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Middleton Island

USA / Alaska / Cordova /
 island, Cold War 1947-1991, wildlife sanctuary, scientific research institute / centre, closed / former military
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Middleton Island is an island in the Gulf of Alaska located approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Cordova. Approximately 3 1⁄2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide, the island is uninhabited but is the site of an active National Weather Service radar site, a Federal Aviation Administration beacon and long-range radar site and a small set of buildings which support the US Geological Survey operations at the Kittiwake Bird Sancutary which encompasses the entire island.

As early as 1901, the island was the site of a small scale placer gold mining operation which was abandoned in the 1930's, leaving the island unused until the arrival of US Air Force personnel in the mid-1950's. From 1956 through 1963 the island was the site of the Middleton Island Air Force Station, a long-range radar site that operated as part of the Alaskan Air Command network. The Air Force station was co-located with a White Alice troposcatter communications site which remained in operation from 1956 through 1985.

www.absc.usgs.gov/research/Middleton/middleton.htm
ardf.wr.usgs.gov/ardf_data/MiddletonIsland.pdf
www.radomes.org/museum/recent/MiddletonIslandAFSAK.html
www.airnav.com/airport/PAMD
skyvector.com/airport/MDO/Middleton-Island-Airport
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middleton_Island,_Alaska
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   59°26'5"N   146°19'58"W

Comments

  • PithyTwits
    Large cargo ship beached, and worn away by the ages on southwest corner of the island. And there be rabbits here! Years ago the inhabitants of the island transplanted in rabbits so they had some kind of edible game. With no natural predators the population exploded and as recent as the late 80's they did in fact flourish.
This article was last modified 9 years ago