave repeater site was constructed near Cole Camp, Missouri, four hops east of the Kansas City district office on the Kansas City-Halifax microwave relay route carrying telephone and television circuits. FCC records indicate the tower was “constructed” January 11, 1964.
The site consists of the typical “semi-hardened” concrete base station found along this route, along with a self-supported 300-foot tower. The tower originally supported at least four KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas (and possibly two additional horns mounted on outrigger platforms lower on the tower, likely for spatial diversity). Two (or three, if spatial diversity antennas were used) were aimed northwest at Windsor, with the other two (or three) aimed east-southeast at Barnett.
After AT&T retired the Long Lines terrestrial microwave relay network in the 1990s, the site was sold to American Tower Corporation, who leases tower (and building) space to users such as cell phone carriers. In turn, Steven Semon (d/b/a “Sedalia Smiles”) purchased the tower from ATC in 2001. Semon, as “Sedalia Smiles,” has purchased several former Long Lines sites across Missouri. He also owns Central Communications Service Company, a Motorola land mobile radio shop in Sedalia.
The current status of the Cole Camp site is unknown. The original KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas have been removed to make room for dipole arrays, a small shrouded parabolic antenna, among a couple other antennas. The dipole arrays are likely used for a land mobile repeater operated by Semon. The site could also be used by a wireless internet service provider, based on small parabolic antennas mounted below the top platform.
The site has appeared to have not been visited or maintained in some time, as vegetation has consumed the base station.
Photos: November 23, 2024
Former AT&T Long Lines site near Cole Camp seen Nov. 23, 2024, along Route W in rural Benton County, Missouri. The site is currently owned by Sedalia Smiles (Steven Semon/Central Communications Service Company). ASR 1005489Semi-hardened concrete base station.Front (southeastern) face of the concrete semi-hardened base station of the former AT&T Long Lines site near Cole Camp, seen Nov. 23, 2024, off Route W in rural Benton County, Missouri.Front door to the concrete semi-hardened base station at the former AT&T Long Lines site near Cole Camp, seen Nov. 23, 2024, off Route W in rural Benton County, Missouri. The sign identifies the site ASR number (1005489) and current owner, Sedalia Smiles (Steven Semon/Central Communications Service Company).Southern corner of the semi-hardened concrete base station.The 300-foot former Cole Camp AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower seen Nov. 23, 2024, off Route W in rural Benton County, Missouri.Close-up view of the top of the former Cole Camp AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower reveals a couple parabolic antennas and multiple dipole arrays at the top and lower.North-northeastern face of the concrete semi-hardened base station facility. This side contains the electrical feed, blast shield with generator air intake, and generator exhaust.Blast shield with generator air intake seen Nov. 23, 2024, at the former Cole Camp, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site. The exhaust for the generator is above the concrete shield, which is designed to protect the generator room during a nuclear blast or harsh winds.Modern modular base station found Nov. 23, 2024, at the base of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Cole Camp, Missouri, adjacent to the original semi-hardened concrete shelter.Original Bell System outhouse found adjacent to the concrete semi-hardened base station.ASR number (1005489) posted on tower base.Blast shield.Crouse-Hinds main electrical feed conduit.Former AT&T Long Lines tower near Cole Camp seen Nov. 23, 2024, along Route W in rural Benton County, Missouri. The site is currently owned by Sedalia Smiles (Steven Semon/Central Communications Service Company). ASR 1005489Route W.An old Sprint cable marker in the shadows of an older piece of telephony history: The Cole Camp, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines site.Clkose-up photo of the old Sprint cable marker seen Nov. 23, 2024, adjacent to the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri.Sprint telephone boxes and cable marker seen south of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower site near Cole Camp, Missouri.
A view of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Cole Camp, Missouri, from a distance. (Photo: C. Vance)
A view of the concrete main building for the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri. (Photo: C. Vance)
A sign on the front of the main entrance to the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri, reveals its owner: Sedalia Smiles. (Photo: C. Vance)
The “blast shield” on the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri. Behind the shield is the generator air intake, with the exhaust/muffler seen directly above the shield. (Photo: C. Vance)
An air intake vent on the Cole Camp, MO AT&T Long Lines site. (Photo: C. Vance)
The generator exhaust on the Cole Camp, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site. (Photo: C. Vance)
Another entrance into the main building at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri. The building is heavily overgrown with vegitation. (Photo: C. Vance)
The outhouse for the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri. (Photo: C. Vance)
A small prefabricated building sits right next to the base of the tower at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri. The prefabricated building likely houses cell repeater equipment. (Photo: C. Vance)
A view of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Cole Camp, Missouri, from another angle. (Photo: C. Vance)
A photo of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Cole Camp, Missouri. According to the 1979 map, the site had two hops: one to the northwest to Windsor, and one to the east to Barnett. (Photo: C. Vance)
A close-up view of the top of the tower at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Cole Camp, Missouri, reveals some hints at its modern purpose: a cell and two-way repeater site. Parabolic dishes on top, cell repeaters below, and dipole arrays at the bottom of this photo. (Photo: C. Vance)