My mom and stepdad lived in Tipton, Ok about 28 years ago. When we were visiting, my stepdad gave us a stopwatch that he bought at a yard sale there in town. He gave it to us because we are track coaches so he thought we would like it. We noticed that it had a swastika on the back. So, we have just kept it in a cabinet for all of these years. We did some research on it and found out that it was a German submarine stopwatch. It never made much sense to us. But, your comment about Tipton being a World War II German prisoner of war area really tied things together for us. Thank you!
@@ThomasThatelo they were farm communities. TIpton had three cotton gins when I was young now none. Due too better farm equipment they no longer need gins. To bale it up. Also the small little leather and cloth factories left long ago. So most ppl moved closer to larger towns with work.
For those individuals that do not live in Oklahoma this area is on the edge of the desert southwest. If you travel to the eastern part of the state to the small town of Haworth which is 5 1/2 hours and 338 miles away you are in another complete geographical area. That part of the state has areas that resemble Vermont and New Hampshire. The farther east you go the Red River has more water in it and is not a dried up river basin as shown in the video. There are actually aligators in the Red River in the east. Another thing that is never discussed about the dwindling population is the mechanization of farming. When these towns were formed there were no tractors or combines. Everything was done by using horses and manpower. Farms required a lot of people to plant and harvest crops. Today one person can do the job that in the early 1900s required several. Farmers no longer harvest their own crops they rely on harvesting companies to cut the fields and get the crop to the market. Thus as the jobs started to go away so did the population. It is sad to see these small towns slowly disappearing not only in Oklahoma but all over the US. Great videos I really enjoy the channel.
The southeastern part of Oklahoma is like another world when compared to the southwestern part of the state. The east has forests, lakes, rivers. Broken Bow is in a beautiful area of the state.
If I remember my biology, right, Oklahoma has 11 different Bio districts, and almost every tree that grows in the US grows in the Indian Nation ( Oklahoma). Shalom
@@tonytaylor4472 Yes, the Wichitah Mountains are literally the oldest mountain range on the continent, being worn down to the level existing today over many millions of years. Gorgeous part of Oklahoma, and Mount Scott, many life-long residents of Oklahoma don't even know it exists !!!!
Yes, these videos are so relaxing. No loud, pounding music. No blabbing, no constant stuff to just fill the air. Your voice is pleasant and gentle to listen to. Thank you. Blessings from Michigan.
It also saddens me to see these towns in the USA shrivel up and die. My guess is that the many areas of the high plains are too arid to support intensive agriculture. There seems to be no real strategy of how to stabilize the economic decline of these rural areas.
It’s not the climate. Small farms can’t survive anymore for economic reasons. So farms got bigger. That means fewer people. Fewer people can’t support the businesses anymore. Younger people like me were forced to move away to find work. They were great places to grow up when I was young.
@@johnbennett757It's all about jobs. Working age people will want to live in or close to cities as that's where most jobs are and most high paying jobs. Unless you can get a remote job most won't want to live in these dying places. Not to mention there's nothing to do. Only seniors wouldn't mind
@@coyotetrail2124 The mechanization of farms means less employment is needed to produce the same or greater amount of food. That is a good thing of course on a national level but on a local level it means a shrinking population. The second issue is that the western plains are very arid and this makes agriculture a challenge.
I absolutely love the town of Eldorado. There is so much beauty in being forgotten. While the rest of the world clamors and fights for their 500sqft studio apartments in crowded cities there are places like Eldorado where you can go and simply exist. It's a hard beauty to fully articulate and some may find it depressing but I think with the right lens its stunning, peaceful and freeing.
If they clean up that place, fix the houses, put a town square, plant some more trees, put a few stores and supermarkets, well that place will be alright. I think it has potential.
The only problem is services , in these towns people are more willing to help for free even . They are more friendly than big cities , but they tend to know everyones buisness . I you was wealthy and could bring in some needed services and build some new housing you would do well .
@agwtaw2 u think u wanna live there until u have no electricity or water and have to drive for an hour to get to the nearest grocery store and even farther for any entertainment. Plus say goodbye to a dating or social life
This channel is helping me to decide a cheap place to live with lots of peace and quiet. I'm finding a lot of great locations. I've gotten my wife addicted to this channel, and we are looking to live in Wyoming 😊
When I see these towns with their peak populations roughly between the 1910s and 1950s, I think of the youth that grew up dreaming of something more exciting, and as TV became more common, it was "I'm outta here" and they headed for the 'real world', never looking back. There was more to it than that, of course, the proliferation of the automobile in the 50s made possible shopping trips to the larger towns that killed the local smaller businesses resulting in them having to move on...Progress is brutal to some and generous to others... It's amazing to be able to visit these places with you in the comfort of my home, following along on google earth, I can't help thinking of the many small towns I traveled through as a small child in the 40s and 50s, not really noticing anything because of my youth, but those towns were all at their peaks right after WW2...
I went to high school in a town in Oklahoma. It's peak was about 1930 with a population of 4000. That was the just after oil had been discovered in the area and there were quite a few small farmers in the area at that time. The town has been declining ever since, the population now is less than 1000. Many buildings have fallen and have been removed. Some still stand minus their roofs. There are abandoned houses, but most have been removed or burned over the years. The economy that is left is the remnants of the oil field and ranchers. My aunt was once asked if the town would ever come back and she said "No".
@@kennycraven2648 Where I grew up, there was an oil field discovered in the 1930s. The area has been declining as the oil field has declined. Not enough good jobs.
As an Oklahoman, I love anything about Oklahoma. Usually the wealthiest families in the rural areas are farmers or ranchers just on the outskirts of town.
I'm from OKC born and raised so it's good to see you showing some more of these Ghost Towns in places I've never been to and probably will never visit. Thank you Joe. Have a wonderful weekend and say hi to Nic for me 👋🏽
I absolutely love your videos. Your videos show what is really going on in small communities, I have told lots of people about your videos, and they also love them, keep up the great work, and safe travel!
