Funny thing is that I should've known about the vast emptiness, having driven through North Dakota to visit a friend of mine in Minnesota. And no, I hadn't heard of that tale. Feel free to relate it, at your leisure.
On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 2:13 PM, Mr. Worf <hellomahog...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Yea they were pretty cheap at the time they came on the market, but yea you > would be pretty far out away from everyone and everything. Although they did > have silos tucked away in a lot of places. Not many people are aware of the > nukes that were hidden in marin county. > > Did I mention the story about the millionaire that tried to take over marin > to create his own country? > > On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 10:37 AM, Martin Baxter > <martinbaxt...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> >> >> I seriously looked into buying one once, when chance brought me to the >> listing for it. The only reason I didn't bite was because it was in North >> Dakota. [?][?] >> >> >> On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 9:41 AM, Mr. Worf <hellomahog...@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Web Urbanist <http://weburbanist.com> >>> >>> <http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http://feeds.feedburner.com/WebUrbanist> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> Nuclear Family Housing: Life In A Missile Silo >>> Home<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/WebUrbanist/%7E3/g8lG9IvclIk/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email> >>> >>> Posted: 25 Jul 2010 10:00 AM PDT >>> [ By Steve <http://weburbanist.com/steve> in Abandoned >>> Places<http://weburbanist.com/category/abandonments/>, >>> Architecture & Design <http://weburbanist.com/category/architecture/>, >>> History >>> & Factoids <http://weburbanist.com/category/history/>. ] >>> >>> >>> Formerly spark plugs of the cold war, dozens of decades-old, >>> decommissioned underground nuclear missile silos are slowly slipping into >>> disrepair >>> and >>> decay<http://weburbanist.com/2008/07/27/abandoned-buildings-property-and-other-places/2/>. >>> Not all of these relics are destined for the ash heap of history, however, a >>> precious few are taking on new life as post-apocalyptic family homes – >>> without the apocalypse. The best thing about living in a refurbished missile >>> silo? Telling your kids, *“You can’t fight in here, this is the war >>> room!”* >>> >>> Home, Home On The Firing Range >>> >>> (images via: UP-HAA <http://www.uphaa.com/blog/index.php/tag/home-silo/>, >>> Arms Control >>> Wonk<http://lewis.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/863/20th-century-castles>and >>> Pyjamas >>> Media<http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/07/23/going-underground/> >>> ) >>> >>> Why would anyone want to live in an old missile >>> silo<http://gearcrave.com/2008-03-23/how-to-buy-your-own-missile-silo/>? >>> Let’s look at the positives, starting with the best construction work >>> government money can buy. Then there’s the feeling of security that comes >>> with living in a structure built to withstand tornadoes, hailstorms, >>> wildfires and the odd Soviet pre-emptive nuclear strike. Home handyman types >>> will find little to do besides changing light bulbs. >>> A Real Fixer-Upper? >>> >>> (images via: Think Or >>> Thwim<http://thinkorthwim.com/2007/10/08/for-sale-by-owner-titan-missile-silo/>and >>> Artificial >>> Owl<http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/10/abandoned-us-anti-ballistic-missile.html> >>> ) >>> >>> There are negatives, of course, that go beyond the lack of skylights, >>> picture windows and kidney-shaped swimming pools. Though they were built to >>> last, missile >>> silos<http://dornob.com/ultimate-underground-home-converted-nuclear-missile-silo/>and >>> their associated infrastructure did require maintenance of the >>> preventive variety. The oddly beautiful installation above is the Stanley R. >>> Mickelsen Safeguard >>> complex<http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/10/abandoned-us-anti-ballistic-missile.html>in >>> Nekoma, North Dakota: the only operational anti-ballistic missile (ABM) >>> base ever completed and dating from the late 1960s. ABMs were designed to >>> protect ICBM sites from attack by enemy missiles, in other words protecting >>> our