According to Dean Alger's book Indiana's Historic Fire Towers

This state forest currently covers over 7,700 acres and it is well known as an exceptional deer hunting locale. Multiple roads, service buildings, and other land improvements were completed in the state forest by the CCC, Company 1513, Camp F-76 during the Great Depression. Workers at the CCC Camp also erected the Ferdinand Fire Tower in 1935 and this fire tower was restored during the summer of 2009. The fire tower worked in unison with other towers, including the Lincoln City Fire Tower in Spencer County, to determine the exact locations of forest fires. Local firefighters responded to reported fires. The Ferdinand Fire Tower was last used in the late 1950s or early 1960s for fire detection purposes.

According to the Forest Fire Lookout Association, Indiana Chapter, there was another fire tower in the Ferdinand State Forest. This tower was in place for only a couple of years. It was located less than a mile southeast of the present tower, and there was a small dwelling for the tower lookout at the site. It is not known for sure, but the Ferdinand Fire Tower might have been moved to its current site from the location of the first tower.