Watching from Switzerland, interesting to watch how all this goes at across the pond. We have some very few villages that are turning into ghost towns as well, one example had 300 people around 1850, went down to 73 at 1950 and has a population of 12 today with an average age of 75. There are still 70 buildings and there is support as that village is part of the 'Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites'. The name is Corippo.
Hi Joe. We love your videos. That building you asked about was a cotton gin. My husband used to work at a cotton gin when we first married 57 yrs ago. 😅
A little further northeast, and you would have been in my neck of the woods. Most of those towns look like old oil boom towns which dot the landscape of Oklahoma. Once the oil wells dried up, and the train stopped running, the towns crawled up inside a shell and all but faded away. Some of the towns that surround where I live in Cushing that are prime examples are Agra, Shamrock, yale, Oilton and Ripley to name a few. Only one crime in Eldorado and just one cop. He must be the John Wayne of police. Rough and tough and don't take no crap off no one. Great to see parts of the state I've never seen. Great video. Will be watching for the next. Until then stay safe and God bless. Steve in Oklahoma
Your first two sentences look to me like excellent guesses as to what happened. But I wonder if there was any oil exploration/extraction in this territory along the Red River.? I don't know the history of all that so I can't guess.
Oh yes many wells were found and run dry before we had the ability to get deeper into the earth. Now we don't have to move the rig as often @@Leonard-y7r
I live right down the road but don’t let the whole world think this defines Oklahoma or what Tillman county will be .. some people love that small town living and don’t mind driving for that work. One thing is you can survive in small town Oklahoma
Ever since I was very young travelling with my parents I saw Oklahoma as a very nice town. The red dirt fascinated me and still does. I could live in a small town in Oklahoma❤
I was born in Oklahoma City. My relatives are from Okarche and El Reno. My kids are Canadian but when we visit, we leave Canada to vacation/ visit relatives in Canadian County and cross the Canadian River. Weird how that worked out.
You didn't notice the gigantic grain elevators! It's pretty clear that this is no longer a town but just the place where the few people who work for that grain elevator company live. And those few listed high earners would just be those elevators' owners.
Thanks Joe for visiting some old towns that were once thriving places to live. I wonder being in tornado alley and the frequency of severe weather, had played a part of their demise. Be safe in your travels.
Actually the worst part of tornado alley was north and east of this part of the country....according to meteorologist it is moving east and south. Mississippi really has a lot of tornadoes
These abandoned town videos continue to be my favorite content on your channel. Sad, nostalgic and interesting at the same time. I've seen some of your videos of some really beautiful abandoned towns. I always thought it would be interesting to see some billionaire come in. Build a factory or factories to bring folks back in. Revitalize the downtown area, some of the homes and see if they could get the town back to the glory years.
Enjoy these vids & also bcuz they're quiet, find them so relaxing. I think about the same thing. Some billionaire building a business to create jobs & an economy there. Guess there's no population explosion there. Just a lot of land that needs people & industry.
Would love to see young kids come in and take over and build a collective , work a deal with the mayor to revitalize at the same time a new community is evolving 😅😅 Remember the little man built it first , big corporate took it out or the rerouted hwy 😂 kinda like the Amish everyone contributes in the building and upkeep and keeping with a collective society with self sustainability how wonderful that will be its coming to a dying town near you. Come on kids pull your money together buy up broken down palaces fix them up start growing food and creating your own community don't wait 😅
@@JoeandNicsRoadTripyou need to come to the panhandle. Would love to see you come to these small towns in the panhandle. I live in No Man’s land, Beaver, OK.
This guy is brilliant I can listen to him all day ,,I really like the honesty,the numbers are again honest,his appraisal is caring,he actually cares ,.brilliant channel
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip HI, Do you ever go near the Canada/ U S A Border?? I know there's a National Park that goes between both countries. At Lest you can Show U S citizens, that Canada isn't frozen white waste land in the Summer, with temperatures into the high 80's--low 90's, inthe months of july---August???!!
Love your videos of Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Miami, Oklahoma and am now living in Bluejacket, Oklahoma. I love my state and its history and wanted to thank you for showing it to the rest of the world!
What a sight to behold, these towns are on the verge of abandonment and just a blink in the road. Don't sneeze you will probably miss it. Thanks for sharing and have a great day with safe travels
Yes Elmer is really small but is a nice place to quiet place to live. I just love how you pick the place choice to share with the world. Hope everyone doesn't choice a book by its cover like you have. Those horses do have a wonderful life. Most of the people here have grown up here like I have.
Great video ! I love seeing these old abandoned town but I’m sad for the current and past residents. I think about all the happy memories that occurred there . Thanks Joe and Nic
I grew up in sw Oklahoma. I know folks from Eldarado. Some of those houses you thought were abandoned were not. To be fair, there are abandoned run down areas in the cities too. When I was a kid in the 60’s these twins were vibrant but declining. My home town of Snyder OK was a great place to live.
Great video again! Love all these small towns - especially since I moved to a small town in Kansas called Waterville 10 years ago…. Can’t wait for next weeks video!
One HGTV couple in Mississippi renovated a small town’s downtown. It looked nice afterwards but it’s kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. It doesn’t change the fact there’s not enough of a population base for downtown businesses to survive in these towns.
From statements from Black-American soldiers, the german prisoners of war had more liberties and better treatment than they had. It always surprised me how your enemy got better treatment than your own fellow soldiers.
If there were "rich" farmers, there would be a thriving farm supply store around there. The grain elevators you showed are small and old, thus it's probable agriculture may lean more toward ranching than farming.
