Recent Photos of Finley AFS, ND
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first seven photos were contributed by Tom Page. All were taken on 1 August 2023.
AN/FPS-35 FD Search Radar tower, viewed from the east side (looking northwest)
.
former family housing area, looking south
.
site as seen from the main road (looking northeast)
.
.
former GATR site, south side (looking northwest)
.
former GATR site, north side (looking south)
.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 photos contributed by Gene McDonald
The town finally gave up and is demolishing the site, Ops, 35 tower, 6 tower, motor pool and heating plants are all that are left. They are, however, placing markers at the positions of each bldg.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .The following two drone photos came from http://www.jonasson.org/blog/2018/01/04/finley-air-force-station-revisited/ .
.
.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
2004 photo contributed by Laurie Tuite, Finley, ND City Coordinator
Nov/Dec 2002 photo contributed by Laurie Tuite, Finley, ND City Coordinator
The following 2003 photos and captions contributed by Mark Morgan, Radomes Staff and WADS Historian
The former housing area, now open and in deteriorating condition.
The FPS-35 tower still looms over the property but many of the station`s buildings are now gone, most removed down to the foundations.
West end of the site, mostly cleared out.
Another shot from the west access road. The above-ground utilities are all out and there are several piles of dirt, but little rubble or wreckage from the removed buildings. Unlike Gene and Doug`s visit in 2000 the sky really was a steady shade of slate gray.
The Finley AFS GATR facility, perched outside the west fence of the JSS site. The components in the foreground are from the JSS`s former ARSR-3 installation, in open storage.
The following June, 2000 photos contributed by Gene McManus
Approaching the town of Finley on Highway 32 from the south, the old FPS-35 tower was unmistakable on top of the hill. The site is only perhaps a half-mile west of Finley on a good county road. The GATR is about a mile or so northwest of that, just north of the county road a half mile or so. The old GATR site is now the location of the Finley JSS site.
The old 785th was locked up tight behind chain link, topped with barbed wire. I didn`t feel like testing my athletic ability by climbing over somewhere, so we were unable to get into the cantonment area. We were told by a person at the JSS site that the station was fairly recently given to the town of Finley. The general appearance was of being in fairly good condition, some areas are kept mowed, though not necessarily frequently. I hope to make a connection with someone in town so that the next guy who comes by this way will have a contact to get in to take photos.
Doug Sylfest, above, met me at the old Air Force Station. We`d connected on this trip via email, and our timing was perfect - Thanks, Doug and Northwest Airlines.
We started our short trip about Finley AFS by going thru the housing area. The buildings were in fair repair, with few, if any broken windows. The roofs were relatively good, and the house I looked into showed no sign of water damage from leakage. We were told by a person at the nearby JSS site that these houses were used a couple of years ago as emergency housing during the very severe Red River Valley floods.
This house had a large fuel tank beside it. Deserted while we were there, this is most likely used by the caretaker.
The cantonment area secured behind chain link & barbed wire.
Yes, the sky really is that pretty out here.
The Finley AFS GATR site is about a mile northwest of the main station. The GATR building is a couple hundred yards southwest of the ARSR-4 tower.
The following 1992 and 1997 photos contributed by Mark Morgan
>
