Howard Farley Sr. always looked forward to seeing the four ghostly structures that make up Nomehenge when he returns after fishing for king crab. He says that he doesn’t feel like he’s really back until he sees them.
“They were always there, part of Nome.”
Colloquially, they’re known as “Nomehenge” or simply “the billboards,” though, given their concave shape, one could easily mistake them for unfinished skate ramps. Sitting on the summit of the otherwise-bald 1,200-foot mountain that looms behind the town, they’re useful wayfinding aids for aircraft pilots, boat captains, hikers, and snowmobilers—particularly in the winter, when it’s dark much of the day and the snow is deep enough to obscure most other landmarks.
But what really is Nomehenge, and what purpose did it serve? The answer goes back to the Cold War.
Learn more about this helpful structure over at Atlas Obscura.
(Image Credit: Casey Anderson/ Atlas Obscura)
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like stonehenge but nomehenge
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