My name is Mark Reese and I was stationed at Finland AFS from October of 73’ to May of 75’ in the Air Force as a Material Control agent aka liaison between Base Supply and Maintenance Units. I was there when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down during that famous ice storm. It breaks my heart to see it like this with all the memories of that place I have. I don’t know if anyone I was stationed with is still alive anymore???
My dad help with the search of the Fitz the night it went down, he was on another boat a few hours behind and we're the ones that found the preserver. You could always try the Legion (A bar) In two Harbors with finding old service members in the area, that's tends to be where the local vets like to hangout.
@@p3pp3rcoat70 I only knew of one guy that retired from The Air Force (74’ or 75’) and stayed in Silver Bay/Finland area. He went to work for Reserve Mining which of course you know they shut that place down in the 80’s most likely. I seriously doubt there’d be anyone left that I knew. I was 20 years old when I got my orders in May of 75’ to leave for Wiesbaden AB Germany then Sembach AB Germany 3-6 months later. Most peeps I’m talking about were 20 years older than I was and I gotta think they’re all dead now. I think it’s very likely when Finland AFS shut down even the civilians probably left the area. In a related type of story I thought I’d go looking for peeps from my era and it comes to find they’re all dead that’s 3 for 3. Gary Dahl was the only one of my age who lived in Finland Mn. as a civilian who went into the Army (he dated a Debbie Quante) and coincidence has it I met him in Wiesbaden it I’m afraid to look him up only to find out he’s dead too anyway other than Fred Quante who was the father of Debbie who dated Gary Dahl no one I knew wanted to go back to Finland Mn. It was very remote and the winters were awful and when I saw this post of Finland being a ghost town I wasn’t surprised. Funny I’m only 69 years old and I’ve outlived most all my family, friends and acquaintances. The youngest guys would be in their 70’s and most that I knew at the radar site couldn’t possibly be alive. The Air Force in their day prior to the early 70’s was a very hard life and it didn’t suffer old age unfortunately. Just as a thought I remembered an old saying about how one dies young if they weren’t living the best of lives but I’m here to tell it’s worse when you outlive everyone because you’re alone there’ll be no one to mourn you when your gone because they all left first. Sorry for waxing philosophically. I just saw an old man in his 80’s or 90’s walking Como Lake and he stopped us to talk just to talk and I realized he was all alone too outliving his loved ones. I guess that’s my thought. What’s a harsher judgment living a short life or a long one where everyone you know passes 🤔?
@@bobzilla5472 it depends on when he was stationed there. I knew of a guy who had an interesting reputation that left shortly after I got there. He was a radar technician with a medium to stocky build and blonde hair. If he was stationed there between October 3rd 1973-May 1st or April 30th 1975 I probably knew him. If you have a pic of him and he was stationed there at those dates I mentioned there’s a good chance I knew him. There was another guy who sold me a mustang. It was a collectors car even then 2X2 orange mustang I believe. Those are the two guys I forgot names to if they were the Larry Larson you refer to also. Oh was he Air Force or civilian because we had a civilian who lived at Finland who just loved it there that I believe worked at The GATR Site aka I believe if my memory serves me right GROUND AIR TRANSMITTER RECEIVER SITE. If I’m wrong forgive me it’s been almost 50 years now.
My father was in the Air Force and got transferred there in 1970. We lived there for two years. It was very remote. I was 7 years old. The base was too small to support a school so we had to go to the elementary school in the closest small town (Finland Elementary School). It got a crazy amount of snowfall in the winter. As a kid, I loved it!!! My son came to visit me last night and he likes to watch UA-cam videos of abandoned places and this clip was what he wanted to watch. I was looking at it and commented that it looked like Finland Air Force base and that was exactly what it was!! LOL. The guy actually went through the house that I lived in. It was definitely a trip down memory lane. My son couldn't believe it, especially when I was describing some of the things I remembered. LOL
I'm pretty sure that's mining country. The water probably got polluted. I'm pretty sure that's the iron ranch area and they closed a lot of those minds. And if they did it in the middle of the winter in January in 30 below you're not moving that stuff. You're leaving it. I live in northern Minnesota and you're not moving in January unless you're doing it yourself cuz no one's going to help you
They started demolishing the houses in august 2023, there’s few houses remaining that haven’t been torn down but is now fenced off and has security 24/7
That was going to be my question. Why wouldn't they be held responsible to clean the area up like gold miners do? Glad to hear they are finally getting to it! Thanks!
I mean.. clean it up for what? If it were me, I would have done a reality show there and done a rehab or clean up /small community start off off the grid thing.. that would have been genius .. too bad they dumped it all
@@ConsciousConversations The groundwater there is contaminated by all sorts of crap. TCE (From the Air Force Station degreasers), Abestos, Lead, and possibly run off diesel have all been possibly hinted at as to how the water got contaminated. Area at the time was basically labeled uninhabitable.
Update: the groundwater and soil is heavily contaminated… he has no idea why people left so many belongings behind, but after they all left it was a hot spot for squatters and people looking for a secluded place to party. To be honest, I’ve never been there but it gives me the creeps…
The site is a Superfund. Soil is so toxic - the dust of the town can give you cancer, just breathing it. Thus, the dust inside the homes - is just as bad. (Dust from the outside gets in homes as soon as you open a window/door.) This dust contaminated all of the objects. (It's cheaper/safer to just buy new things than try to clean them/risk exposure.)
@@andreassjoberg3145To my understanding, diesel and probably asbestos (at least the siding) and lead (paint). There was a guy that lived there that commented on a short about his time there that mentioned all that contamination, so it makes sense if it all got in the water, too. He mentioned they used to play with the siding when it would be by the road.
Multiple factors here but I looked it up. Mostly abandoned due to underground tanks, radioactive materials, and hazardous waste contaminants in the ground and had spread through a pipeline causing infection of the whole area. Also, due to the entire base being built on a slope/peak the fear of landslide or runoff of said contamination was a huge concern. It truly is a wickedly hidden area, buried in greenery. I'm surprised the place was vandalized. Love the content tho! Thank you for wondering through this area and sharing a peak at what's hidden in those mountains. 💐🏆
Y'all keep confusing this place, with the Finlandia place in Michigan. This is Finland, MN. The site is currently for sale. 800k is the asking price. It's not contaminated.
Probably that's why they left everything behind. The radioactive things can kill it can lead to cancer. The materials can also spread from person to person.
@@LynxStarAuto I look up Minnesota. Garrison 756th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron. When I read about the Ground/Air task Oriented Radar (GATR), IT MENTIONED THE PLACE WAS BUILT ON ONE OF THE PEAKS. Tell me how a "peak" doesn't explain the assumption of a fkn mountain chief?
My husband was stationed at Finland Air Force Station from 1966-68. The video does not show the town of Finland, but the remains of base housing up at the radar site. I visited the area in 1998 or 99, when there were families living in the housing area. There had been mobile homes across the road, but I don't believe they were there any longer. I asked a couple boys on bicycles if it was okay to go up onto the base, and they said not to go into the buildings because the government was doing some kind of water testing. Quite a few of the buildings were still there, and I could make out the small commissary and the BX, which I had managed for several weeks in 1967. (We would go in a truck similar to UPS or FedEx to Duluth to replenish supplies from Duluth Air Force Base.) I would buy some of our groceries at the commissary, but bought meat and fresh veggies from Finland Co-op, down in the town of Finland. We lived in a small mobile home south of Finland that we rented from the property owner - later we lived in a cabin in Finland. Some of our friends lived in rented cabins not far from us. Seeing it after all those years was very ghostly, but seeing this video is heartbreaking. I'm guessing that the families left all behind because of contamination.
The yellow flowers look like Tanacetum vulgare, or Common Tansy. They’re sometimes considered a noxious week, because livestock don’t eat it and if they do, can be poisonous. It’s a perennial and it can be hard to get rid of because it spreads via rhizomes underground and since the roots do tend to go pretty deep, they often come back every year even as far north as northern Minnesota, because the roots are underground and are somewhat safe from the super cold winter temperatures. Source: a gardener who lived in North Dakota and Minnesota for more than 30 years.
It's a very common wild plant in Finland, the actual Finland in Europe, so no wonder it thrives in northern Minnesota as well. The Finnish name for it is pietaryrtti.
This is a very common invasive weed all over Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area. Gardeners, landscapers and park boards must all battle it.
Situated at the top of Lookout Mountain, with spectacular views of Lake Superior, Finland Air Force Base has 43 deserted homes in various stages of disrepair. While it might not be widely known, the base was used as a lookout for potential threats coming into the United States from Canada.
