If you’ve been to Alaska on holiday then you may have come across these bizarre wooden structures that resemble a mini house. These are dotted around various cities and although they look cute, you may wonder what they’re actually used for.

In fact, even if you’re not an outsider to the state then you may still be ignorant to their uses. It turns out that the backstory is actually pretty cool and is very unique to the state of Alaska. So, what are these wooden builds actually used for?

It turns out that these are actually caches that people used to store their provisions and rest in. Here, they would be accessed by removable ladders to stay safe from prey. The purpose of these caches would be out of reach of predators such as wild bears and wolves. Imagine traveling out of town with food work equipment on you. Every now and then, you may need to store them somewhere for a short amount of time. The cache pictured is a miniature version for show.

So, these caches would come in handy and served a practical purpose. As seen in the image above, this cache even includes a pick axe and spade which pays homage to the hardworking people of Alaska who used to rely on caches. These days, they are used as decorative replicas as a throwback to yesteryear. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when Alaska looked like a very different place.