@@dabalch65A 15 mile drive is too far for a busy farmer to drive for parts and supplies. He has to get what he needs and get back to get operational. Otherwise he's in the field till midnight. This looks more like a ranching community, hence the "Cattleman's Bank".
@@rt3box6tx74 haha he has done run in and had coffee with the boys and in the field by 7:30 . I was raised out there. Actually in the town of TIpton. No feed store there anymore. Saturday mornings are for the feed stores and such. They buy for the week or month. But I’m thinking a lot of the farming is corporations now. We did have a coop. growing up. Had to run to Fredrick or Altus if they didn’t have it. Well off, rich, or poor we had all of them.
I often wonder where did they go? Possibly many moved to Texas with a booming economy. Probably some moved to the big cities in Oklahoma. The streets are so clean and I didn't see any dogs wondering about looking for a hand out. Thanks again. ⛽️
Rich farmers and other landowners who who rent out their granddaddy's land to other interests [ oil or some type of mining ] who be my guess for the high income . Your typical Joe # Nic middle American small town . Once again happy Trails ! And thanks for the visit .
El Dorado was established in 1886 and was named after the mythical "El Dorado," a city of gold that Spanish explorers searched for in South America. The town was named with the hope that it would bring prosperity to its settlers.
Visit Guthrie on the way up I35. First territorial capital of OK. Amazing victorian architecture since they thought they would be the state capital for a long time. State seal was “stolen” in the middle of the night(some say in a laundry basket) and moved to OKC. Quite the story. Also it is a land run town and has its own boot hill, where outlaws are buried, in their cemetery.
@@cathleenweston3541 Wow, work is supposed to start sooner or later in Cushing on a $5.5 billion green refinery, if they can ever find enough land to build it on. When that happens from all the construction workers, Cushing will be pretty lively.
Good morning from my home in Kansas, I so enjoy your channel I want to let you know that all the traveling that you both do can't help but worry about you both please be careful as you travel our beautiful country praying for you both to be safe in everything.
I was born (1963) and grew up in Frederick, which you drove through going from Tipton to Davidson. I worked for a farmer and plowed around that Victory school area in junior and senior high. The building in Grandfield is a cotton gin. Thank you for shooting this and bringing back memories.
I have extended family that still live in Tipton. They moved to Tipton in the 1880s from Texas. I love visiting them. I live in a rural Texas town that's experienced population shrinkage but still survives and thrives to some extent. Adapting to the changes is key.
These towns are pretty grim in my opinion. Not much happening in any of them. Some indeed will finish dying in 10 or so years. Thanks for bringing them to us to see before they disappear. Some nice shots of abandonment. Thanks again, Larry
I live in Tipton. Grew up here and raised my kids here. A lot of people around here are employed by Altus Air Force Base or other places in Altus. We choose to live in the small towns due to the price of living, the lack of crime, and because we can do our own thing. Our slower pace of living isn’t for everyone, but some of us really like it.
It never ceases to amaze me the extreme poverty in these towns and abandoned buildings. With initiative and drive the potential must be very great to make the place successful again. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip, thank you.
Joe, the occupational breakdown for El Dorado, OK was interesting. Hope you will incorporate that feature for future town profiles. Also, while you ‘own’ the small town profile (and we appreciate your interest), hope you can find other locales with unique architecture. Your knowledge and historical preparation creates a most informative narrative (great voice pacing) which, in turn, creates an enjoyable viewing experience. Thank you for your good work. You have found your life’s way.
I grew up in Tipton, lived there until 1997. The building you were asking about in Grandfield used to be a cotton gin. my father was a cotton ginner until he retired. I enjoyed this video thank you.
No spéculation needed. In the 90s I lived just up the road in Altus. There is a large AFB there. Many guys I worked with on the base lived in the small towns within a 50-mile radius of the base. One guy I worked with as an aircraft mechanic lived east of the base in a small town called Tipton. He was even mayor of the town. We made good money at the AFB. So you could live pretty well in these small almost ghost towns in the area. I'm in Florida now but spent 10 years where you are at.
I thought the same hung…some of the buildings look sturdy, and some of the houses. IF Walmart would just build a store with a MURPHY'S….AND MAYBE A SUBWAY……
I think all around USA we can feel the vib of the bad economic we all are facing, even the red river seems to look so sad with out water, dead river!!! .thank you for your interesting videos and the info, since I found your videos I become addicted to it😂, please dont stop making more videos, grettings from my beautiful state of Arizona. Blessings to you both and Nicole.
The Red River isn't dead. When it runs, it runs full and fast. It's been that for as long as I can remember. I live between two forks of the Brazos River in north central Texas. The Brazos runs here in the same fashion.
Another interesting video. It amazes me how even the smallest towns have a post office. My town here in the UK has a population of 70,500 according to the 2021 census and our main post office closed several years ago. Our main post office is now in WH Smiths, which is a nationwide chain of newsagents. We have 3 other post office counters located in small general stores. We can have outgoing post and parcels collected for free during our daily postal delivery, paying online in advance. There is even an option for the postal worker to bring a preprinted label for your letter or parcel.
It used to be the same in the U.S., I lived for a time ( as a small child in a tiny town in South Dakota called Smithwick which had a combination restuarant, general store , a counter and behind the counter a couple dozen post office boxes ( including ours!). I realy lived on a small ranch just outside of town, ALL the " streets " were gravel or just plane SAND! ( no pavment at all, never has been ) I just ckd. my atlas ( 2006 ) and Smithwick is STILL there so that means the post " office " is still there!!
Imagine when these towns were bustling on Friday afternoons and Saturdays. Lots of shopping and business going on. I vaguely remember those days in the place I grew up in NM. Downtown was where things wet happening.
It used to be exactly how you describe. My Grandpa was on the police force in Tipton in the 70’s. We used to go stay with him and my grandma. We would walk downtown and run errands and buy groceries and things. Always lots of people and lots going on.