They found out the water was contaminated, which meant just washing dishes or clothing and bathing meant you got exposed, they panicked or lead to panic and fled or possibly forced to leave, what is odd is not coming back for vehicles, which means they may have gotten insurance money and could not or did no have salvage rights.
All the ground water is contaminated. They wanted to sell the whole base and all 40+ houses together, over 120acres for 800k but auction only got bid to 200k
These old base houses usually have a small crawl space attic usually used for a small amount of storage.... it would be interesting to see if there's anything up in there... stuff put away like that is usually sentimental or valuable in some way, and also easily forgotten if you have to move in a hurry...
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Exactly! I lived on post for a while when I was a teenager, and sometimes people left some amazingly historic things there, like one family had a letter signed by the then-President.
I remember going car shopping at dealers in early 90's. The Suzuki Samurai was $8,900k out the door. The Geo Tracker's were $12k new and Jeep Wranglers were almost $16k. You do the best job of showing abandoned subdivisions on your channel!
I went to test drive a new Suzuki Samurai at the dealership. We all got in and it wouldn’t start. The sales person knew it was bad news - he didn’t even try to talk us into trying another. 😂
@@JulieBme I bought a 1994 Dodge Shadow 2-door, with the 2.2L 4-cylinder and a 5-speed stick shift brand new in December, 1993 for $8,247. The car had the optional passenger side mirror and a rear defroster but no sound system at all. No wiring, no antenna, no speakers. I added a sound system with a Kenwood AM-FM stereo cassette player. I covered 86,000 miles with that car through February, 1998 and never had a moment's grief. I miss it!
It would be interesting to check the property records and contact some of the people who lived there and find out what life was like while they lived there.
They used to get together every year here. This is a Superfund site, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells.
It was listed for sale for 800k, seems it has some issue with the well water being contaminated, so that prevents its redevelopment. It has near five miles of dirt road to get to it, so it is remote.
My father got transferred there in 1970. He was in the Air Force. We lived there for a couple of years. The house we lived in was actually one of those that he went through. Lol. My son had come to visit me last night and played this clip on UA-cam on my television and I commented that it looked like Finland, Air Force base, and that was exactly what it was!!! Talk about a trip down memory lane!!! I was about 7 years old when we lived there. The base was too small to support a school so we went to Finland Elementary School in the closest town. The base was in the middle of nowhere and very remote....and the winters had a crazy amount of snowfall; as a kid, I loved it!!!
@@ericbouchard4636I bet it was strange to see how it looks now. The dereliction of someone's old house must be sad and strange to see, especially also the outside where gardens were nicely kept and your childhood memories with friends playing around the area.
Please, correct your story. This site is NOT Finland Mn! It's the long abandoned FInland Airbase site. Finland is miles away down on Mn Highway 1. I drove up to this site 15 or so years ago. All the houses but two were already empty and abandoned. Also, there were more houses up the hill nearer to the base itself. They must have been razed as you said. Later I heard that the site had been purchased for redevelopment, but on a return trip to see, I found that the road in was gated off. I'm not sure if you found the same and walked up or is the gate open?? Too bad the weather was so bad.
Thank you! I currently live in Minnesota and I thought this title was strange, because I know where Finland MN is, and it's a whole different place. The videos I've seen on this channel are good, so I think this title error is a fluke. But I hope he corrects it, for anyone who might want to visit.
I used to do these explorations when I was younger...long before You tube. Used to find old farms in the middle of nowhere with portraits on the wall of the people that lived there. Always had the strangest feeling like I was trespassing or something.
I was born and raised in the UP of Michigan. As kids, we called exploring abandoned places, "Haunted House Hunting". We learned a lot about people's lives/businesses of older times. Very interesting and educational. We never broke or stole things. Today, these are the modern-day Urban Explorers and I love them. Watch enough of them and you start to see a bigger picture...😦.
Why does the government let places like this sit and rot. When they could have partnerd with habitat for humanity. And helped homeless vets and homeless people in and around that city.
If you are in the Air Force and have a second home, being posted to a remote location means you accumulate stuff to get you through your posting but won't be shipping home, including cars.
WRONG! Most don't have a second home, their home is what the Air Force gives them, the Government ships your household effects TOO and FROM your duty stations!
@@Mittenmade85Because this isnt on the base, its adjacent, its also not the actual town of Finland either according to a commenter who lived there for years, just an expansion
I love seeing abandoned places like these. Its interesting to see things as though time has stood still. I just wish people would leave things alone as they are instead of screwing it up for those that come after them. Awesome video and its appreciated that you took the time to make it.
When I was a child we lived on an Air Force Radar and landing runway base in Eagle Pass Texas. It was a small neighborhood when we lived there. There were barracks for the pilots that came from all over the country to practice landings and takeoffs on the runways. The base was nice with a pool, a PX, a canteen, a bowling alley and a movie theater. It was decommissioned a year or so after we left. Some of the base housing was sold to individual citizen buyers, it's really run down and horrible now. I almost cried when I saw how horrible the house we'd lived in looks now. Really sad to see the terrible condition of the homes. The base was nice and clean when we lived there, the houses were pretty basic. Our house had 3 bedrooms, one bath and a carport with a storage building built at the back of the carport. The base had a nice community feeling with special events for the residents. We had a base beauty pagent, a big Easter Egg hunt, a special craft and kids Christmas shop, a halloween night with events for kids, like musical chairs, s cakewalk, pick up ducks, fishing for prizes. I remember a sports day with potato sack races, three legged race and an egg on a spoon race. For some reason there was zero TV reception there but I never missed it. There were enough other children to always have friends to play with outside. It was a nice place to live way back then. Now it's beyond awful. So sad.
They don't ever show any clothes in the closet are food in the refrigerator to speak of. Most families the refrigerator and freezer is always completely full.
I drove through there 20 some years ago and it was full of life. Like a happy little fairy tale. And now it looks like something out of a horror movie. Surreal. What a crazy world.
It isn't abandoned.... The community is still there I live near by. There's only a few houses abandoned due to lack of jobs and poor economic situations.
@@sofiabravo1994 there are *some* houses abandoned, but the rest of the town still exists. The video makes it seem like the entire community up and left which isn't true
Situated at the top of Lookout Mountain, with spectacular views of Lake Superior, Finland Air Force Base has 43 deserted homes in various stages of disrepair. While it might not be widely known, the base was used as a lookout for potential threats coming into the United States from Canada. Listed for $800,000, the eerily empty property operated as a self-sustaining air base for nearly 30 years until it closed in 1980. It has since sold several times. There is this huge article about this on line people can look up, it's also kinda contaminated at this time, it's a long article. Ok have a good day
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
I am sure he knows. But I will tell you. This was a Air Force radar base built in 1951 and closed in 1980. This is a Superfund site, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells. A fool with no money bought this place thinking he would find a sucker to buy it for a crazy price. Yes, guys like me could clean this place up and make use of it. But the fool is sitting on it, thinking he will find a sucker to buy it for $800,000.00. (Might find himself in jail, if he does) He better be clear to buyers what he is selling. Meanwhile anything of value is being lost and it remains toxic to people, wildlife etc.
Whoever vandalized that place have to be some of the most respectful I've ever seen in any of these kinds of videos. They left a modest amount of tags but pretty much left them be and didn't destroy everything in sight. Though I think they prob flipped that car to get that CC haha, but why not? Mad respect.
My dad painted the interior of several of these houses- he said it was in either 1974 or 75… he also has a hunting shack in the area. I’m curious now and should ask him if he knows why everybody left all their stuff behind
I believe it was because the items were contaminated. Most all belongings would have to be left behind and can be written off as insurance payouts including the houses and cars. When things like this happen, you have to leave all your things behind and your homeowners and vehicle insurance policies take place.
Sad, it kind of reminds me of, "Flint Michigan" after General Motors, moved away their factories, many years ago, and thousands lost their jobs, and homes went into foreclosure. Micheal Moore did a documentary on it, back in the 80s. This is all both, sad and eerie. All those holmes just abandoned, and some still fairly in good shape, with good furniture.
A movie studio should buy this place. I saw a web site where the current owner says that the asking price is $800,000 for everything. (And he claims that the pollution is down to safe levels now. But I'd bring a company in to verify that. )
The pretty yellow flower you handled looks like something we call Ragwort here in the UK 🇬🇧. It’s actually a nasty little thing that’s toxic and can give a painful reaction if you get the sap on ur skin. It also kills horses! Awful thing spreads like wildfire and is a nightmare to get rid of. Great video and very interesting, thank you
It is used with success in relieving rheumatism, sciatica and gout, a poultice of the green leaves being applied to painful joints and reducing the inflammation and swelling.
