The story of Hurricane Fire Tower
Friends of Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower
The future of the Hurricane Fire Tower and it's presence in the Adirondack Mountains, is in jeopardy. During the initial stages of the movement to save the tower, the following article was published in the Valley News on February 2, 2005.
I am a fire tower 35 feet tall, built in 1919. When you see me from a distance, you know I am on top of Hurricane Mountain, 3,964 feet high, in the Adirondack Park. I am between Elizabethtown and Keene on Route 9N. There are 3 different trails to get you to my home.
I was erected with many others for the fire service. My purpose was to help protect your forest, farms, homes and you from Fire. Observers watched from dawn to dark, spring to fall from my lookout “cab” and spotted and pin pointed smoke and fire. They communicated with each other, tower to tower, to fire wardens, and fire companies with hand cranked telephones. The observer lived in a small cabin below me. Many observers lasted only one season.
Fire observer's cabin no longer exists.
Photo compliments of Bob Eckler.