Another fascinating tour of places I'd never otherwyse get to see. I'll be long gone by then, but I bet in 40-50 years your videos will be used as historical records to document many towns that have been completely abandoned and in ruins. That is a fine legacy my friend. Keep on keepin' on and very Happy Holidays to you and yours.
My mom's family is from Eldorado. My great grandparents are buried there in the cemetery. I drove there once to pay my respects. It's heart breaking to see the town look like this. I wonder what it looked like in better times. Thank you for driving through there.
I'm watching this from Nepal. Thank you for showing these ghost towns cause i have only seen expensive towns and houses. Please make more videos of ghost towns... Much love from Nepal...
Just a little research can explain unusual population growth and decline: "There were two oil fields discovered in the Grandfield area: the Northwest Oil Field; and the Red River Oil Field. The influence of the oil industry on Grandfield cannot be overstated. The closing of the Bell Oil and Refinery Company refinery in the 1960s arguably started the population decline."
Thanks for your videos and the town info. Please keep making more. I am watching your videos from India and feel nostalgic about some of my own rural areas when I see the old buildings and houses. Best of luck for more such videos.
I love watching your channel, one thing that concerns me is why people overpopulated some cities instead of bringing back to life these dying towns, it could be so beautiful again 😮
I love it to watch your video & your gentle voice. You also had always commented with the polite choice of words. Thanks a million. Watching from Indonesia, southeast Asia
My mom and stepdad lived in Tipton, Ok about 28 years ago. When we were visiting, my stepdad gave us a stopwatch that he bought at a yard sale there in town. He gave it to us because we are track coaches so he thought we would like it. We noticed that it had a swastika on the back. So, we have just kept it in a cabinet for all of these years. We did some research on it and found out that it was a German submarine stopwatch. It never made much sense to us. But, your comment about Tipton being a World War II German prisoner of war area really tied things together for us. Thank you!
Amazing.
grew up there myself.
Used to time torpedoes.
But why Americans are leaving small towns? What is the driving force ?
@@ThomasThatelo they were farm communities. TIpton had three cotton gins when I was young now none. Due too better farm equipment they no longer need gins. To bale it up. Also the small little leather and cloth factories left long ago. So most ppl moved closer to larger towns with work.
I so appreciate you not playing background music it seems so much more realistic how you do it.
Yes
Agree
This
Yes, and thank you.
For those individuals that do not live in Oklahoma this area is on the edge of the desert southwest. If you travel to the eastern part of the state to the small town of Haworth which is 5 1/2 hours and 338 miles away you are in another complete geographical area. That part of the state has areas that resemble Vermont and New Hampshire. The farther east you go the Red River has more water in it and is not a dried up river basin as shown in the video. There are actually aligators in the Red River in the east. Another thing that is never discussed about the dwindling population is the mechanization of farming. When these towns were formed there were no tractors or combines. Everything was done by using horses and manpower. Farms required a lot of people to plant and harvest crops. Today one person can do the job that in the early 1900s required several. Farmers no longer harvest their own crops they rely on harvesting companies to cut the fields and get the crop to the market. Thus as the jobs started to go away so did the population. It is sad to see these small towns slowly disappearing not only in Oklahoma but all over the US. Great videos I really enjoy the channel.
The southeastern part of Oklahoma is like another world when compared to the southwestern part of the state. The east has forests, lakes, rivers. Broken Bow is in a beautiful area of the state.
@@PaulDoumerBridge well said but lots to look at with our Wichita’s , I get claustrophobic in the east too many treed
If I remember my biology, right, Oklahoma has 11 different Bio districts, and almost every tree that grows in the US grows in the Indian Nation ( Oklahoma). Shalom
😢 0:36 😮😅😅😅😅 0:36 0:36 0:36 e
@@tonytaylor4472 Yes, the Wichitah Mountains are literally the oldest mountain range on the continent, being worn down to the level existing today over many millions of years. Gorgeous part of Oklahoma, and Mount Scott, many life-long residents of Oklahoma don't even know it exists !!!!
Yes, these videos are so relaxing. No loud, pounding music. No blabbing, no constant stuff to just fill the air. Your voice is pleasant and gentle to listen to. Thank you. Blessings from Michigan.
Thank you!!
Very True.
Is Oklahoma affected too by Twisters?
It always saddens me to see these dying towns. Makes you wonder what they were like in better times. Thank you for showing us!
It also saddens me to see these towns in the USA shrivel up and die. My guess is that the many areas of the high plains are too arid to support intensive agriculture. There seems to be no real strategy of how to stabilize the economic decline of these rural areas.
It’s not the climate. Small farms can’t survive anymore for economic reasons. So farms got bigger. That means fewer people. Fewer people can’t support the businesses anymore. Younger people like me were forced to move away to find work. They were great places to grow up when I was young.
@@johnbennett757It's all about jobs. Working age people will want to live in or close to cities as that's where most jobs are and most high paying jobs. Unless you can get a remote job most won't want to live in these dying places. Not to mention there's nothing to do. Only seniors wouldn't mind
@@coyotetrail2124 The mechanization of farms means less employment is needed to produce the same or greater amount of food. That is a good thing of course on a national level but on a local level it means a shrinking population. The second issue is that the western plains are very arid and this makes agriculture a challenge.
@@adrianelias2365 Oh I agree with your statement. The question is what does the nation do about the economic decline of rural areas. Any ideas?
I absolutely love the town of Eldorado. There is so much beauty in being forgotten. While the rest of the world clamors and fights for their 500sqft studio apartments in crowded cities there are places like Eldorado where you can go and simply exist. It's a hard beauty to fully articulate and some may find it depressing but I think with the right lens its stunning, peaceful and freeing.
I agree.
If they clean up that place, fix the houses, put a town square, plant some more trees, put a few stores and supermarkets, well that place will be alright. I think it has potential.