What is kinda interesting to me? Is that if you see in the backyard of some of those houses you still see their propane tanks? Usually, the propane tank is not owned by the homeowner. Its owned by the propane company. So you would think that if they stop paying per propane, they would come and get the tank.
But the propane companies leave them. I have one in my yard and they send me a bill for $52 every year, but I haven't used propane for about 8 years, so I don't pat the $52. Hoping they will repossess it, but no luck yet!!
@@angusblack9900 I got it when I first got the house built in 1976 from a propane company and they were bought out in the 90s, and we are still using the new company. We never have seen a fee on any bill for rent of the tank. The tank is for heating our house
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Here we go, Australian who knows how to google. In 1951 the United States Air Force established the 756th Air Force station 3 miles north of Finland. It was located on what is now known as Lookout Mountain. Over the next 29 years the site was staffed by thousands of men and women from all parts of the United States. As part of the pine tree line of air defence the base was on constant alert searching for hostile aircraft and missiles coming over the North Pole.
Appreciate the info but still don't know what happened? Hope you uncover more and disclose it. ps weird the Air Force no longer worried about bad stuff coming over north pole huh?
@@PatsyJay there is heaps of info on Google. Like all bases I guess it was no longer required. I will look for more info later. It’s readily available. It does look like the whole area is for sale though.
When the Cold War was declared over in the mid-nineties and the deactivation of the S.A.G.E system most of the LRR sites were closed down and the frequency diversified radar systems deactivated, replaced with the ARSR systems used by the FAA. Some are still active operating as joint use sites with some of the old systems still active, but not many. ICBM detection has largely been assigned to satellites.@@PatsyJay
The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with diesel fuel, PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells. i hope you washed up good when you got home. i do wonder how that car got flipped over though.
Lead paint. Got a bad rap, it was the best, the reason they got rid of lead paint was because it stopped certain frequencies from getting through. At least that's My Conspiracy theory.. I mean what was the reason children would eat the paint peels? Sounds like a load of s*** to me... But it does stop wireless signals.. and it lasts longer and applies more evenly and has a better consistency...
Suzuki Samurai and Geo Trackers had a high center of gravity (if I remember correctly) as well as a thin wheelbase. They tipped over quite easily. A good friend of mine had a Geo Tracker when we were teens. He'd try to go off-roading and tip over. He'd take a corner too fast and tip over. I think his parents breathed a sigh of relief when he finally got rid of that thing.
The tipping issue from the late 80s was a hit job by AMC/Jeep/Chrysler because the Samurai was threatening their market share with the capable and affordable Samurai introduced in 1986. Chrysler ended up settling the defamation lawsuit with Suzuki in the early 2000s.
Great video, very much enjoyed this and the video about nopeming sanitarium. I subscribed. My sister and her family used to live here when her husband was in the air force. I have been here so many times. Loved seeing this place again. Lots of memories. I have been to nopeming as well. Thanks again.
Incredible view from that lookout tower. Those houses look like National homes. National was one of the earlier builders of prefab houses. We had a neighborhood full of them in my hometown.
This was a great explore and very spooky in a way - but super cool. Makes sense that it was abandoned if there is so much pollution and the houses are such a hazard with asbestos etc. awesome video dude
I grew up in Silver Bay. In that area. I’ve gotten up to the gate, but that’s it. Great to see footage! Also the road that’s on is also a gravity hill if anyone is interested in those roads!
I love gravity hills. As a teen I lived in a Maryland suburb and we used to go to the Gravity Hill that's in Baltimore County, Maryland in or near an area called Soldier's Delight. Get a car full of teens and go drift uphill for fun a few times before going to Reisterstown's Twin Kiss for burgers, fries and root beer. Good times!
I've seen other videos of people sleeping in sleeping bags on sidewalks and now I am seeing abandoned houses! I just can't understand what has happened to America!
The area is contaminated and water here is unsafe. If the soil gets disturbed it is toxic. It's a health risk to stay here for an extended period in this particular situation but yes I agree about leaving homes abandoned that there's nothing wrong except a bank couldn't resell the property and let it go to waste rather than donating it to less fortunate
Over the years, contamination has placed the emptied-out land under scrutiny. “The former owners put a ton of work into the septic system and put in several test wells,” Gosar notes. “At that time, they found contaminants in the water. Around the top of the mountain, where some of the buildings were torn down by the past owner, under those former buildings is where they were not able to remove the contaminants. You can’t put a well on top of the mountain because of the contaminants.”
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Dude.. those "weird ass dish washers" were the BEST!!! They do not make dishwashers like that.. and the added butcher block on top..I wish I could find one that works for my home.
I'm from Chicago and all my life I've seen cars upside down in front yards of people's houses but most of the time they're set on fire for fun . By all the human animals that live City.
I've lived in Chicago my entire life and never seen overturned cars on front lawns ever. Chicago is politicly corrupt but very clean. You ain't from Chicago
@@DeanBolzLol! I had an old Pontiac Catalina. It was a massive car with a massive front bumper that had 2 vertical push points with thick rubber over the front. For fun, I would push abandoned car shells or burned out upside-down cars down the street. I could get them moving pretty well if there was a long enough stretch. Hit the brakes and watch it run into a pole, dumpster or some other junk. This all happened in Chicago.
That one towards the beginning that you walk into with the green walls - people were obviously squatting there. You can tell because there are newer more contemporary looking items. And the jugs of water are a telltale sign, because the water has been cut off, so they were bringing in their own water. It's easy to tell if squatters have been in a place, especially if you know approximately when the place was originally vacated.
Nice video. Backrooms Samurai. edit - i bet you could do anthropology on the area & find multiple layers of habitation. Like the builders probably left candy wrappers in the walls, the original owners, maybe second owners, then it looks like squatters. Then you guys probably made a footprint or two. I'm making up bonkers scenarios to explain the evidence.
Part of an abandoned airforce base ...a superfund pollution site that is being cleaned up due to pollution contaminated water and soil! Great videography brother...Ty...Those 'yellow flowers" are called chamomile...they make a great tea from those flowers...
As someone who is from Finland, the country, this was really baffling to watch. I would love to know how they came up with Finland. Sad to see that such an beautiful town is abandoned now 😢 Edit: The name Finland became to be thanks to Finnish settlers in 1915 and the town is still running with an population of 400 and some. Source: Wikipedia
I'll bet those old 40" ranges were still in use because they came with the houses and tenants had no incentive to replace them. Maybe someone could rehab these houses and put them up as vacation rentals on AirBnb or some similar site. It looks like a beautiful area.
I am really surprised that a Paranormal group has not covered this yet. I absolutely love the location of this neighborhood. It is very beautiful also looks very peaceful. I would enjoy waking up and seeing something like that everyday. 😊 If you find more history about this abandoned town, It would be nice if you covered it. I would love to know the history and why it was abandoned so suddenly.
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
That absolutely seems so very creepy, thank you for taking us on this amazing journey of exploration. I agree with most that something happened and they needed to leave super fast to leave so much pf their personal belongings behind. I pray that no ones health was affected, the talk of radiation and contamination is just overwhelming. Please be careful on these journeys, im in the safety of my home and just watching the video was a bit much.😬😅👏🏽👏🏽
Wow! The town looks like deserted town in Fukushima, japan. In 2011 nuclear power plant exploded and the every towns were evacuated. All houses including futrniture, car, animal all left behind...
That's crazy I climbed that tower when I was a little kid I carved my initials at top think I was 10 or 11 scarey climbing up it swaying in the wind .al capone had a cabin not 2 far from there
Pretty wild, are there any stories on this town after the base closed? Seemed it lasted another 20+ years until finally abandoned. Curious if the people owned or leased? Such an incredible place, wish I had something like this to visit and explore
To be fair, the subtitle of this is a bit misleading although it certainly is a very cool video. Finland is not a ghost town and is not abandoned. As has been pointed out by others, the "neighborhood" shown here is an abandoned air force base about 3 miles north of Finland and is actually outside the city limits. Finland itself is just a few miles off of Highway 61, which is a heavily traveled scenic highway along the North Shore of Lake Superior and is not particularly remote. It is a gorgeous area!
This is my very 1st time of seeing anything of your video channel and loved it! I would definitely go alone. My husband and I live in Oklahoma and used to own our on paranormal investigating team. I would love it.
