Tower Construction
Pre-construction of the lower and upper structures of the guard tower were partially undertaken at Boise State University, then transported to Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome County, Idaho. Students enrolled in the Guard Tower Reconstruction Spring Break Workshop as well as volunteers from the Boise State Construction Management Association stayed near the site from March 21st through 27th, completing the remaining construction and erection of the structure in that time.
Construction occurred in phases, often with teams working simultaneously on separate tasks. The main tasks were the placement of the concrete footings, construction of lower structure, construction of the A-frames then adding crossbeams to the lower structure, fabrication of the roof of the guard house, staining of the structure, placement of the lower structure on the foundations, placement of the roof on the upper structure, and finally, the placement of the entire upper structure or guard house on the lower structure. Finishing touches included the laying of topsoil on the foundations as well as a final squaring of the overall structure.
Construction occurred in phases, often with teams working simultaneously on separate tasks. The main tasks were the placement of the concrete footings, construction of lower structure, construction of the A-frames then adding crossbeams to the lower structure, fabrication of the roof of the guard house, staining of the structure, placement of the lower structure on the foundations, placement of the roof on the upper structure, and finally, the placement of the entire upper structure or guard house on the lower structure. Finishing touches included the laying of topsoil on the foundations as well as a final squaring of the overall structure.