protectors. >>> >>> (images via: English >>> Russia<http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2008/12/26/abandoned-missile-launch-site/>, >>> Getty >>> Images<http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/83401677/Photonica?language=en-US&location=CAN>and >>> Telstar >>> Logistics<http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/11/a-nike-missile-base-where-the-cold-war-never-ended.html> >>> ) >>> >>> A missile >>> base<http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/11/a-nike-missile-base-where-the-cold-war-never-ended.html>that >>> was completely neglected for years may have a number of daunting issues >>> any new owner must deal with before moving in such as flooding, mold and >>> structural settling. Got a sticky set of blast doors? That’ll require more >>> than just a few shots of WD40. >>> Blasts From The Past >>> >>> (images via: Gypsy Journal <http://www.gypsyjournal.net/titan.htm> and >>> Wikimedia<http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Minuteman_II_in_silo_1980.jpg> >>> ) >>> >>> Most nuclear missile sites comprise much more than the actual missile >>> silo. Underground control complexes attached to the silo by tunnels provided >>> personnel with long-term living facilities (kitchens, bathrooms etc.) and >>> these are the portions most often chosen for home conversion. Even so, life >>> at an updated missile base isn’t a bowl of cherries – and there are usually >>> few stores or supermarkets nearby from which to procure said cherries. >>> >>> (image via: Expedition >>> Portal<http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25705> >>> ) >>> >>> For obvious reasons, nuclear missile bases were located in places with >>> sparse population and negligible infrastructure. The image above shows an >>> old Titan -1 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launching base >>> located east of Denver, Colorado. Electrical power, gas & water, waste >>> disposal and the lack of friendly (or often ANY) neighbors are serious >>> considerations for anyone contemplating living in a renovated silo. >>> My Home Is My Subterra Castle >>> >>> (images via: >>> Jiaju<http://jiaju.xooob.com/fgsj/200912/395945_1037633.html>and Trip >>> Advisor<http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g38671-d1010044-Reviews-Subterra_Castle-Dover_Kansas.html> >>> ) >>> >>> When luck is on their side, homeowners can acquire a decommissioned >>> missile silo in good repair at a decent price. Take the Subterra >>> Castle<http://www.subterracastle.com/index.html>in Dover, Kansas. Edward >>> and Dianna Peden originally purchased the former >>> Atlas E ICBM >>> site<http://webecoist.com/2010/01/20/going-green-underground-16-subterranean-eco-buildings/3-subterra-underground-missile-silo-house/>for >>> around $40,000 back in the 1980s – presumably at the bottom of the >>> market. >>> >>> (images via: Roadside America<http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16730>and >>> Subterra <http://www.subterracastle.com/photos.htm>) >>> >>> The Pedens proceeded to renovate & revamp the 34-acre site to the point >>> that organized tours now visit their home. With 6,500 sq ft of underground >>> living space, an 11,000 sq ft underground shop/garage, his & hers >>> side-by-side toilets and a hot tub, the Cold War is just a fading memory. >>> >>> *Check out this video that introduces the Pedens and their >>> upcycled<http://weburbanist.com/upcycle>silo home: >>> * >>> >>> Weird US Underground Missile Silo Home, via >>> WeirdUSTV<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_liNYkZn_M> >>> Cold War, Hot Properties >>> >>> (images via: MissileBases.com <http://www.missilebases.com/>, >>> RedGypsy1969 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamayer/2011256219/> and Roadside >>> America <http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16730>) >>> >>> The Pedens love living in their renovated missile silo so much, they’ve >>> gone into business finding and selling similar properties. The couple set up >>> a real estate company named 20th Century >>> Castles<http://www.missilebases.com/>and run it from their home in a >>> decommissioned Atlas E missile site. >>> *“This has been the best investment of our lifetime, we love our home,”*say >>> the happy silo-dwellers. >>> *“We sold our first missile site in 1995 and as of January 2010, we have >>> sold 49 of these properties.”