Liked very much the lack of background music. Would have been better to have a pause at times is the commentary as well - rain drops and footsteps are enjoyable on their own. Thanks
@@jenniyum They're not big enough to be even a small airbase. And they're not solid blue - it's more sections of woods with blue shadowing among the trees
These gomes defenitly give off 90s to cery early 2000s look. Mostly the 90s. The furniture and decorations and bedding gives me a nostalgic feel to it.
Looks like most of the people appeared to up and leave sometime in the early 2000's. The cars being left behind (especially the Suzuki) absolutely baffles me. The minivan you found in the garage was a 1999-2000 Chrysler Town And Country, and the flipped car is (I believe) a Mazda Millenia.
Great video and channel, I really enjoyed watching it, love the lay outs of them houses it be nice if someone rehabs and re opens it for people who like to live in small areas like that
He mentioned somebody bought the place off. The people probably got paid pretty good money for their stuff so they left all their old furniture and their old beater car and just headed for the greener pastures
It's usually what pretty much happens when a lot of people leave. Some have gotten paid very well to simply leave like right now get what you can and get out and boy there's a reap of the benefits in the long run
Yup, I used to work at a transfer station/dump/recycling place outside our town and the first thing one learns is to never open an abandobed fridge, lol. 😁
Those Suzuki samurai’s are a very sought after vehicle in the 4 x 4 community somebody after seeing this video is going to find that grab it and build it. They are very reliable the reason you don’t see them much is because they are an 80s vehicle and have been used up or turned into monster machines
you don't leave everything behind, home sweet home signs and keepsakes and cars and drapes and dishes, unless something crazy happened. EDIT: the opening of doors and garages reminds me of chernobyl. they opened the windows to allow radiation to disperse
My name is Mark Reese and I was stationed at Finland AFS from October of 73’ to May of 75’ in the Air Force as a Material Control agent aka liaison between Base Supply and Maintenance Units. I was there when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down during that famous ice storm. It breaks my heart to see it like this with all the memories of that place I have. I don’t know if anyone I was stationed with is still alive anymore???
My dad help with the search of the Fitz the night it went down, he was on another boat a few hours behind and we're the ones that found the preserver. You could always try the Legion (A bar) In two Harbors with finding old service members in the area, that's tends to be where the local vets like to hangout.
@@p3pp3rcoat70 I only knew of one guy that retired from The Air Force (74’ or 75’) and stayed in Silver Bay/Finland area. He went to work for Reserve Mining which of course you know they shut that place down in the 80’s most likely. I seriously doubt there’d be anyone left that I knew. I was 20 years old when I got my orders in May of 75’ to leave for Wiesbaden AB Germany then Sembach AB Germany 3-6 months later. Most peeps I’m talking about were 20 years older than I was and I gotta think they’re all dead now. I think it’s very likely when Finland AFS shut down even the civilians probably left the area. In a related type of story I thought I’d go looking for peeps from my era and it comes to find they’re all dead that’s 3 for 3. Gary Dahl was the only one of my age who lived in Finland Mn. as a civilian who went into the Army (he dated a Debbie Quante) and coincidence has it I met him in Wiesbaden it I’m afraid to look him up only to find out he’s dead too anyway other than Fred Quante who was the father of Debbie who dated Gary Dahl no one I knew wanted to go back to Finland Mn. It was very remote and the winters were awful and when I saw this post of Finland being a ghost town I wasn’t surprised. Funny I’m only 69 years old and I’ve outlived most all my family, friends and acquaintances. The youngest guys would be in their 70’s and most that I knew at the radar site couldn’t possibly be alive. The Air Force in their day prior to the early 70’s was a very hard life and it didn’t suffer old age unfortunately. Just as a thought I remembered an old saying about how one dies young if they weren’t living the best of lives but I’m here to tell it’s worse when you outlive everyone because you’re alone there’ll be no one to mourn you when your gone because they all left first. Sorry for waxing philosophically. I just saw an old man in his 80’s or 90’s walking Como Lake and he stopped us to talk just to talk and I realized he was all alone too outliving his loved ones. I guess that’s my thought. What’s a harsher judgment living a short life or a long one where everyone you know passes 🤔?
Try the American legion and the moose lodge and elks Lodge. They are great at preserving history both living and not!
@@markreese6693 did you know Larry Larson?
@@bobzilla5472 it depends on when he was stationed there. I knew of a guy who had an interesting reputation that left shortly after I got there. He was a radar technician with a medium to stocky build and blonde hair. If he was stationed there between October 3rd 1973-May 1st or April 30th 1975 I probably knew him. If you have a pic of him and he was stationed there at those dates I mentioned there’s a good chance I knew him. There was another guy who sold me a mustang. It was a collectors car even then 2X2 orange mustang I believe. Those are the two guys I forgot names to if they were the Larry Larson you refer to also. Oh was he Air Force or civilian because we had a civilian who lived at Finland who just loved it there that I believe worked at The GATR Site aka I believe if my memory serves me right GROUND AIR TRANSMITTER RECEIVER SITE. If I’m wrong forgive me it’s been almost 50 years now.
My father was in the Air Force and got transferred there in 1970. We lived there for two years. It was very remote. I was 7 years old. The base was too small to support a school so we had to go to the elementary school in the closest small town (Finland Elementary School). It got a crazy amount of snowfall in the winter. As a kid, I loved it!!! My son came to visit me last night and he likes to watch UA-cam videos of abandoned places and this clip was what he wanted to watch. I was looking at it and commented that it looked like Finland Air Force base and that was exactly what it was!! LOL. The guy actually went through the house that I lived in. It was definitely a trip down memory lane. My son couldn't believe it, especially when I was describing some of the things I remembered. LOL
That’s awesome
What were some of those memories?
Why did they just up and leave all of their belongings including their cars?
That's so awesome!
Which house was yours and why did the people leave their stuff when they left?
To be Honest, if people left in such a hurry to leave so much stuff including vehicles, I would not go there unless testing was done.
That much stuff left behind, I'd wonder if there's a mass grave out there somewhere
Reminds me of Times Beach, Missouri and the dioxin contamination.
I'm pretty sure that's mining country. The water probably got polluted. I'm pretty sure that's the iron ranch area and they closed a lot of those minds. And if they did it in the middle of the winter in January in 30 below you're not moving that stuff. You're leaving it. I live in northern Minnesota and you're not moving in January unless you're doing it yourself cuz no one's going to help you
There are still around 200 people that live in the town. Curious if any of them might have insight into the cars and such
Yea it looks rather suspicious to me as well.
They started demolishing the houses in august 2023, there’s few houses remaining that haven’t been torn down but is now fenced off and has security 24/7
That was going to be my question. Why wouldn't they be held responsible to clean the area up like gold miners do? Glad to hear they are finally getting to it! Thanks!
I mean.. clean it up for what?
If it were me, I would have done a reality show there and done a rehab or clean up /small community start off off the grid thing.. that would have been genius .. too bad they dumped it all
@@ConsciousConversations The groundwater there is contaminated by all sorts of crap. TCE (From the Air Force Station degreasers), Abestos, Lead, and possibly run off diesel have all been possibly hinted at as to how the water got contaminated. Area at the time was basically labeled uninhabitable.
Update: the groundwater and soil is heavily contaminated… he has no idea why people left so many belongings behind, but after they all left it was a hot spot for squatters and people looking for a secluded place to party. To be honest, I’ve never been there but it gives me the creeps…
Contaminated by what? Lead? Cesium? Getstupidium?
The groundwater was contaminated by TCE. It came from degreasers used at the Air Force Station.
The site is a Superfund. Soil is so toxic - the dust of the town can give you cancer, just breathing it. Thus, the dust inside the homes - is just as bad. (Dust from the outside gets in homes as soon as you open a window/door.) This dust contaminated all of the objects. (It's cheaper/safer to just buy new things than try to clean them/risk exposure.)
Yeah they obviously dashed from something and it got covered up pretty much. There's a lot we don't know so many secrets in a supposed free society.
@@andreassjoberg3145To my understanding, diesel and probably asbestos (at least the siding) and lead (paint).
There was a guy that lived there that commented on a short about his time there that mentioned all that contamination, so it makes sense if it all got in the water, too. He mentioned they used to play with the siding when it would be by the road.
Multiple factors here but I looked it up. Mostly abandoned due to underground tanks, radioactive materials, and hazardous waste contaminants in the ground and had spread through a pipeline causing infection of the whole area.
Also, due to the entire base being built on a slope/peak the fear of landslide or runoff of said contamination was a huge concern.
It truly is a wickedly hidden area, buried in greenery. I'm surprised the place was vandalized.
Love the content tho! Thank you for wondering through this area and sharing a peak at what's hidden in those mountains. 💐🏆
There aren't any mountains in Minnesota, lol. I live here. Finland is a city in Minnesota.
