NORTHEAST CAPE

Northeast Cape is located on St. Lawrence, certainly one of the more isolated WACS installations. It functioned as a relay station between Anvil Mountain, 126 miles east, near Nome and Tin City, near Point Hope, 161 miles away. In both cases, pairs of 60’ antennas were used. It was constructed in 1957 and became operational on 17 February 1958. The composite, or equipment and power, building was 5280 sf. POL storage was accomplished by one 500 barrel tank. Because it was colocated with an AC&W site, dorm and recreation facilities were located there. (See note 1)

PEDRO DOME (GILMORE)

Pedro Dome was a combined tropo/micro station. 60’ antennas faced Fort Yukon, 124 miles away and a second pair linked Bear Creek, 130 miles to the south. A 75’ TD-2 tower interconnected with Fairbanks Alaska Communications Site (ACS), 15 miles away, Harding Lake, Murphy Dome and Elelson AFB. The station was constructed in 1957 and opened on 6 January 1958. It was incorporated into the BMEWS, A Route, in the mid-60s. The equipment and power building was 9120 sf and the attached 16-person dormitory was 5200 sf. Also on site were a warehouse, water pump house, auto maintenance building, fire pump station and P01 storage with 470 barrel capacity.

PILLAR MOUNTAIN (KODIAK)

Pillar Mountain was a tropo station linking Diamond Ridge 135 miles north by 60’ antennas. An original intention of Western Electric was to have Pillar Mt. also link Sitkinak, 107 miles away. However, when project Stretchout was completed, Sitkinak was unnecessary, so this link was never made. Pillar Mt. also served other government and private entities--U.S. Navy, F.A.A. and R.C.A., for example. The Navy was linked via Cape Chiniak, another station intended as a WACS but, like Sitkinak, never opened as such. Pillar Mountain was constructed in 1957 and opened on 26 April of that year. All components were not completed until 1966. The composite building was 4960 sf, and there were also an auto maintenance building, water and fire pump building, water storage tank and POL storage The facility is now abandoned and is pending conveyance and possible use by the City of Kodiak.

RABBIT CREEK (POTTER, R1-S)

Rabbit Creek was an unattended TD-2 microwave radio relay station between Naptowne, 48 miles south, and R1-N, on Elmendorf AFB, 12 miles north. It was built in 1955-56 and opened on 18 January 1957. It was acquired by Alascom in 1983 and still functions as it did originally. The site consists of a 1200 sf equipment building, a latrine, and a 100 barrel POL tank. Because it contains most of its original equipment and is so well maintained, it was chosen for archival recordation to National Park Service standards during the course of this project. The photographs, copies of which are in this report, will be sent to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and representative as-built drawings will be deposited at the University of Alaska, Anchorage archives. The reason why Rabbit Creek as-builts do not appear in this report is because there are only three in existence, and these are not original. Because TD-2 stations are all virtually Identical, Sawmill and Cathedral as-builts are used instead for report purposes.

R1-N (ANCHORAGE R1-N)

This is an unattended TD-2 microwave relay station which connects Neklasson Lake, 32 miles east, Rabbit Creek, 12 miles south, and Anchorage ACS (Alascom toll center), 3 miles south. It was constructed in 1956 and opened on 29 November of that year. While it is located on Elmendorf AFB, Alascom owns the microwave equipment. It consists of a small equipment and power building and the TD-2 tower.

CAPE ROMANZOF

This was a tropo station linking Bethel, 152 miles away, by 60’ billboard antennas. It was constructed in 1956 and 1957 and opened on 15 February 1958. Minimally Attended Radar (MAR) facilities were added in the mid-1960’s, and this continues to be the station’s main function. The original site consisted of a 5280 sf composite building, a 4750 sf 12-person dormitory and 2000 barrel capacity POL storage tanks. It was colocated with an AC&W site where other facilities were available. It is now abandoned except for the MAR facility. (See note 2)

SITKINAK

Sitkinak had been intended as a link to Pillar Mountain, 107 miles to the north, but was rendered obsolete by Project Stretchout. The facility was 79% completed when it was abandoned.

SOLDOTNA (KENAI)

Soldotna is an active TD-2 microwave radio relay station, with paths 17 miles north to Naptowne and 26 miles south to Clam Gulch (Photo 12). It was opened in 1957 and acquired by Alascom in 1983. The original site included a 4550 sf equipment building, a 12-person 4580 sf dormitory, a garage and maintenance shop (1560 sf), a Fire pump house and water control building (206 sf) and a 240 barrel POL tank. It serves its original purpose, contains much of the original equipment, but has been somewhat remodel1ed.

SPARREVOHN

Sparrevohn, which has been demolished, was a three-way tropo relay station. It linked Big Mountain, 120 miles away, with 60’ antennas; Aniak, 135 mIles away, with a second pair of 60’ antennas, and Tatalina, a distance of 127 miles, with a set of 30’ antennas. It was constructed in 1956 and 1957, and became operational on 26 October of 1957. It was deactivated in 1979. Its composite building was 5760 sf, and its 16-person dormitory was 5200 sf. P0L storage consisted of three tanks totaling 6200 barrels capacity.

Note 1:
Tin City is located near Wales. Point Hope is south of Cape Lisburne.

Note 2:
MAR facilities were added in the mid 70's.

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