* >>> >>> (images via: MissileBases.com<http://www.missilebases.com/developedsites> >>> ) >>> >>> One problem the Pedens face is that prime sites are becoming difficult to >>> find. Many of the newer bases built in the early 1960s are being destroyed >>> by the government due to international treaty obligations while the older >>> sites dating back to the 1950s are considered by long-time owners to be >>> “hard assets” that are steadily rising in value. >>> Underground Titanic >>> >>> (images via: Think Or >>> Thwim<http://thinkorthwim.com/index.php?tag=real-estate>, >>> Wikimedia <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titan2_color_silo.jpg>and >>> O’Reilly/MacDevCenter <http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2002/01/>) >>> >>> Some of the largest missile silo bases were those constructed to house >>> and protect Titan II ICBMs. The base depicted above features three missile >>> silos and associated command & control facilities that take up a total of >>> 47,000 sq ft spread over (under, actually) 57 acres. One of these bases >>> recently was offered up for >>> auction<http://thinkorthwim.com/index.php?tag=real-estate>at eBay for a >>> cool $1.5 million. >>> From Launch Pad To Bachelor Pad >>> >>> (images via: Oddity >>> Central<http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/living-in-a-missile-silo.html>and >>> Wired.com <http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2009/10/missile-base-2/all/1>) >>> >>> America’s nuclear deterrent evolved over time, as did the bases built to >>> store and – if need be – launch the ICBMs at the evildoers. This gives >>> homebuyers some leeway in terms of size: both of their investment and their, >>> er, new digs. Bruce >>> Townsley<http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2009/10/missile-base-2/all/1>decided >>> to go the more modest route after seeing Ed Peden discuss his >>> missile silo home with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. >>> >>> (images via: Oddity >>> Central<http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/living-in-a-missile-silo.html> >>> ) >>> >>> In 1997, Townsley plopped down $99,000 for an Atlas F missile base near >>> Abilene, Texas. While Atlas E sites like the one the Pedens converted were >>> built to store multiple missiles, Atlas F sites stocked just one, along with >>> about 2,200 sq ft of living space. By the time Townsley was finished his >>> renovations, his new home boasted just 1,000 sq ft of space but is bright, >>> white & cozy. >>> Down The Hatch! >>> >>> (images via: Silohome <http://www.silohome.com/>) >>> >>> Got a hankering for the missile silo lifestyle but can’t be troubled to >>> whip an old base into shape? Silohome <http://www.silohome.com/> knows >>> what you’re thinking – they’ve done most (if not all) of the whipping so you >>> don’t have to. You DO, however, have to plunk down $2.3 million but what you >>> get is a true turn-key special… not THAT turn-key! Whew, that was a close >>> one, and so is Silohome’s “model home”, as it were: just a few miles from >>> Lake Placid, NY. Who knew an Atlas ICBM missile base was in, er, shooting >>> distance of the 1980 Winter Olympics? >>> >>> (images via: Silohome <http://www.silohome.com/> and Moviemuse >>> Reviews<http://moviemusereviews.com/2009/11/new-on-blu-ray-north-by-northwest-1959-4-55-stars/> >>> ) >>> >>> In any case, Silohome has domesticated the former base inside and out, >>> below ground and above. It’s even got a small private airstrip in case you >>> want to invite like-minded fellow travelers over for some pinocle or fly out >>> rolls of microfilm hidden inside pre-Columbian art ala Hitchcock’s North >>> By Northwest <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/>. >>> Sleeping With The Enemy >>> >>> (images via: >>> WebUrbanist<http://weburbanist.com/2008/01/27/7-abandoned-wonders-of-the-former-soviet-union-from-submarine-stations-to-unfinished-structures/>, >>> Martin >>> rolle<http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintrolle/sets/72157594469877183/>and >>> Truthdig<http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/20070319_the_nightmare_scenario/> >>> ) >>> >>> Perhaps the Pedens and others like them will have to set their sites >>> beyond the border… catch my drift? You guessed it, Mother Russia! The >>> successor state to the former Evil Empire has just as many nuclear >>> missile >>> bases<http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/20070319_the_nightmare_scenario/>as >>> the USA (more or less) and a series of treaties dating back to the >>> mid-1980s has resulted in many of them being abandoned to various degrees. >>> Better act fast, potential homeowners, lest we fall prey to a missile silo >>> home gap! >>> >>> (image via: WorldChanging<http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007682.html> >>> ) >>> >>> You may be wondering just why the military, after going to great expense >>> to build a huge network of missile silos, now sees them as obsolete? Blame >>> technology – the development of inertial guidance systems in the 1960s >>> turned the bases into sitting ducks. Much better to have mobile ducks, such >>> as submarines. Maybe someday, somebody will be selling obsolete nuclear subs >>> as high-tech <http://weburbanist.com/technology> houseboats… and we >>> wonder what sort of deterrent will replace them? >>> ------------------------------ >>> Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist: >>> >>> <http://weburbanist.com/2007/11/02/suburban-abandonments-missile-silos-for-exploration-visitation-and-even-for-sale/> >>> (Sub)Urban >>> Abandonments: Missile Silos for Exploration, Visitation and Even for >>> Sale<http://weburbanist.com/2007/11/02/suburban-abandonments-missile-silos-for-exploration-visitation-and-even-for-sale/> >>> Here >>> are some fascinating examples of deserted silos one can visit and even >>> purchase! 14 Comments - Click Here to Read More >>> »»<http://weburbanist.com/2007/11/02/suburban-abandonments-missile-silos-for-exploration-visitation-and-even-for-sale/> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> <http://weburbanist.com/2010/07/18/nuclear-coverup-10-cool-examples-of-cooling-tower-art/> >>> Nuclear >>> Coverup: 10 Cool Examples Of Cooling Tower >>> Art<http://weburbanist.com/2010/07/18/nuclear-coverup-10-cool-examples-of-cooling-tower-art/> >>> Cooling >>> towers have come to symbolize power plants around the world but some of >>> these hourglass-shaped "towers of power" show an unexpected artistic side. >>> Click >>> Here to Read More >>> »»<http://weburbanist.com/2010/07/18/nuclear-coverup-10-cool-examples-of-cooling-tower-art/> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> <http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fweburbanist.com%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2Fnuclear-family-housing-life-in-a-missile-silo-home%2F&service=bit.ly> >>> [image: >>> Share on >>> Facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fweburbanist.com%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2Fnuclear-family-housing-life-in-a-missile-silo-home%2F&t=Nuclear+Family+Housing%3A+Life+In+A+Missile+Silo+Home> >>> [ >>> WebUrbanist <http://weburbanist.com> - By >>> Steve<http://weburbanist.com/steve>in Abandoned >>> Places <http://weburbanist.com/category/abandonments/>, Architecture & >>> Design <http://weburbanist.com/category/architecture/>, History & >>> Factoids <http://weburbanist.com/category/history/>. ] >>> >>> [image: Become a Fan on Facebook] <http://facebook.com/weburbanist> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:yIl2AUoC8zA> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:gIN9vFwOqvQ> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:V_sGLiPBpWU> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:cGdyc7Q-1BI> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:I9og5sOYxJI> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:7Q72WNTAKBA> >>> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Eff/WebUrbanist?a=g8lG9IvclIk:n_m6WDm79Bw:qj6IDK7rITs> >>> You are subscribed to email updates from >>> WebUrbanist<http://weburbanist.com> >>> To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe >>> now<http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=6_GUM4HHOvO3WNemRypL3IdPfXM> >>> . Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago >>> IL USA 60610 >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! >>> Mahogany at: >>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell >> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik >> >> >> > > > -- > Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! > Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ > > -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
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