Y'all keep confusing this place, with the Finlandia place in Michigan. This is Finland, MN.
The site is currently for sale. 800k is the asking price. It's not contaminated.
Probably that's why they left everything behind. The radioactive things can kill it can lead to cancer. The materials can also spread from person to person.
Lutzen@@nikkiniedz354
@@LynxStarAuto I look up Minnesota.
Garrison 756th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron.
When I read about the Ground/Air task Oriented Radar (GATR), IT MENTIONED THE PLACE WAS BUILT ON ONE OF THE PEAKS.
Tell me how a "peak" doesn't explain the assumption of a fkn mountain chief?
My husband was stationed at Finland Air Force Station from 1966-68. The video does not show the town of Finland, but the remains of base housing up at the radar site. I visited the area in 1998 or 99, when there were families living in the housing area. There had been mobile homes across the road, but I don't believe they were there any longer. I asked a couple boys on bicycles if it was okay to go up onto the base, and they said not to go into the buildings because the government was doing some kind of water testing. Quite a few of the buildings were still there, and I could make out the small commissary and the BX, which I had managed for several weeks in 1967. (We would go in a truck similar to UPS or FedEx to Duluth to replenish supplies from Duluth Air Force Base.) I would buy some of our groceries at the commissary, but bought meat and fresh veggies from Finland Co-op, down in the town of Finland. We lived in a small mobile home south of Finland that we rented from the property owner - later we lived in a cabin in Finland. Some of our friends lived in rented cabins not far from us. Seeing it after all those years was very ghostly, but seeing this video is heartbreaking. I'm guessing that the families left all behind because of contamination.
That’d be my first guess as well.
May I ask ur age
Well if it's not still contaminated it'd be a great place to film a zombie Apocalypse
😢
Contaminated with what?
The yellow flowers look like Tanacetum vulgare, or Common Tansy. They’re sometimes considered a noxious week, because livestock don’t eat it and if they do, can be poisonous. It’s a perennial and it can be hard to get rid of because it spreads via rhizomes underground and since the roots do tend to go pretty deep, they often come back every year even as far north as northern Minnesota, because the roots are underground and are somewhat safe from the super cold winter temperatures.
Source: a gardener who lived in North Dakota and Minnesota for more than 30 years.
It's a very common wild plant in Finland, the actual Finland in Europe, so no wonder it thrives in northern Minnesota as well. The Finnish name for it is pietaryrtti.
This is a very common invasive weed all over Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area. Gardeners, landscapers and park boards must all battle it.
Situated at the top of Lookout Mountain, with spectacular views of Lake Superior, Finland Air Force Base has 43 deserted homes in various stages of disrepair. While it might not be widely known, the base was used as a lookout for potential threats coming into the United States from Canada.
These days we need to keep an eye on the Canucks...
You and me living together in an abandoned town 😁
Gosh Darn Hockey Puck Slappin, Maple Syrup Suckin, Moose Chasin Hoisers.... A? 😅🍁
Little did they know that the danger was in their homes, in their water, and in their air, until it was too late.
Yeah thoes Canadian loonies
They found out the water was contaminated, which meant just washing dishes or clothing and bathing meant you got exposed, they panicked or lead to panic and fled or possibly forced to leave, what is odd is not coming back for vehicles, which means they may have gotten insurance money and could not or did no have salvage rights.
the vehicles seem to be stolen and dumped here after the town was emptied.
@@bruanlokisson8615what makes you think that ? I’m curious
In the window of the first house you looked at I saw something in the window that went down as you got closer to the house.
@@williamgullett5911 well the one van had no license plate
@@northernpianotuner3319they would have turned their plates in
All the ground water is contaminated. They wanted to sell the whole base and all 40+ houses together, over 120acres for 800k but auction only got bid to 200k
Do you know what is was contaminated by?
@@michynature TCE, trichloroethylene
@@michynature I would have bought it otherwise. It's unsalvageable
@@christoner2666 asking bc it’s not too far from me and I didn’t know this! I read some other comments afterwards
If you google the town you’ll see an article detailing the contamination it says asbestos and lead
What amazes me is this site is not trashed at all. Everything is preserved like they were left just yesterday
*camera pans to a car flipped over*
@@missingaustralia ok, not everything lol
I like that fact!
There's a grafitti penis in the first house
I go up there almost every week, and I’d say it’s pretty trashed. There’s a couple of preserved things, but it’s been mostly destoyed as of now.
These old base houses usually have a small crawl space attic usually used for a small amount of storage.... it would be interesting to see if there's anything up in there... stuff put away like that is usually sentimental or valuable in some way, and also easily forgotten if you have to move in a hurry...
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Exactly! I lived on post for a while when I was a teenager, and sometimes people left some amazingly historic things there, like one family had a letter signed by the then-President.
I remember going car shopping at dealers in early 90's. The Suzuki Samurai was $8,900k out the door. The Geo Tracker's were $12k new and Jeep Wranglers were almost $16k. You do the best job of showing abandoned subdivisions on your channel!
Mudding in geo trackers was fun.
I went to test drive a new Suzuki Samurai at the dealership. We all got in and it wouldn’t start. The sales person knew it was bad news - he didn’t even try to talk us into trying another. 😂
@@sammyday3341 the tracker wasn't much better. I drive Jeeps.
I bought a brand new Suzuki in 1988. Paid $8700. Loved that car!
@@JulieBme I bought a 1994 Dodge Shadow 2-door, with the 2.2L 4-cylinder and a 5-speed stick shift brand new in December, 1993 for $8,247. The car had the optional passenger side mirror and a rear defroster but no sound system at all. No wiring, no antenna, no speakers. I added a sound system with a Kenwood AM-FM stereo cassette player.
I covered 86,000 miles with that car through February, 1998 and never had a moment's grief. I miss it!
It would be interesting to check the property records and contact some of the people who lived there and find out what life was like while they lived there.
They used to get together every year here.
This is a Superfund site, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells.
You won’t find any !
It was listed for sale for 800k, seems it has some issue with the well water being contaminated, so that prevents its redevelopment. It has near five miles of dirt road to get to it, so it is remote.
My father got transferred there in 1970. He was in the Air Force. We lived there for a couple of years. The house we lived in was actually one of those that he went through. Lol. My son had come to visit me last night and played this clip on UA-cam on my television and I commented that it looked like Finland, Air Force base, and that was exactly what it was!!! Talk about a trip down memory lane!!! I was about 7 years old when we lived there. The base was too small to support a school so we went to Finland Elementary School in the closest town. The base was in the middle of nowhere and very remote....and the winters had a crazy amount of snowfall; as a kid, I loved it!!!
@@ericbouchard4636I bet it was strange to see how it looks now. The dereliction of someone's old house must be sad and strange to see, especially also the outside where gardens were nicely kept and your childhood memories with friends playing around the area.
Please, correct your story. This site is NOT Finland Mn! It's the long abandoned FInland Airbase site. Finland is miles away down on Mn Highway 1. I drove up to this site 15 or so years ago. All the houses but two were already empty and abandoned. Also, there were more houses up the hill nearer to the base itself. They must have been razed as you said. Later I heard that the site had been purchased for redevelopment, but on a return trip to see, I found that the road in was gated off. I'm not sure if you found the same and walked up or is the gate open?? Too bad the weather was so bad.
Thank you! I currently live in Minnesota and I thought this title was strange, because I know where Finland MN is, and it's a whole different place. The videos I've seen on this channel are good, so I think this title error is a fluke. But I hope he corrects it, for anyone who might want to visit.
@@zxyatiywariii8it’s right next to the cell tower. I didn’t know about the town until recently. You can get there just by going up airbase rosd
That explains a lot. I stayed in Finland for 6 months, working in Silver Bay. Seemed normal 7-8 years ago.
I used to do these explorations when I was younger...long before You tube. Used to find old farms in the middle of nowhere with portraits on the wall of the people that lived there. Always had the strangest feeling like I was trespassing or something.
Because you were trespassing.
You probably were trespassing.
Yup cuz u were.
The family still owned the property. Chances are you were trespassing
I was born and raised in the UP of Michigan. As kids, we called exploring abandoned places, "Haunted House Hunting". We learned a lot about people's lives/businesses of older times. Very interesting and educational. We never broke or stole things. Today, these are the modern-day Urban Explorers and I love them. Watch enough of them and you start to see a bigger picture...😦.
Why does the government let places like this sit and rot. When they could have partnerd with habitat for humanity. And helped homeless vets and homeless people in and around that city.
