Forest fires swept forests of the Adirondack Mountains repeatedly in the early 1900s, and in 1916 the State of New York began construction of an extensive network of permanent steel fire towers to replace wooden structures that were expensive to maintain. These towers served continuously until 1990 when they were all replaced by air patrol. The Mount Arab Fire Tower, a 35’ Aermotor structure with 7’x 7’ metal cab, was built in 1918, replacing a wooden tower opened in 1911. It is the only tower remaining of the seven that once stood in St. Lawrence County and is a popular hiking destination. The tower and Observer cabin has been fully restored by the “Friends of Mt. Arab” and is open to the public. This facility is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Historic Lookout Register.