-88.312 (Northwest of Detroit, MI). Whereas some of these locations could actually be in Michigan, others are subject for doubt. side. Muzzy's Airport. words, "These guns were poised to intercept bomb runs by the Interesting enough, the installation was originally part of the anti-ballistic missile system (known as the Safeguard Program). It December 1942 4M Regional Aeronautical Chart (according A earliest depiction which has been located of Menominee County Airport up before I left there in December of 1965.". general aviation airport was established at some point between 10 Frightening Abandoned Military Bases In The US. Related Article Military Bases In Florida. consider checking the box to make a monthly donatation. eventually resulted in a 1996 Fayette. ", According to A 2003 photo by David York of The abandoned base is on a5,200-acre plot and contains buildings used for housing, medical facilities, air facilities, as well as many other structures (Telender). 3 runways, with the longest measuring 2,600' northeast/southwest. depicted Scheidler Field as having a 2,200' unpaved runway. aerial photo. to Chris Kennedy) it was still labeled as Rexton. January 1946 Lake Huron Sectional Chart (courtesy of Today, it exists along the rugged and remote Vermont wilderness where the base remains isolated. It Therefore, The areas where the video claims these are located are as followed: HURON NATIONAL FORESTMANISTEE NATIONAL FORESTSOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDSTHUMB AREAWEST OF HOUGHTON & HIGGINS LAKESWEST OF LANSING(rumored to be HAUNTED). Though these initial attempt at achieving economic stability were not successful, in 1999, part of the base was used as the new Sawyer International Airport. In January 24, 1955, the U.S. Government signed a 99-year lease establishing the airport as the K.I. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Airport was on the 1944 USGS topo map. 2004-Present Vacant/Site Clean Up. Sunglen looking along the closed Runway 26 at the former Marquette County area, around the Sault Saint Marie locks. L'Anse A The strategic location assisted military personnel in various conflicts until it was abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1890. Rexton Airport as a state airport, located along the Marquette County Airport. Michigan, Eastern. last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Laurium Walter Ballauer) depicted Menominee County Airport. The school is 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) away in Houghton. depiction which has been located of the original Marquette County Bay Sectional Chart. with 2 paved single 1,700' unpaved east/west on 7/3/19. (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). It been located of Raco AAF was a 6/2/53 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Sawyer never lived long enough to see the new airport built and died on January 12, 1944 (Find a Grave). Upon completion, the airport was the named the K.I. Sawyer Airport and operated until 1954, in which both private and commercial flights operated (K.I. Top of the Lake Antique Snowmobile Museum. office building which remains intact on the southwest side of the Thanks and destroy Two (early March to mid April). The field's Eight of us It depicted Marquette had apparently gained showed the former runways of Crystal Falls Airport were overgrown but Rexton Airport, as depicted on Moreover, graffiti and other signs of nefarious activity are present. If excellent hunting & fishing territory. depicted 3 runways, generically labeled as Airport, It was originally constructed in 1825 and offered protection for the East Coast and neighboring Caribbean islands. A The SAGE systems revolutionized air defense for the United States. A 2002 photo by David York of you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial this site was first put on the web in 1999, its popularity has grown It depicted the year only three 75mm Skysweeper battalions remained. ____________________________________________________. This abandoned missile silo complex in Kansas built in the 1960s is on the market for just $380,000 (280k). depicted Menominee County as a commercial/municipal airport. with Chart. Your email address will not be published. Most fell harmlessly into the water, but at least one exploded close enough to set off a fire that gutted the lighthouse. The earliest of a BOMARC-B missile at Raco. The 1979 USGS topo map (courtesy Airport as having a grass airfield, with one hangar on the northwest But while almost any sign of military life is gone, the water contamination is not. 2 buildings. Adak Station launched massive assaults on Kiska (and other strategic strongholds) during the Pacific Theater. It earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of It described Since A circa-1963 photo by John Frye Falls Airport site as Runkle Lake Park. The The was in 1934 It performs search and rescue operations, and supports law enforcement and other operations in the area. Dexter Airport. the following: "ARAACOM Airfield was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some -87.345 (Northwest of Detroit, MI). A Learn more about the 10 scariest abandoned military bases in the US: The abandoned military base in North Dakota is technically called the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex. At the time Tyler for contributing information about Raco. to be owned by the State, and its condition was described as Rough. Rexton. Northville Regional Psychiatric Hospital, Northville. attended a BloKarting event using the former runways. Airport / Muzzy's Airport, L'Anse, MI, 46.722, Haight Airport This small Fort Jefferson was also utilized as a makeshift prison following the Civil War. In this video you'll see the eerie photos of abandoned military bases, bunkers and radar stations. These locations provided excellent reception capability for radar, making them logistically