TOWN OF HADLEY - FIRETOWER
Approximately fifteen thousand hikers a year make their way up Hadley Mountain to see its beautiful summit and fire tower. To fully appreciate and understand it’s history we need first to look at the log-constructed fire observation tower which was placed on the summit of Ohmer Mountain in 1913 in the town of West Day.
The log tower on Ohmer was typical of all fire towers erected in the early 1900's. The disadvantage of log towers was that they did not last long in the harsh summit atmosphere and needed frequent replacing. To solve the problem the Commission went to a steal framed tower which with an enclosed cab on top to also protect the observer from the elements. The new steel replacement tower arrived for Ohmer in 1916, but was never place there due to a dispute with the mountain’s owner. The Commission closed the Ohmer station and placed the tower on nearby Hadley Mountain in 1916, and it was opened in the spring of 1917.
As the years passed dedicated observers and rangers maintained this mountain's trail, summit and cabin. They acted as educators to hikers using this mountain; instructing them on geology, weather, and local history and answering whatever questions they might have. The tower remained in operation until 1990, when the last official observer served on top of Hadley.
By Paul M. Laskey
This web site was prepared for the New York State Department of State Division of Coastal
Resources with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.