Farther up the slope from the corral are the remnants of an old railroad trestle. The roundabout—a large circular platform where the last segment of rail would pivot 180 degrees to point the engine back toward town—is fast disappearing beneath the willows. Railroad construction began in Nome the summer of 1900. By 1906 the track stretched 80 miles to the Kuzitrin River. Like many other residents, the world famous musher Leonhard Seppala ran his dog team along t he tracks using a small railroad car, called a “pupmobile.” Besides servicing gold operations in the Kougarok Mining District, the railway opened land up to local residents for sightseeing, hunting, and fishing, much as the road does today.
