Indiana Fire Towers (by Mark A)

Cataract

Information

Names: Cataract

Location: Owen-Putnam State Forest, a 13-acre patch of state forest property on Cunot-Cataract Rd and by Ponderosa Rd, near Upper Cataract Falls

County: Owen (McCormick’s Creek is the other one in Owen County)

Topo quad: Cataract

Condition: Tower not standing; all four concrete bases still exist in 2024 (personally visited in April 2024)

Maps

Cataract topo quad, 1956

Outdoor Indiana magazine June 1952 page 19, map of Cagles Mill, with Cataract Fire Tower at bottom of map (large image)
Owen-Putnam State Forest property map, detail of area where tower was, with my orange arrow
Satellite image from March 2005 taken from Google Earth Pro, with old Cataract tower site visible

Links

Owen-Putnam State Forest trails map PDF

Data

Latitude: 39.422295

Longitude: -86.832999

Construction photos

Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest provided these photos of the construction of the Cataract tower from 1949.

Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 1 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest
Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 3 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest
Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 4 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest
Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 7 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest
Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 9 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest
Scan of photo of building the Cataract tower in 1949, picture 10 of 10, provided by Ruthie Speas from Owen-Putnam State Forest

History

Owen State Forest was created in July 1937, according to an Outdoor Indiana article from July 1949.

The land at this site was purchased on 10/24/1948; 13.06 acres purchased from Billy Martin for $391. The footers were dug in 1948. The tower was constructed in 1949.

Thank you to Ruthie Speas at the Owen-Putnam State Forest for details, history, and pictures. Thank you to Teena Ligman for additional details, history, and pictures.