Probably toxic water and land
Superfund site - the buildings are too contaminated for inhabitants. :/
They should put pipelines there … and oil refineries instead of sitting like that
All they said at the beginning of the video was the it was abandoned because the radar base was closed.
Feel free to use your own money to fund it.
If you are in the Air Force and have a second home, being posted to a remote location means you accumulate stuff to get you through your posting but won't be shipping home, including cars.
WRONG! Most don't have a second home, their home is what the Air Force gives them, the Government ships your household effects TOO and FROM your duty stations!
Also the base closed in 1980 and evidence of people there till 2002 😒
@@Mittenmade85Because this isnt on the base, its adjacent, its also not the actual town of Finland either according to a commenter who lived there for years, just an expansion
Maybe Air Force salaries are just too high.
@@nekad2000lol!
I love seeing abandoned places like these. Its interesting to see things as though time has stood still. I just wish people would leave things alone as they are instead of screwing it up for those that come after them. Awesome video and its appreciated that you took the time to make it.
It shows us that things really don't matter much.
Bro i live in finland you cant say that
@@Darthmander-A1
I want to live in a abandoned house but that not toxic or have grass or bugs in it.
@@Darthmander-A1 Real
When I was a child we lived on an Air Force Radar and landing runway base in Eagle Pass Texas. It was a small neighborhood when we lived there. There were barracks for the pilots that came from all over the country to practice landings and takeoffs on the runways. The base was nice with a pool, a PX, a canteen, a bowling alley and a movie theater. It was decommissioned a year or so after we left. Some of the base housing was sold to individual citizen buyers, it's really run down and horrible now. I almost cried when I saw how horrible the house we'd lived in looks now. Really sad to see the terrible condition of the homes. The base was nice and clean when we lived there, the houses were pretty basic. Our house had 3 bedrooms, one bath and a carport with a storage building built at the back of the carport. The base had a nice community feeling with special events for the residents. We had a base beauty pagent, a big Easter Egg hunt, a special craft and kids Christmas shop, a halloween night with events for kids, like musical chairs, s cakewalk, pick up ducks, fishing for prizes. I remember a sports day with potato sack races, three legged race and an egg on a spoon race. For some reason there was zero TV reception there but I never missed it. There were enough other children to always have friends to play with outside. It was a nice place to live way back then. Now it's beyond awful. So sad.
It's really strange that there's dishes left in the sink and cars ledt behind. 🤔 Were these people forceably removed ??
They don't ever show any clothes in the closet are food in the refrigerator to speak of. Most families the refrigerator and freezer is always completely full.
The base was closed in 1980 and built in 1951 for the cold war.
Food isnt contaminated,furniture etc you start over
It's probably passers by and looters that stayed there a few nights that made a mess. This guy seems to have easy access to any house there.
The homes were built with asbestos and the soil and water is contaminated they most likely just fled
I wouldn't go anywhere abandoned alone, let alone without carrying a gun.
I drove through there 20 some years ago and it was full of life. Like a happy little fairy tale. And now it looks like something out of a horror movie. Surreal. What a crazy world.
It isn't abandoned.... The community is still there I live near by. There's only a few houses abandoned due to lack of jobs and poor economic situations.
@@sonyalillis I know you say you live near there, but I see clearly there are more than 10 houses that are abandoned…
@@sofiabravo1994 there are *some* houses abandoned, but the rest of the town still exists. The video makes it seem like the entire community up and left which isn't true
@@sonyalillisI dunno. It looks pretty abandoned.
@@sonyalillisshow us proof
Situated at the top of Lookout Mountain, with spectacular views of Lake Superior, Finland Air Force Base has 43 deserted homes in various stages of disrepair. While it might not be widely known, the base was used as a lookout for potential threats coming into the United States from Canada.
Listed for $800,000, the eerily empty property operated as a self-sustaining air base for nearly 30 years until it closed in 1980. It has since sold several times.
There is this huge article about this on line people can look up, it's also kinda contaminated at this time, it's a long article.
Ok have a good day
Definitely spectacular views of the big lake , hiking , moose , wolves , whitetails , fall colors 😀 👌
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
This video gives ample evidence that the homes were inhabited for decades after 1980.
@@d46512 yup
Yes, the whole place is contaminated. The soil is contaminated.
Need to provide more history on this, what happened, why, where are the former owners, get their stories...would help understand this mystery.
I am sure he knows. But I will tell you.
This was a Air Force radar base built in 1951 and closed in 1980.
This is a Superfund site, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells.
A fool with no money bought this place thinking he would find a sucker to buy it for a crazy price.
Yes, guys like me could clean this place up and make use of it.
But the fool is sitting on it, thinking he will find a sucker to buy it for $800,000.00. (Might find himself in jail, if he does) He better be clear to buyers what he is selling.
Meanwhile anything of value is being lost and it remains toxic to people, wildlife etc.
It looks like an environmental disaster area and I wouldn’t go through there without a good mask and rubber gloves.
Whoever vandalized that place have to be some of the most respectful I've ever seen in any of these kinds of videos. They left a modest amount of tags but pretty much left them be and didn't destroy everything in sight. Though I think they prob flipped that car to get that CC haha, but why not? Mad respect.
That's cause this guy making the video probably vandalized it I can tell by how much he records the graffiti like he's proud of it 😅
like all of the windows they 'didn't' break??
I knew it was crackheads the second I noticed the missing catalytic converters lol
It’s pretty bad now. I’m a local from that area, and I’ve seen it get a lot worse after this video came out.
My dad painted the interior of several of these houses- he said it was in either 1974 or 75… he also has a hunting shack in the area. I’m curious now and should ask him if he knows why everybody left all their stuff behind
from what i read it was contaminated with asbestos and lead, and radioactive materials in the ground water and air
Let us know what he says.
Was he in the Air Force?
I believe it was because the items were contaminated. Most all belongings would have to be left behind and can be written off as insurance payouts including the houses and cars. When things like this happen, you have to leave all your things behind and your homeowners and vehicle insurance policies take place.
Sad, it kind of reminds me of, "Flint Michigan" after General Motors, moved away their factories, many years ago, and thousands lost their jobs, and homes went into foreclosure. Micheal Moore did a documentary on it, back in the 80s. This is all both, sad and eerie. All those holmes just abandoned, and some still fairly in good shape, with good furniture.
The fact that Michael Moore mad the movie is eerie in itself 😅
@@49er61Michael More: Super Lib😂 30:27
Yeah that was a hit job, not an accurate portrayal of the many reasons for those closures.
@@49er61 Wait What who Is Micheal Moore
Flint isnt a ghost town like this I'm from Saginaw/Flint
I get Fallout 4 Sanctuary Hills vibes! Great video!
Me too! I wonder if it's still there? Great free location for a post-apocalyptic movie.
I’m blown away, my first video of yours and i loved the view from the fire tower. Thank you for this experience, i can’t wait to watch more
A movie studio should buy this place. I saw a web site where the current owner says that the asking price is $800,000 for everything. (And he claims that the pollution is down to safe levels now. But I'd bring a company in to verify that. )
Not worth $800k. The siding on those houses has asbestos.
Id give him $8
800k for asbestos and contaminated water? Nah I can just visit my grandpas house and get all that for free
@Icewallow2 lol right?!?! For 800k id be a quarter of the way to buying an entire county in nevada with zero contaminated water and asbestos
4:00 “Somebody stole the sink.”
*The hot & cold water connections for the washing machine.*
Yep and the trap. Or just a realllllly high mounted wall hung sink lol
The pretty yellow flower you handled looks like something we call Ragwort here in the UK 🇬🇧. It’s actually a nasty little thing that’s toxic and can give a painful reaction if you get the sap on ur skin. It also kills horses! Awful thing spreads like wildfire and is a nightmare to get rid of.
Great video and very interesting, thank you
It's Tansy en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tansy
@@eklektikSoul having gone back and zoomed in, I think you’re right. On first sight, I thought I’d seen dark centers but actually there are none
Maazy , tansy , cool
My family made me work as a kid pulling Ragwort flowers out from the roots in a field up at Cadarn Tregoyd Mountain riders horrid plant it is.
It is used with success in relieving rheumatism, sciatica and gout, a poultice of the green leaves being applied to painful joints and reducing the inflammation and swelling.
Suzuki Samurai was very reliable in my experience. Ive owned 3 and all 3 were great cars and surprisingly good 4x4s .
What is kinda interesting to me? Is that if you see in the backyard of some of those houses you still see their propane tanks? Usually, the propane tank is not owned by the homeowner. Its owned by the propane company. So you would think that if they stop paying per propane, they would come and get the tank.
