100 years of historic mountain fire tower commemorated

Postmark Pursuit by Linn’s Staff

Richard Nilsen, retired journalist and historian for the town of Caroga Lake, N.Y., is offering a postmark depicting the Kane Mountain fire tower, a historic local structure.

The 60-foot, steel-frame Kane Mountain fire tower was constructed in the summer of 1925 by the Aermotor Corporation. The tower became operational the following year.

The tower, resting atop Kane Mountain 2,060 feet above sea level, served as a vital tool of forest observation and defense against forest fires for the Adirondack Forest Preserve for more than 60 years before being taken out of service in 1988 and finally decommissioned in 1989.

In 2003, after years of inactivity, the Canada Lake Protective Association and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation collaborated to restore the tower, which had fallen into disrepair, for public use. The Canada Lake Protective Association continues to maintain the tower as a tourist site.

This year marks the centennial of the tower’s construction. The local Caroga Historical Museum, in conjunction with the Canada Lakes Conservation Association, Forest Fire Lookout Association and the town of Caroga, planned a weekend of events (Aug. 14-17) commemorating the milestone.

Throughout the month of August, a special exhibit titled “100 Years on Top: The Kane Mountain Fire Tower” was on display at the museum. The exhibit highlighted the tower’s history and legacy to the region.

Today the Kane Mountain fire tower remains a landmark accessible to visitors and local hikers and offers panoramic views of the surrounding Canada Lake and Caroga Lake region.

To obtain the postmark, address your request to:

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