This town really looks pretty to me for some reason
Well said. Not everything needs to be town squares, mechanized, populated to be beautiful. Beauty is often within itself, but you have to look for iy
Oops. Last word was it 😂
As a Brit, I find these videos of rural, small town USA absolutely fascinating…🇺🇸🇬🇧👍
Thank you. :)
Me too. Makes me think about selling up and buying a house for £35k 😂
The only problem is services , in these towns people are more willing to help for free even . They are more friendly than big cities , but they tend to know everyones buisness . I you was wealthy and could bring in some needed services and build some new housing you would do well .
@agwtaw2 u think u wanna live there until u have no electricity or water and have to drive for an hour to get to the nearest grocery store and even farther for any entertainment. Plus say goodbye to a dating or social life
@@AngelRivera-de1lq😂 that is why people move to these places.
This channel is helping me to decide a cheap place to live with lots of peace and quiet. I'm finding a lot of great locations. I've gotten my wife addicted to this channel, and we are looking to live in Wyoming 😊
How are water, sewage, utilities in these places?
There’s only two sessions in Wyoming, winter and road construction
Wyoming is cheaper than most states, and has great tax benefits for old farts like me
You ain't moving to Maryland?
@@cj4505You should move to Florida instead. That's where all the old farts move to.
When I see these towns with their peak populations roughly between the 1910s and 1950s, I think of the youth that grew up dreaming of something more exciting, and as TV became more common, it was "I'm outta here" and they headed for the 'real world', never looking back. There was more to it than that, of course, the proliferation of the automobile in the 50s made possible shopping trips to the larger towns that killed the local smaller businesses resulting in them having to move on...Progress is brutal to some and generous to others... It's amazing to be able to visit these places with you in the comfort of my home, following along on google earth, I can't help thinking of the many small towns I traveled through as a small child in the 40s and 50s, not really noticing anything because of my youth, but those towns were all at their peaks right after WW2...
I went to high school in a town in Oklahoma. It's peak was about 1930 with a population of 4000. That was the just after oil had been discovered in the area and there were quite a few small farmers in the area at that time. The town has been declining ever since, the population now is less than 1000. Many buildings have fallen and have been removed. Some still stand minus their roofs. There are abandoned houses, but most have been removed or burned over the years. The economy that is left is the remnants of the oil field and ranchers. My aunt was once asked if the town would ever come back and she said "No".
@@Jody-kt9ev. Dustbowl and men leaving to WW2 contributed to the decline of these small communities.
@@kennycraven2648 Where I grew up, there was an oil field discovered in the 1930s. The area has been declining as the oil field has declined. Not enough good jobs.
Horses look well fed and taken care of! Looks like great horse country. Ready to ride!
They looked happy!
Yep, I noticed that too.
🤠
I wonder if the horses were rodeo horses
As an Oklahoman, I love anything about Oklahoma. Usually the wealthiest families in the rural areas are farmers or ranchers just on the outskirts of town.
I was about to say something about not seeing any of the high-end homes listed in the statistics. That would explain things.
Agreed. Most of these towns here in OK have a larger rural population. People commute to larger towns to work.
I'm from OKC born and raised so it's good to see you showing some more of these Ghost Towns in places I've never been to and probably will never visit. Thank you Joe. Have a wonderful weekend and say hi to Nic for me 👋🏽
I will, Alisa!!
I absolutely love your videos. Your videos show what is really going on in small communities, I have told lots of people about your videos, and they also love them, keep up the great work, and safe travel!
Joe ,again, thank you for driving through America and showing us.
Watching from Switzerland, interesting to watch how all this goes at across the pond. We have some very few villages that are turning into ghost towns as well, one example had 300 people around 1850, went down to 73 at 1950 and has a population of 12 today with an average age of 75. There are still 70 buildings and there is support as that village is part of the 'Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites'. The name is Corippo.
Are the Houses expensive there even the town almost ghost town?
I looked the name Corippo up on internet. It’s a historical place. Saw some pictures of it on Google maps, looks Italian.
I'm US but Swiss heritage and love traveling / hiking in Switzerland. I'm adding that town to my list next time I go back!
I find these videos so interesting and strangely relaxing
Hi Joe. We love your videos. That building you asked about was a cotton gin. My husband used to work at a cotton gin when we first married 57 yrs ago. 😅
Excellent. Thank you for the info!!
A little further northeast, and you would have been in my neck of the woods. Most of those towns look like old oil boom towns which dot the landscape of Oklahoma. Once the oil wells dried up, and the train stopped running, the towns crawled up inside a shell and all but faded away. Some of the towns that surround where I live in Cushing that are prime examples are Agra, Shamrock, yale, Oilton and Ripley to name a few. Only one crime in Eldorado and just one cop. He must be the John Wayne of police. Rough and tough and don't take no crap off no one. Great to see parts of the state I've never seen. Great video. Will be watching for the next. Until then stay safe and God bless.
Steve in Oklahoma
Thanks, Steve!!
Your first two sentences look to me like excellent guesses as to what happened. But I wonder if there was any oil exploration/extraction in this territory along the Red River.? I don't know the history of all that so I can't guess.
Oh yes many wells were found and run dry before we had the ability to get deeper into the earth. Now we don't have to move the rig as often @@Leonard-y7r
Al m
I live right down the road but don’t let the whole world think this defines Oklahoma or what Tillman county will be .. some people love that small town living and don’t mind driving for that work. One thing is you can survive in small town Oklahoma
Oklahoma seems okay.
Wonderful people
Ever since I was very young travelling with my parents I saw Oklahoma as a very nice town. The red dirt fascinated me and still does. I could live in a small town in Oklahoma❤
I was born in Oklahoma City. My relatives are from Okarche and El Reno. My kids are Canadian but when we visit, we leave Canada to vacation/ visit relatives in Canadian County and cross the Canadian River. Weird how that worked out.