But the propane companies leave them. I have one in my yard and they send me a bill for $52 every year, but I haven't used propane for about 8 years, so I don't pat the $52. Hoping they will repossess it, but no luck yet!!
Not in Kansas you stop paying rent they come and get it I bought my own
I never seen a rent bill on my tank in 47 years, and it is a rental tank
No other company will fill it, so you must not be using it.
@@angusblack9900
I got it when I first got the house built in 1976 from a propane company and they were bought out in the 90s, and we are still using the new company. We never have seen a fee on any bill for rent of the tank. The tank is for heating our house
I would be extremely careful if I were you walking around in an abandoned town. You just never know who you might encounter.
Lots safer than San Fran, LA, Detroit, DC, Philly, NYC...
@@mgratk😂 true
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Is the rapture came or the taken away stage
I guess not it would be the entire neighborhood
Here we go, Australian who knows how to google.
In 1951 the United States Air Force established the 756th Air Force station 3 miles north of Finland. It was located on what is now known as Lookout Mountain.
Over the next 29 years the site was staffed by thousands of men and women from all parts of the United States. As part of the pine tree line of air defence the base was on constant alert searching for hostile aircraft and missiles coming over the North Pole.
Appreciate the info but still don't know what happened? Hope you uncover more and disclose it. ps weird the Air Force no longer worried about bad stuff coming over north pole huh?
@@PatsyJay there is heaps of info on Google. Like all bases I guess it was no longer required. I will look for more info later. It’s readily available. It does look like the whole area is for sale though.
@@PatsyJay the info I typed out is on a sign in the area somewhere near the lookout.
@@PatsyJay It was all pure theater, and fear porn.
When the Cold War was declared over in the mid-nineties and the deactivation of the S.A.G.E system most of the LRR sites were closed down and the frequency diversified radar systems deactivated, replaced with the ARSR systems used by the FAA. Some are still active operating as joint use sites with some of the old systems still active, but not many. ICBM detection has largely been assigned to satellites.@@PatsyJay
According to the 2020 census, Finland, Minn. had a pop of 195. This looks like a Chernobyl-style evac.
This isn't the town of Finland.
@@mpls1982 So it's the base itself?
@@two-toneblue4872yeah, the base housing
This is just the housing for the air force base. The actual town is not abandoned and is a few miles away.
"How do you flip over a car in the middle of nowhere?"
*Finds a tractor with a recently changed oil filter*
Go on, I'll give you a minute.
He wasn't there when it was flipped, lol
The buildings were constructed with asbestos and lead paint; the soil is contaminated with diesel fuel, PCBs, and TCE, resulting in the quick poisoning of freshly drilled wells. i hope you washed up good when you got home. i do wonder how that car got flipped over though.
Why would he visit? How you learn about that?
Maybe vandals used the tractor to flip the car.
@@hannakinndriver and back door on the car was open. Someone was driving it
2 guys,maybe 3 can easily flip a car.....................@@hannakinn
Lead paint. Got a bad rap, it was the best, the reason they got rid of lead paint was because it stopped certain frequencies from getting through. At least that's My Conspiracy theory.. I mean what was the reason children would eat the paint peels? Sounds like a load of s*** to me... But it does stop wireless signals.. and it lasts longer and applies more evenly and has a better consistency...
Suzuki Samurai and Geo Trackers had a high center of gravity (if I remember correctly) as well as a thin wheelbase. They tipped over quite easily. A good friend of mine had a Geo Tracker when we were teens. He'd try to go off-roading and tip over. He'd take a corner too fast and tip over. I think his parents breathed a sigh of relief when he finally got rid of that thing.
I was looking at it and remembering "Oh that's the Jeep I sat in and thought, "I'm going to die," everytime.
😂😂😂 good times
My friend back then had a Geo Tracker and we went across the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind almost tipped us over multiple times. Lol The wind. 😂😂
The tipping issue from the late 80s was a hit job by AMC/Jeep/Chrysler because the Samurai was threatening their market share with the capable and affordable Samurai introduced in 1986. Chrysler ended up settling the defamation lawsuit with Suzuki in the early 2000s.
The samurai got a bad rap but it was a great car..
My buddy went there today & its crazy how this randomly shows up.... He was instantly met by Sheriff's & written tickets for trespassing
Did he get a warning or an actual ticket?
Great video, very much enjoyed this and the video about nopeming sanitarium. I subscribed. My sister and her family used to live here when her husband was in the air force. I have been here so many times. Loved seeing this place again. Lots of memories. I have been to nopeming as well. Thanks again.
I'm curious how hard it was to get into here? I seen the gate is still across the road coming in.
I heard it was contaminated.
as a minnesotan my whole life, i had no clue, this is what should be on the news locally but they rather spew crap all day
Agree!!!
Incredible view from that lookout tower. Those houses look like National homes. National was one of the earlier builders of prefab houses. We had a neighborhood full of them in my hometown.
AFB abandoned. This could be post housing. Pollution killed the water supply
This was a great explore and very spooky in a way - but super cool. Makes sense that it was abandoned if there is so much pollution and the houses are such a hazard with asbestos etc. awesome video dude
I grew up in Silver Bay. In that area. I’ve gotten up to the gate, but that’s it. Great to see footage!
Also the road that’s on is also a gravity hill if anyone is interested in those roads!
I love gravity hills. As a teen I lived in a Maryland suburb and we used to go to the Gravity Hill that's in Baltimore County, Maryland in or near an area called Soldier's Delight. Get a car full of teens and go drift uphill for fun a few times before going to Reisterstown's Twin Kiss for burgers, fries and root beer. Good times!
0:25 Cool Suzuki Jimny! Manual trans. One of my fav cars. Runs great in winter and snow. Switch transfer case to 4L and drive slowly.
Someone should file the required paperwork with Minnesota’s DMV and grab that Samurai. Those are definitely worth some money now.
Love that all the rooms are big and roomy. Also, the homes are widely spaced apart.
I've seen other videos of people sleeping in sleeping bags on sidewalks and now I am seeing abandoned houses! I just can't understand what has happened to America!
The area is contaminated and water here is unsafe. If the soil gets disturbed it is toxic. It's a health risk to stay here for an extended period in this particular situation but yes I agree about leaving homes abandoned that there's nothing wrong except a bank couldn't resell the property and let it go to waste rather than donating it to less fortunate
Remember:
The news says:
We are over populated and there's not enough land for us all.
Look at the surrounding area of Chicago and other old big cities. Big areas of abandoned houses and buildings.
There is definitely people still out there the water gallons suggest it the dam bed was even looking used lol
Ain't that the truth!
Over the years, contamination has placed the emptied-out land under scrutiny.
“The former owners put a ton of work into the septic system and put in several test wells,” Gosar notes. “At that time, they found contaminants in the water. Around the top of the mountain, where some of the buildings were torn down by the past owner, under those former buildings is where they were not able to remove the contaminants. You can’t put a well on top of the mountain because of the contaminants.”
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
The amount of work that goes into these videos is just amazing. Keep it up big dawg.
It's easier to cut a catalytic converter off of a car if it is flipped . And it's easy to flip a car.
Dude.. those "weird ass dish washers" were the BEST!!! They do not make dishwashers like that.. and the added butcher block on top..I wish I could find one that works for my home.
Yeah they make them like that check the appliance stores they have them
I had one in 1984 , my husband bought it for me for Mother’s Day, used it for many years before it finally died 😢
Nowadays, the smaller dishwasher costs more than a regular one, as it's "fancy". Quite silly!
Portable dishwashers are still available
I'm from Chicago and all my life I've seen cars upside down in front yards of people's houses but most of the time they're set on fire for fun . By all the human animals that live City.
Tell everyone you're a racist POS without saying you're a racist POS
I've lived in Chicago my entire life and never seen overturned cars on front lawns ever. Chicago is politicly corrupt but very clean. You ain't from Chicago
You're lying. I'm from the Hood in Chicago and have NEVER EVER seen a flipped over car.
@@damones1 No I'm not I've seen 100s I guess maybe you weren't there in the 1980s when I was real bad.
@@DeanBolzLol! I had an old Pontiac Catalina. It was a massive car with a massive front bumper that had 2 vertical push points with thick rubber over the front. For fun, I would push abandoned car shells or burned out upside-down cars down the street. I could get them moving pretty well if there was a long enough stretch. Hit the brakes and watch it run into a pole, dumpster or some other junk. This all happened in Chicago.
I’m on social security and could use some of those cabinets in some of those places. It’s crazy! Thanks for making this video!
Someone would love to restore that old tractor.
