BLUE MOUNTAIN
Hamilton County
1917: A 35-foot steel tower was erected. (7th Annual Report of the Conservation Commission)
1917: "Seven new cabins were built for observers on mountain stations to replace buildings which had deteriorated and were unfit for further use, one placed on Blue Mountain." (Seventh Annual Report of the Conservation Commission)
September 10, 1926: "Seventy-three summers mean nothing to Mrs. Thomas Parks of St. Regis Falls when it comes to mountain climbing. Recently Mrs. Parks decided to visit her son, who is state fire observer on top of Blue Mountain, in the northern Adirondacks. Despite her age, she made the trip without aid, in the face of traditional dislike of even younger persons for the mountain because of its precipitous trails." (The Kingston Daily Freeman)
July 7, 1933: "J. Alden Loring of Oswego returned Wednesday from a trip to the Adirondacks where he installed, in the fire tower of the summit of Blue Mountain, a 24-power Busch prism binocular. The instrument is to be used both for detecting fires and for observation purposes." (Press and Sun-Bulletin)
July 26, 1943: "A 'one bear blitz' all but wrecked a forest fire observer's cabin atop Blue Mountain in the central Adirondacks, the Conservation Department reported.
While observer Gordon Gauvin was away from the cabin temporarily, a black bear forced open the front door, entered the kitchen and was trapped when a door evidently blew shut.
The bear battered down the partition and poked out nine window panes.
He left without molesting the food supplies." (The Troy Record)
May 24, 1992: "Vandals attempted to burn a caretaker cabin and damaged a fire tower atop Blue Mountain earlier this month, Department of Environmental Conservation officials reported Friday.
DEC is investigating, but officials are unsure if the incident is related to the toppling of the Pharoah Mountain tower in mid-April.
DEC Ranger Greg George of Blue Mountain Lake said a hiker discovered May 10 that someone has broken into the observers cabin and dragged all of the furniture and bedding outside where it was burned. Vandals also smashed porch bannisters and tried to burn the cabin, but only succeeded in charring the interior. He said the lock was broken and windows were smashed in the booth atop the fire tower.
Tower legs were not cut as they were on the Pharaoh Mountain structure, nor were there any apparent attempts at structural damage, George reported." (Press-Republican)
DESIGNATION - BLUE MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - OE1729
STATE/COUNTY- NY/HAMILTON
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD -
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1942 (GWL)
THIS LOOKOUT TOWER IS LOCATED ON THE SUMMIT OF BLUE MOUNTAIN,
A PROMINENT AND WELL KNOWN MOUNTAIN ABOUT 2-1/2 MILES NE OF THE
VILLAGE OF BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE. IT IS A FOUR-LEGGED STEEL STRUCTURE
WITH A GLASS-ENCLOSED CAGE AT THE TOP. THE OVERALL HEIGHT IS
ABOUT 50 FEET. THE DISTANCE WAS MEASURED TO THE STANDARD FOREST
SERVICE RANGE FINDER TABLE IN THE CAB OF THE TOWER.