Very interesting. There is no need to fly to the USA. Nick and the team via TH-cam are taking me there. Thanks, guys.
You didn't notice the gigantic grain elevators! It's pretty clear that this is no longer a town but just the place where the few people who work for that grain elevator company live. And those few listed high earners would just be those elevators' owners.
I knew the Grandson of a grain elevator owner . His Father was a Court Judge .
Eldorado is an old Frisco Railroad (St. Louis San Francisco) town, cool. Thanks for another look at rural America, like it much. Thanks Joe and Nic!
Thanks for identifying the Frisco Railroad. Most vloggers just leave it at "...the railroad"
Thanks Joe for visiting some old towns that were once thriving places to live. I wonder being in tornado alley and the frequency of severe weather, had played a part of their demise. Be safe in your travels.
Possibly dust bowl days had something to do with it also. People left and just didn't come back. Who knows..
Actually the worst part of tornado alley was north and east of this part of the country....according to meteorologist it is moving east and south. Mississippi really has a lot of tornadoes
Well, most of the houses are still there, so tornados weren't the issue. Economy and lack of hospitals and schools
These abandoned town videos continue to be my favorite content on your channel. Sad, nostalgic and interesting at the same time. I've seen some of your videos of some really beautiful abandoned towns. I always thought it would be interesting to see some billionaire come in. Build a factory or factories to bring folks back in. Revitalize the downtown area, some of the homes and see if they could get the town back to the glory years.
They're my favorite to make, and I really prefer visiting these small, out of the way towns over big cities. The next 3 will be more of the same!
Enjoy these vids & also bcuz they're quiet, find them so relaxing. I think about the same thing. Some billionaire building a business to create jobs & an economy there. Guess there's no population explosion there. Just a lot of land that needs people & industry.
Would love to see young kids come in and take over and build a collective , work a deal with the mayor to revitalize at the same time a new community is evolving 😅😅 Remember the little man built it first , big corporate took it out or the rerouted hwy 😂 kinda like the Amish everyone contributes in the building and upkeep and keeping with a collective society with self sustainability how wonderful that will be its coming to a dying town near you. Come on kids pull your money together buy up broken down palaces fix them up start growing food and creating your own community don't wait 😅
@@JoeandNicsRoadTripyou need to come to the panhandle. Would love to see you come to these small towns in the panhandle. I live in No Man’s land, Beaver, OK.
Your videos are great and made my anxiety go away. We live in a busy world and I miss my hometown from the 50's
Wow. Poor old towns. Back in the day must of been nice. Thanks Joe for showing us 😊😊😊
This guy is brilliant I can listen to him all day ,,I really like the honesty,the numbers are again honest,his appraisal is caring,he actually cares ,.brilliant channel
Wow, thank you!!!
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip HI, Do you ever go near the Canada/ U S A Border?? I know there's a National Park that goes between both countries. At Lest you can Show U S citizens, that Canada isn't frozen white waste land in the Summer, with temperatures into the high 80's--low 90's, inthe months of july---August???!!
@@andynieuwenhuis7833 We’ll be visiting Canada next spring. 👍
Love your videos of Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Miami, Oklahoma and am now living in Bluejacket, Oklahoma. I love my state and its history and wanted to thank you for showing it to the rest of the world!
@danatinsley397 Awesome! I’ve got two more coming up next week. 😀☹️
No cats, but you really shine on firehouses! Thanks for taking me along, I really enjoy these travel videos.
Thanks! I have had a tough time finding cats lately. :(
I have been watching this channel for quite sometime now and i can certainly say it is the best.
What a sight to behold, these towns are on the verge of abandonment and just a blink in the road. Don't sneeze you will probably miss it. Thanks for sharing and have a great day with safe travels
I've driven back & forth across the Red River for decades. Sometimes it'll look like like it's dried up, sometimes like a raging torrent.
An awesome video ! I love exploring these "ghost towns", endlessly fascinating ! Lovely to see the horses ! Thank you so much, Joe and Nic.😊💖
Thank you, CL!! :)
Yes Elmer is really small but is a nice place to quiet place to live. I just love how you pick the place choice to share with the world. Hope everyone doesn't choice a book by its cover like you have. Those horses do have a wonderful life. Most of the people here have grown up here like I have.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Were neighbors. I live north of Tipton lol
Perfect towns to get some peace and quiet.
Living in the UK it's lovely to see wide open spaces. Great video as alway's!
Great video ! I love seeing these old abandoned town but I’m sad for the current and past residents. I think about all the happy memories that occurred there . Thanks Joe and Nic
I grew up in sw Oklahoma. I know folks from Eldarado. Some of those houses you thought were abandoned were not. To be fair, there are abandoned run down areas in the cities too. When I was a kid in the 60’s these twins were vibrant but declining. My home town of Snyder OK was a great place to live.
Great video again! Love all these small towns - especially since I moved to a small town in Kansas called Waterville 10 years ago…. Can’t wait for next weeks video!
I visited some really interesting, fading Kansas towns in the next video. :)
HGTV would have a bonanza in some of these abandoned towns. Thanks, Joe for your content, appreciated & enjoyed it!
One HGTV couple in Mississippi renovated a small town’s downtown. It looked nice afterwards but it’s kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. It doesn’t change the fact there’s not enough of a population base for downtown businesses to survive in these towns.
My father in law was a German prisoner of war in America and he said they were treated really well xx
Sure was nicer then the Russian gulags in Siberia where many Germans died (and the Russians didn’t release them until early 50s)
Yes, they were well treated by all accounts, unlike German prisoners of the Russians.
Cuz they were white. Same couldn't be said for asian people who were citizens...
Depending on when and where. It was pushed the Geneva Agreement of prisoners.
