Historical reasons...

...  Griffith’s nickname -- The Town that Came to the Tracks -- is
testament to the importance of railroads from the very beginning of our
town’s  history.   

... Three years after Griffith was founded, its developers abandoned the
fledgling town. The railroads helped provide the stability and jobs
needed for the town to continue to grow. This is shown in our 65-page “Old
Railroaders Log,” listing hundreds of Griffith residents who worked on the 
railroads. 

... The Griffith tower and the bravery of towerman Joe Miller were recognized
nationally in 1947 on the Paul  Harvey radio show.  Fire had broken out in
the tower -- which in 1947 controlled the passage of more than 150 trains a
day.  After leaving the tower to summon help, Miller returned to the burning
building to set the interlocking controls to prevent a train crash.  He lost
his life as a result.  

Preservationist reasons...

... At one time, more than 5,000 towers stood guard at railroad crossings in
the United States.  Today, only 177 are still standing in North America and
many of these face the same fate as the Griffith tower.

... In Northwest Indiana, only six towers now remain in operation and
application has been made to the Interstate Commerce Commission  to close two
of them.  In the rest of the state, only one tower remains and its future
is uncertain.

... Only a handful of towers have been saved and few of these are open to
the public.