Fire Towers of the Catskills

This fascinating chronicle of Catskill Mountain fire towers includes the history of the towers that once stood vigil over the heavily forested slopes on the lookout for any sign of smoke that could lead to devastating fires.

“At a time when American society sorely needs the spirit that animated Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, Marty Podskoch’s crisp, inspirational account of the CCC’s impacts on Rhode Island is a welcome addition to our local historiography. A particular thrill for me was learning about what CCC enrollees did to conserve and improve lands that would later become state parks and other areas managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. They planted nearly a million trees, blazed trails that are still in use today, and built picnic groves and roads and bridges and shelters. In short, Marty Podskoch’s book shows just how much history the CCC made in committing to what FDR called ‘the nation’s fight for progress.’” —Janet Coit, Director Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

"With over 13 million unemployed during the Great Depression, the country’s new president in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt, as one of his programs to get people back to work, established the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC, as it became known for short, grew into one of FDR’s most successful and popular programs. Underfed young men throughout the country enlisted in the CCC and were bused to camps in national and state forests where they were employed making the forests accessible to visitors. In Rhode Island seven camps were established from Primrose/Woonsocket to the north, Escoheag/Beach Pond to the west, and Burlingame/Westerly to the south. Rhode Islanders should be grateful that Martin Podskoch, one of the nation’s authorities on the CCC, has turned his talents to Rhode Island. In this remarkable and authoritative book, Podskoch rediscovers the wonderful stories of CCC efforts undertaken by Rhode Islanders and fills the book’s pages with photographs that bring the period back to life. Some of the sites can be visited today. This book is a real treat for readers to enjoy." —Christian McBurney, publisher and editor, smallstatebighistory.com The Online Review of Rhode Island History smallstatebighistory.com