In 1907 most of the forest on Rich Mountain became part of the first National Forest in the South, which was created by Theodore Roosevelt in an attempt to conserve the nation's resources. This National Forest soon became known as the Ouachita National Forest. Since the temperatures in Arkansas sometimes soar into the hundreds during the summer months, one of the first preventions was to construct lookout towers. A platform was built on top of Rich Mountain so that the person on duty could look out at the surrounding forest and watch for forest fires. In 1923 this platform was replaced with a cabin and a wooden tower. In 1926 the tower was named "Rich Mountain Tower" by Amos Egger. The present tower was constructed in 1952. It was used until 1975. Today the tower is a common attraction point for many tourists (Mountain Memories 20).
Two different views of the current tower:
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