Here is another relocated fire tower. It once stood at Tooley Pond. Eventually the time came for it to be dismantled. Fire Towers were becoming obsolete to aerial surveillance. Instead of destroying it, it was given a new home at the Wanakena Ranger School. The school is part of the College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Suny ESF also owns Goodnow Fire Tower.
Wanakena is located at Cranberry Lake. This lake is found on route 3 west of Tupper Lake. The tower is surrounded by a labyrinth of roads and trails. It's best to reaserch the area before attempting it. It was fun climbing the rock. It's steep, but the trail switchbacks to make it easy. Once ontop there is a lean-to and a picnic area. A little furthur is the tower.
The tower cab is painted silver and red. I read later it had something to do with helping airplanes to see it. I also noticed wires wound into a christmas tree like design on one side. it appeared to be decorated for Christmas. The cab is topped with a Stan-helio. It's a device invented by Verplank Colvin, a famous surveyer of the Adirondacks. Somehow with wind driven mirrors it aided in surveying. Inside the cab is the map table. In picture 3, the circle on the right (north) represents the former site. The one on the left (south) represents Cat Mountain and furthur left is Mount Electra. Mount Electra, Salmon Lake, Buck, and Meenahga were all privately built fire towers that worked in conjunction with the state.
