Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History And Lore, the Southern Districts

by Martin Podskoch

New York State lost tens of thousands of acres of woodland to devastating forest fires in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In response, the state placed fire observers on prominent peaks. The first stations were crudely-built log platforms, but these were eventually replaced by high steel towers, and they became destinations for generations of hikers who admired the views from on high and the stories told by the colorful observers. Aerial surveillance, improved communications, and public education in fire prevention eventually made the towers obsolete, and many were removed. Today, some of the remaining towers have been or are being restored for the benefit of hikers. Marty Podskoch brings the history and the stories of the towers in the words of the observers, the rangers who supervised them and the pilots who replaced them in the southern half of New York State's Adirondack Mountains. (This is the first of two volumes.)

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2003

Reviews

[David Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I previously read the author's collection on the northern districts, so had to read this one to, especially since I've climbed to most of the towers remaining in these areas. Again Podskoch does a very good job of collecting local history and tales about these remote places, and shares them in a book that is just very pleasant to read. The plentiful pictures are great too, and really recreate the past eras when these towers were in operation, ranging from the early nineteen hundred rights up the the late eighties. It's great to be able to put a story to these places. Only criticism is the same I had with the other volume, it felt a little disjointed how the author separates the history from the lore instead of weaving them together. But despite that, this remains a great book on the Adirondacks, and would be good for hikers or people who are just fans of the region.

[Sylvie O'rourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book just as much as the Northern one. It's interesting to read about the mountains you want to climb to learn about their history and legends. It makes the experience all the more memorable.

[Fred Provoncha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got a copy from the author after he gave a talk in my museum. Loved it, he did a great job, and I learned many things I did not know,,,fvp

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intersting history about Fire Towers, when open and closed. Great pictures. A skim through book.