From statements from Black-American soldiers, the german prisoners of war had more liberties and better treatment than they had. It always surprised me how your enemy got better treatment than your own fellow soldiers.
Greetings from Oklahoma, glad you could come see us. Lots to do, lots to see.❤
If there were "rich" farmers, there would be a thriving farm supply store around there.
The grain elevators you showed are small and old, thus it's probable agriculture may lean more toward ranching than farming.
There are some awesome farm supply stores. Just have to go into a larger town. They aren’t that far. For eldorado probably Altus.
@@dabalch65A 15 mile drive is too far for a busy farmer to drive for parts and supplies. He has to get what he needs and get back to get operational. Otherwise he's in the field till midnight. This looks more like a ranching community, hence the "Cattleman's Bank".
@@rt3box6tx74 haha he has done run in and had coffee with the boys and in the field by 7:30 . I was raised out there. Actually in the town of TIpton. No feed store there anymore. Saturday mornings are for the feed stores and such. They buy for the week or month. But I’m thinking a lot of the farming is corporations now. We did have a coop. growing up. Had to run to Fredrick or Altus if they didn’t have it. Well off, rich, or poor we had all of them.
The little towns, are still interesting. Thanks for sharing
I often wonder where did they go? Possibly many moved to Texas with a booming economy. Probably some moved to the big cities in Oklahoma. The streets are so clean and I didn't see any dogs wondering about looking for a hand out. Thanks again. ⛽️
Most young folks leave small towns like this after high school and college and never go back. More opportunities and more stuff to do in bigger cities
Rich farmers and other landowners who who rent out their granddaddy's land to other interests [ oil or some type of mining ] who be my guess for the high income . Your typical Joe # Nic middle American small town . Once again happy Trails ! And thanks for the visit .
El Dorado was established in 1886 and was named after the mythical "El Dorado," a city of gold that Spanish explorers searched for in South America. The town was named with the hope that it would bring prosperity to its settlers.
Hello guys, I just smile when I seen your video pop up cause I’m gonna learn something new today😂 thank you for sharing.
Our pleasure!
Grandfield, where the wheat harvest begins! I went on the harvest heading North when I was 15 in 1975 and that town looked a lot better back then.
Visit Guthrie on the way up I35. First territorial capital of OK. Amazing victorian architecture since they thought they would be the state capital for a long time. State seal was “stolen” in the middle of the night(some say in a laundry basket) and moved to OKC. Quite the story. Also it is a land run town and has its own boot hill, where outlaws are buried, in their cemetery.
I signed my title papers Today for a lil house in Cushing. I'm 62. Here I come yall.
@@cathleenweston3541 Wow, work is supposed to start sooner or later in Cushing on a $5.5 billion green refinery, if they can ever find enough land to build it on. When that happens from all the construction workers, Cushing will be pretty lively.
Wow eye opening vid , Joe. Sad but reality. U and Nicole stay safe but have fun. Have a safe trip over 2 Alaska. Can't wait 4 that one!
Thank you!
Thank you, Joe. I enjoyed this even as it made me melancholy. I appreciate the recent addition of graphics.
Enjoy seeing these small towns I would not otherwise see.
Fantastic as always, thank you.
Good morning from my home in Kansas, I so enjoy your channel I want to let you know that all the traveling that you both do can't help but worry about you both please be careful as you travel our beautiful country praying for you both to be safe in everything.
I was born (1963) and grew up in Frederick, which you drove through going from Tipton to Davidson. I worked for a farmer and plowed around that Victory school area in junior and senior high. The building in Grandfield is a cotton gin. Thank you for shooting this and bringing back memories.
Ive lived in Tipton my entire life
I have extended family that still live in Tipton. They moved to Tipton in the 1880s from Texas. I love visiting them. I live in a rural Texas town that's experienced population shrinkage but still survives and thrives to some extent. Adapting to the changes is key.
Always enjoy riding along with you as you explore the U.S. Thank you for you videos.
Thank you, David!!!
I love watching your videos...reminds me of what "regular and forgotten America" is like. Very interesting!
Thank you! 😃
I like the way you are always respectful in your comments. No matter how small or poor, these towns are home to those who live there.
These towns are pretty grim in my opinion. Not much happening in any of them. Some indeed will finish dying in 10 or so years. Thanks for bringing them to us to see before they disappear. Some nice shots of abandonment. Thanks again, Larry
Thank you, Larry!!
I would kill myself if I had to live there. I would lose it from boredom in one day
I live in Tipton. Grew up here and raised my kids here. A lot of people around here are employed by Altus Air Force Base or other places in Altus. We choose to live in the small towns due to the price of living, the lack of crime, and because we can do our own thing. Our slower pace of living isn’t for everyone, but some of us really like it.
It never ceases to amaze me the extreme poverty in these towns and abandoned buildings. With initiative and drive the potential must be very great to make the place successful again. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip, thank you.
Go over the Red river and it's green, blue. Other times its liguid red mud. Just depends on whats gone on up stream. That river turns!
I love that you include all the stats. It's super interesting, so thank you!
Awesome!!
These are the videos I like driving through the small towns
Joe, the occupational breakdown for El Dorado, OK was interesting. Hope you will incorporate that feature for future town profiles. Also, while you ‘own’ the small town profile (and we appreciate your interest), hope you can find other locales with unique architecture. Your knowledge and historical preparation creates a most informative narrative (great voice pacing) which, in turn, creates an enjoyable viewing experience. Thank you for your good work. You have found your life’s way.
Thanks for sharing your journey through these Smalltown USA.I enjoy them very much.
Thanks!
Thank you, Ken!!
Excellent..you are setting a standard! Keep it up!
Thank you!!
I grew up in Tipton, lived there until 1997. The building you were asking about in Grandfield used to be a cotton gin. my father was a cotton ginner until he retired. I enjoyed this video thank you.