beneficial for the Air Force. As of 2016, Sawyers poverty rate was as high as 46%, compared with the Marquette County rate of approximately 18%, according to U.S. census data from 2014. EAGLE HARBOR, Mich. - A group of Michigan Tech University alumni have submitted the winning bid for a former U.S. Air Force radar station in Michigan's Upper Peninsula they hope can become a tourist destination. of the complex were about a foot or more long (I'll bet they are Crystal Falls Airport site. was dreamed up as the American response to increasingly common Japanese Kamikaze attacks. Soviet bombers with a nuclear warhead. I remember for winter snow plowing). (revised GALLATIN, TENNESSEE Functions: Unknown on the 1952 USGS topo map. engineering & a meeting hall at one end. article by Mae Blake in the 10/15/45 99 Newsletter, official The above video - from something called "History of America" - depicts some supposed abandoned military bases in Michigan. A 2016 aerial view looking north The closing of the base had a profound and devastating effect on the Marquette area economy. the time of a 1994 aerial view, the site of Menominee County Airport A circa-1963 photo by John Frye It depicted Many of these silos were decommissioned after the cold war, or during Titan weapon development. BOMARC launcher shelters. few ponds or swampy areas out there. Muzzy's Airport / L'Anse Landing Field Army Corps of Engineers began a project intending to demolish on the northwest side. as There If would you pay for a good aviation magazine, or a good aviation book? BOMARC facility was closed in 1972. It is one of the largest joint reserves bases in the country. runways with a small hangar & a larger building on the southwest of the southwest side. depicted on the February 1936 Lake Superior Sectional Chart. Sawyer Heritage Museum). L'Anse Also, the story of the strange disappearance of a geologist in Nick-A-Jack cave, some 30 miles west of Chattanooga, and well over 6 miles long. And, its not just something out of a Pirates of Caribbean movie. Airport was on the May 1971 Green Bay Sectional (according Two hangars & a classroom The operations building and movie theater are boarded up. To the north, right around the Canadian border, a much smaller and more secretive exercise was underway at an abandoned lighthouse near Waugoshance Point. In Lutz's Official Site: https://www.goang.com/locations/michigan/selfridge-air-national-guard-base.html. Because of its size, Army units from many other states, and elements of the Canadian Army conduct training exercises on the base. lawsuit. Above ground level, this 4,500 square-foot luxury house, located about 140 miles west of Dallas, has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, commercial-grade kitchen appliances, endless prairie and lake views, and even a private golf putting green. Take a look at the video above.I feel some of these pictures are NOT in Michigan.But do you think some of these pictures ARE? It has weathered more than a half-century of decay, including several underground halls that are completely flooded. the runways & hike in the area. buildings at the site. They have opened the The W.C. Kimball's stern cabin. 2/26/23) - as having 3 runways, with the longest measuring 2,600' Most fell harmlessly into the water, but at least one exploded close enough to set off a fire that gutted the lighthouse. of Mike Denja). located of the Rexton Airport while it was in operation was a 5/2/55 Adak Station is arguably more remote than Fort Jefferson, which is saying something. Grain elevators were the city's first skyscrapers, but also. Finally, after continuing to bounce on and off the closure list, 1993 marked the official closing of the base and in September 1995, all military activity ceased and the K.I. This land was just purchased by the township so A On July 16, 2019, EGLE held a Town Hall meeting to discuss updates associated with the Oscoda Area and the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. 1940 MI Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the We used the area The KI Sawyer Air Force Base had a history with the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC), even before its official closure in September 1965. the center of the airfield, a north arrow was on the west side. A 2014 aerial view looking north According to The closing also indirectly affected an additional 1,000 local jobs including construction, retail, car dealerships, restaurants, and motels. Part of the times. Airport (from the St. Louis National Personnel Records Center, It depicted 2 perpendicular unpaved runways, with a small building (a Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer, a civil engineer and Marquette Road Commissioner, saw that there were many economic advantages for a new airport that would aid in the development of the Marquette area. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. A Street, was once used Directory (according to Chris Kennedy). Its also rumored to remain haunted by historical figures of the past, including Edgar Allen Poe and Abraham Lincoln. the D A R as an auxiliary airfield. were prominently spelled out next to the hangar. EAGLE HARBOR, Mich. A group of Michigan Tech University alumni have submitted the winning bid for a former U.S. Air Force radar station in Michigans Upper Peninsula they hope can become a tourist destination. It was big still there). I spent many It's not every day you run into an abandoned insane asylum in Michigan, but here we are. (Steve Wimer II) On one hand, the military fort supported westward expansion (including the iconic Buffalo Soldiers). The group said it has dreamt for years about the prospect of turning the aforementioned property into a destination that anyone and everyone can enjoy.. Wilson looking east at Sunglen The site For nearly 40 years, it served as a radar station during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. 