Washburn Mountain, a 1,496-foot peak in Columbia County, New York, near Copake Falls and the Taconic border region, became briefly important in the area’s forest fire detection history. After William A. Miles ended the lease for the fire tower site on nearby Alander Mountain in 1930, the Alander tower was dismantled and stored at High Valley Farm while a new location was selected. In late 1932, the 60-foot steel lookout tower was rebuilt on private land on Washburn Mountain and entered service in 1933. It remained there until 1964, when it was moved to Beebe Hill, linking Washburn Mountain to a notable episode in regional conservation history.