Wow, that's cool! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 👍
i like your content man, that is why i don't skip ads
No spéculation needed. In the 90s I lived just up the road in Altus. There is a large AFB there. Many guys I worked with on the base lived in the small towns within a 50-mile radius of the base. One guy I worked with as an aircraft mechanic lived east of the base in a small town called Tipton. He was even mayor of the town. We made good money at the AFB. So you could live pretty well in these small almost ghost towns in the area. I'm in Florida now but spent 10 years where you are at.
That makes sense.
Great video. I romanticize buying a house in a town like this, but without more stores they really aren't livable. Looking forward to Alaska!
I thought the same hung…some of the buildings look sturdy, and some of the houses. IF Walmart would just build a store with a MURPHY'S….AND MAYBE A SUBWAY……
There's a dollar general every five feet out here. Plenty of other options.@kenjudithglover
Love the quietness n calmness of that town. awesome.
Ghost towns where even ghosts do not want to live.
Love these videos, great window into other peoples lives. These quite towns is where I would like to live out my days 😊
Very interesting video. Lots of information about towns I have never heard of. Thanks Joe.
17:45 That looks like it's a "Ben Franklin five & dime". How cool is that the painted sign is still there.😎
I'm from Altus. Thanks for showing this! Tipton is a powerhouse in 8 man football class C.
I live in a Texas 6-man town with a winning tradition. It's difficult for most people to imagine 8-man and 6-man. You have to see it to believe it.
I used to deliver produce there to a grocery store in El Dorado in the 1970s. Our Company was out of Lawton.
I think all around USA we can feel the vib of the bad economic we all are facing, even the red river seems to look so sad with out water, dead river!!! .thank you for your interesting videos and the info, since I found your videos I become addicted to it😂, please dont stop making more videos, grettings from my beautiful state of Arizona. Blessings to you both and Nicole.
The economy is excellent in Oklahoma right now.
The Red River isn't dead. When it runs, it runs full and fast. It's been that for as long as I can remember.
I live between two forks of the Brazos River in north central Texas. The Brazos runs here in the same fashion.
The Bad economy was 5 years ago.
Another interesting video. It amazes me how even the smallest towns have a post office. My town here in the UK has a population of 70,500 according to the 2021 census and our main post office closed several years ago. Our main post office is now in WH Smiths, which is a nationwide chain of newsagents. We have 3 other post office counters located in small general stores. We can have outgoing post and parcels collected for free during our daily postal delivery, paying online in advance. There is even an option for the postal worker to bring a preprinted label for your letter or parcel.
Same in Canada. Most of our post offices are located in variety/convenience stores and pharmacies now.
It used to be the same in the U.S., I lived for a time ( as a small child in a tiny town in South Dakota called Smithwick which had a combination restuarant, general store , a counter and behind the counter a couple dozen post office boxes ( including ours!). I realy lived on a small ranch just outside of town, ALL the " streets " were gravel or just plane SAND! ( no pavment at all, never has been ) I just ckd. my atlas ( 2006 ) and Smithwick is STILL there so that means the post " office " is still there!!
Imagine when these towns were bustling on Friday afternoons and Saturdays. Lots of shopping and business going on. I vaguely remember those days in the place I grew up in NM. Downtown was where things wet happening.
It used to be exactly how you describe. My Grandpa was on the police force in Tipton in the 70’s. We used to go stay with him and my grandma. We would walk downtown and run errands and buy groceries and things. Always lots of people and lots going on.
My favorite type of video of yours - tiny towns seen from the road.
The Red River and Tornadoes, wonder what those numbers are! Thank you Joe, for a Texan good insight.
Another fascinating tour of places I'd never otherwyse get to see. I'll be long gone by then, but I bet in 40-50 years your videos will be used as historical records to document many towns that have been completely abandoned and in ruins. That is a fine legacy my friend. Keep on keepin' on and very Happy Holidays to you and yours.
ALWAYS enjoy your videos. Very Cool😎 and researched....so we don't have too.
Thumbs up!👍
Thank you!
I really do love your video tours of forgotten America. I wish my mother was still here to watch. She would LOVE to ride along!
Joe. We appreciate you giving us the lowdown on what small town America is really about. Everyone needs to see the good and the bad of life.
I love the videos. Through your videos I travel to some towns that I have never been before.
Thanks for the tour.
My mom's family is from Eldorado. My great grandparents are buried there in the cemetery. I drove there once to pay my respects. It's heart breaking to see the town look like this. I wonder what it looked like in better times. Thank you for driving through there.
I'm watching this from Nepal. Thank you for showing these ghost towns cause i have only seen expensive towns and houses.
Please make more videos of ghost towns...
Much love from Nepal...
Thank you, and I will!
Good job of showing us around Joe , ❤ you two
Thank you, George!!
Just a little research can explain unusual population growth and decline: "There were two oil fields discovered in the Grandfield area: the Northwest Oil Field; and the Red River Oil Field. The influence of the oil industry on Grandfield cannot be overstated. The closing of the Bell Oil and Refinery Company refinery in the 1960s arguably started the population decline."
Yep oil is a boom and bust economic engine. All oil wells run dry eventually
Thanks for your videos and the town info. Please keep making more. I am watching your videos from India and feel nostalgic about some of my own rural areas when I see the old buildings and houses. Best of luck for more such videos.
We will!
I love watching your channel, one thing that concerns me is why people overpopulated some cities instead of bringing back to life these dying towns, it could be so beautiful again 😮
Employment. Bringing innovative enterprises makes a big difference.
I love it to watch your video & your gentle voice. You also had always commented with the polite choice of words. Thanks a million. Watching from Indonesia, southeast Asia
Great video! We like the rural areas better than the big cities. Good job!
I do too. The next 3 videos will be rural towns. :)
GOOD!!!!!
Super vid, lovely slow paced towns