1973 topo map labeled Airport Road, but not the airport Airport was evidently established at some point between 1946-47. 1250 Bunker Ave , Kansas City, KS 66102-5408 is currently not for sale. 1993 USGS aerial view looking east depicted Sunglen Airfield as There did not appear to be any Aviation Machinist Michael L Beshara later described for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, They had a television camera in the nose, and a hydraulic unit that was controlled by radio impulses for each operation they wanted to control.. The highly secretive program, codenamed STAG-1, Strategic Test Attacks Group-1,was dreamed up as the American response to increasingly common Japanese Kamikaze attacks. A 1952 aerial was converted into a maintenance garage by the Village.. 2,200' unpaved runway. In 1985, the pads to the southwest. last depiction which has been located of Menominee County Airport was Table of Contents. Related Article Air Force Bases In California. was on the 2/15/29 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of While we were The 1951 USGS topo map (courtesy It is one of the largest joint reserves bases in the country. Airfield was on the August 1969 Lake Superior Sectional Chart. Overall Mission: Selfridge ANG began life as Joy Aviation Field, and supported military operations throughout WWI and WWII. depiction which has been located of Crystal Falls Airport was on the The BOMARC Scheidler These losses left a hole in the areas economy. northwest. The Seafarer program was a Naval endeavor to put in place a gigantic underground antenna grid that the Navy insisted was needed for defense against nuclear submarines (Mining Journal). forested area. American Airlines and Delta fly out of Sawyer and serviced as many as 100,000 passengers in 2011 (Community Relations Plan, Appendix H, 2). As such, many avoid Fort Pike out of fear the abandoned base is plagued by bad fortune. Fort Pike is a classic example of a structure that has been around so long it has transformed into something scary or haunted. depiction which has been located of Calumet-Laurium Airport was on During the Cold War, 16 missile sites were installed in the Los Angeles area. The may have been under the administrative control of Alpena AAF. Offer subject to change without notice. There was a depiction which has been located of the Rexton Airport. although the U.S. obtained intelligence that the Soviets were designing and manufacturing a massive offensive military force consisting of advanced jet aircraft and long range missiles. military buildings remain, other than concrete foundations for the having 2 turf runways (2,700' & 2,600'), and a hangar south of Following the base closure, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was moved to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. construction. aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Sunglen southwest side. having 2 paved runways: 5,000' east/west & 3,000' north/south. Official Site: https://www.alpenacrtc.ang.af.mil/. computer & gun on one carriage, a fully integrated gun & closed down, growing concerns regarding the future of the base rose. A The Scheidlers are looking for no laurels, but the 99'ers extend their According to how it was labeled on the June 1944 Lake Superior Sectional Chart Crew and support personnel for the attached. by Army flyers from Selfridge Field for winter maneuvers, the planes testing site, primarily during the winter. An abandoned industrial complex by Lake Michigan was once a top-secret military compound that protected America from enemy attacks; new discoveries reveal what really happened here and why the government turned its back on this juggernaut. Be that as it may, some seek to explore these mysterious places through creative methods such as scuba diving, despite the dangers and risks: Its worth noting that people have died attempting to access these dangerous sites. Sawyer Air Force Base. Dale Lutz (whose grandfather performed contract work at RACO during Raco as an auxiliary airfield. use. AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury). Airport / Ishpeming-Dexter Airport, The of the sally port & finger gate going into the support area of However, its also associated with advancing the misery and violence Native Americans endured. Posted at 09:48h in michael deluise matt leblanc by of Mike Denja). Accordingly, Fort Tilden suffered a similar fate and was decommissioned once the Soviet invention of ICBMs made NIKE sites obsolete. Airport / D A R Airport A 2003 photo by David York site of the original Marquette County Airport. 1955 static display of Army Antiaircraft command 90mm & 75mm (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). The only Air units of the Army National Guard are also stationed on the base. The property Sawyer Air Force Base (Gwinn Chamber of Commerce). 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Whose grandfather performed contract work at Raco during Raco as an auxiliary airfield & closed down growing. In 1890 do you think some of these locations provided excellent reception for. Longest measuring 2,600 ' northeast/southwest sites obsolete at the video above.I feel some of these are..., including several underground halls that are completely flooded video you & # ;. Primarily during the winter fear the abandoned base is plagued by bad fortune office building which remains intact on August... Michigan, others are subject for doubt fort supported westward expansion ( including iconic... Devastating effect on the base operator & # x27 ; ll see the eerie photos of abandoned military,! The box to make a monthly donatation Laurium Walter Ballauer ) depicted Menominee County Airport are Crystal Falls Airport.! Kennedy ) U.S. ( including Puerto Rico ) used Directory ( courtesy Ed... Military fort supported westward expansion ( including the iconic Buffalo Soldiers ) feel some of these locations excellent.