That one towards the beginning that you walk into with the green walls - people were obviously squatting there. You can tell because there are newer more contemporary looking items. And the jugs of water are a telltale sign, because the water has been cut off, so they were bringing in their own water. It's easy to tell if squatters have been in a place, especially if you know approximately when the place was originally vacated.
I was born in 1990 so I grew up in the 90s and early 00s. Everything about these houses is really nostalgic for me
Nice video. Backrooms Samurai.
edit - i bet you could do anthropology on the area & find multiple layers of habitation. Like the builders probably left candy wrappers in the walls, the original owners, maybe second owners, then it looks like squatters. Then you guys probably made a footprint or two. I'm making up bonkers scenarios to explain the evidence.
You made me nervous climbing that freaking tower!
Geez! It's a fire tower. They used to have someone be a fire tower guard.
Part of an abandoned airforce base ...a superfund pollution site that is being cleaned up due to pollution contaminated water and soil! Great videography brother...Ty...Those 'yellow flowers" are called chamomile...they make a great tea from those flowers...
No Tansey or tansy
Yes it’s tansy which is poisonous.
As someone who is from Finland, the country, this was really baffling to watch. I would love to know how they came up with Finland. Sad to see that such an beautiful town is abandoned now 😢
Edit: The name Finland became to be thanks to Finnish settlers in 1915 and the town is still running with an population of 400 and some.
Source: Wikipedia
Common sense isn't so common.
I'll bet those old 40" ranges were still in use because they came with the houses and tenants had no incentive to replace them. Maybe someone could rehab these houses and put them up as vacation rentals on AirBnb or some similar site. It looks like a beautiful area.
No one should live there, it’s contaminated.
I am really surprised that a Paranormal group has not covered this yet.
I absolutely love the location of this neighborhood. It is very beautiful also looks very peaceful. I would enjoy waking up and seeing something like that everyday. 😊
If you find more history about this abandoned town, It would be nice if you covered it. I would love to know the history and why it was abandoned so suddenly.
im glad the paranormal tards have not corrupted this area lol.
Sheriff is handing out trespassing tickets to all people going.. 200.00 a piece.. this is privately owned property do not be tricked by this man with the video. It is not abandoned that is a lie
Paranormal rats...
My family owned this. I have so pictures and videos of it back in 2018
Really..That would be interesting to see ..
Make a UA-cam vid of the film /pictures 👍
I’d love to hear the history also
One thing is painfully obvious, everyone left in a big F'ing hurry. It reminds me of the videos of Pripyat Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster!
That absolutely seems so very creepy, thank you for taking us on this amazing journey of exploration. I agree with most that something happened and they needed to leave super fast to leave so much pf their personal belongings behind. I pray that no ones health was affected, the talk of radiation and contamination is just overwhelming. Please be careful on these journeys, im in the safety of my home and just watching the video was a bit much.😬😅👏🏽👏🏽
Wow! The town looks like deserted town in Fukushima, japan. In 2011 nuclear power plant exploded and the every towns were evacuated. All houses including futrniture, car, animal all left behind...
You always find the BEST places! You work SO hard for us❤️❤️
That's crazy I climbed that tower when I was a little kid I carved my initials at top think I was 10 or 11 scarey climbing up it swaying in the wind .al capone had a cabin not 2 far from there
Wouldn't it be great to see these people's home movies ? The neighborhood in top condition and the clothes they were wearing. Thx Stringer
Pretty wild, are there any stories on this town after the base closed? Seemed it lasted another 20+ years until finally abandoned. Curious if the people owned or leased? Such an incredible place, wish I had something like this to visit and explore
That was an old Air Force Base. I just wonder why people ran out so quick 🤔
To be fair, the subtitle of this is a bit misleading although it certainly is a very cool video. Finland is not a ghost town and is not abandoned. As has been pointed out by others, the "neighborhood" shown here is an abandoned air force base about 3 miles north of Finland and is actually outside the city limits. Finland itself is just a few miles off of Highway 61, which is a heavily traveled scenic highway along the North Shore of Lake Superior and is not particularly remote. It is a gorgeous area!
This is my very 1st time of seeing anything of your video channel and loved it! I would definitely go alone. My husband and I live in Oklahoma and used to own our on paranormal investigating team. I would love it.
My dad was born in Picher Oklahoma , they were forced to leave the town also because of contamination. They call it the most toxic town in the US
I'm from Oklahoma too. Loved the video.
That's so incredible thanks for showing us around and for the comments explaining what it is really cool I'm having respect that's very cool
This is just a perfect movie set they could use
Scary movie
I bet many of the LP tanks still have gas in them, at about $1.85 per gallon. they look like 500 gallon tanks you do the math.
Liked very much the lack of background music. Would have been better to have a pause at times is the commentary as well - rain drops and footsteps are enjoyable on their own. Thanks
This is such an awesome destination.
So fascinating & would love to explore something like that!! Thanks for a great video!!
Weird thing is that it's hidden on google maps. There's also several unnatural/strange blue blobs in the woods up in that area
I just went on and looked at it on Google maps it just dosen't have the street view pictures
@@dsmith8859 that is because it is private property from route 1 you can see the entrance and it even has realtor signs on it.
I'd be up there with a car trailer.
@@jenniyum They're not big enough to be even a small airbase. And they're not solid blue - it's more sections of woods with blue shadowing among the trees
@@redbaron474 I was wrong so I deleted the comment.
These gomes defenitly give off 90s to cery early 2000s look. Mostly the 90s. The furniture and decorations and bedding gives me a nostalgic feel to it.
This looks exactly like the town from the first silent hill game 😐
So many abandoned homes and property all over the world but yet so many homeless people
Everybody says that. Feel free to send your money.
@@sammyday3341 money? If it's abandoned why can't homeless live there?
@@anarchytelevision8445read the comments! It’s extremely toxic and unsafe!
@@anarchytelevision8445 , Greed is the answer. The bankers are pure greed. Their day is coming soon.
A reason we're abandoned, probably no water, sewer, etc., cost money to run a town
Minnesota here. Nice to see a location from my home state.
Loved this!! You are extremely brave or crazy (lol) for climbing that tower. Great view! New sub. Looking forward to checking out your other videos.
Looks like most of the people appeared to up and leave sometime in the early 2000's. The cars being left behind (especially the Suzuki) absolutely baffles me. The minivan you found in the garage was a 1999-2000 Chrysler Town And Country, and the flipped car is (I believe) a Mazda Millenia.
Interesting but I kept waiting for the zombies 🧟♀️ to appear! 😅
Great video and channel, I really enjoyed watching it, love the lay outs of them houses it be nice if someone rehabs and re opens it for people who like to live in small areas like that
Cant rehab due to permanent water contamination that causes cancer.
@@Days_Sword oh ok that understandable
@@Days_Swordwell
You could a person would just spend millions on clean up
Im Finnish. Lot of finnish peoples move to Minnesota decades ago. Wish i could visit there someday
My great grandparents moved to Detroit Lakes from Finland. Northern Minnesota has a very similar climate to southern Finland
@@Punkpsychobilly Thank you from your answer. Wish someday, i will visit there. ❤️
He mentioned somebody bought the place off. The people probably got paid pretty good money for their stuff so they left all their old furniture and their old beater car and just headed for the greener pastures
Oh! you should see what crack-heads can do to get the next fix. Look at what they took. Yep, crack-head 101.
Like deer tracks in the woods.
It's usually what pretty much happens when a lot of people leave.
Some have gotten paid very well to simply leave like right now get what you can and get out and boy there's a reap of the benefits in the long run
Or maybe the word got out that it’s polluted.
When was this last known to be occupied? Google say 2020 census was less than 200 people for the whole town. Course, this is outside the town, but...
I’ve seen abandoned houses out west where people will ditch and strip stolen cars at them.
Yup, I used to work at a transfer station/dump/recycling place outside our town and the first thing one learns is to never open an abandobed fridge, lol. 😁
Those Suzuki samurai’s are a very sought after vehicle in the 4 x 4 community somebody after seeing this video is going to find that grab it and build it. They are very reliable the reason you don’t see them much is because they are an 80s vehicle and have been used up or turned into monster machines
Born and raised on the Iron Range. I left there in '84. I remember Finland. I had no idea it was abandoned! Thanks for your video! 👍🏻❤️❤️
you don't leave everything behind, home sweet home signs and keepsakes and cars and drapes and dishes, unless something crazy happened.
EDIT: the opening of doors and garages reminds me of chernobyl. they opened the windows to allow radiation to disperse
It seems as though they had to grab what they could and leave immediately for some reason.