I bought my first home at age 19 in a town like Engelwood for $23,000. It wasn’t much but it was mine and I built equity instead of giving it to a landlord. I’ll never forget the night sky and the sound of crickets instead of traffic. I never locked my doors, knew everyone in town and saved thousands on junk I didn’t need.
@@angelcitystudio hahahaha, my 400 head of cattle are worth about as much as your house. It’s ok, you can keep your jealousy and I’ll keep my night sky, unlocked doors and my neighbors who I trust. I hope your little house has a good security system.
I don't know what others see when the look at a place like this, but I see a potential paradise. Just a nice small town with open fresh air, no traffic, and a real community. I hope good people move back in and revitalize this area.
People are bunkering down because of the nazis, but if Kansas had a fair election we'd have probably started sending buses of lesbian farmers over. Now they're all moving back to Colorado and California.
I love how respectful you are in your presentation...others sometimes make rude comments and seem judgemental about what they are seeing ❤ to Nic and Joe
@@enermaxstephens1051 I couldn't name them off hand. I don't think most of them say bad things either, I just like how this channel offers the stats cause I don't think many others do that.
I grew up a couple miles outside a tiny town in northeastern Kansas with a population of about 600. The population maxed out at about 1500 when the coal mines were open in the late 1800s. It’s still hanging on with the same number of people nearly 50 years later. The Santa Fe Trail ran through the corner of our property - wagon ruts still etched in the earth. A large creek flowing just a couple hundred feet from the house. Miles of sorghum fields across the dirt road. It was a magical place to grow up - running wild on 10 acres of woodlands. I remember the redbud trees blooming and the fireflies. My dad built our house with his own hands and we used an outhouse until I was 10 yrs old. Chopping firewood with my dad is a great memory. We would find arrowheads in the freshly plowed fields and search through the homes abandoned at the turn of the century when the coal veins dried up. Times were hard and money was short but we had a rich life. Sometimes I greatly miss Kansas.
@@waynedavis8986 We lived in Osage County and the coal mines supplied the Santa Fe Railroad with tons of coal in the early days. There were over 100 mines in the county. Our town, Scranton was named after Scranton, Pennsylvania, because of the coal mining.
As a Kansas resident, I can tell you the problem with those small towns is getting a job. You’ll get tired of driving hours to your job or some places will not hire you if you live far away.
I understand what you are saying. I'm a small town Iowa lady. However, if enough people move back to the small towns, businesses can be supported. And, if businesses can be supported, more people and more businesses will come. Keeping the towns clean, keeping the riff raff out, and keeping the basic essentials like gas and groceries can do lots to build a community.
I hate to see beautiful old structures and homes rotting away and abandoned. It is such a shame to see historic old towns like these slowly wasting away and I appreciate you going out there and documenting them before they are lost to us forever! Thank you 🙏
"Historic" Englewood. Here is full history of Englewood from WIki: Englewood was founded in 1884.[4][5] It was named after the Chicago neighbourhood of Englewood, Illinois.[6] The first post office in Englewood was established in 1885.
Manufacturers going overseas is main issue ! It destroyed most big city's and town go abandoned its crazy seeing beautiful homes abandoned. You'll see hone for sale cheap then look it up and there no jobs near it.
My grandfather lived in Englewood during it's heyday in the 1910s. We took him back there about 25 years ago. At that time the downtown buildings were still standing and there was a restaurant still open. When he lived there they even had a ballroom on the second floor of one of the downtown buildings.
Joe & Nic - I'm an Ashland (KS) native, now transplanted to SE Pennsylvania. Very nice work. Like many in your comments here, your drive-through videographies bring sharp pangs of sadness, a forlorn feeling. I still have family back that way and the farm is still occupied by my dad. I'm always hunting for ideas on how to bring commerce back to areas like Clark and Comanche Counties. So many wonderful memories growing up in that area, it hurts seeing the decline in population, aesthetics, and economy. The people are resilient, though. Nicest, most wonderful people you'll ever meet.
@@terra2730 what?? Cost of living whatever, but are you saying that nobody in that part of Pennsylvania is hard-working or will help other people out?? And in Kansas, no one is lazy or rude to others?
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@@kbanghartWhy are you confused ? You seem offended by the truth People in Kansas and Oklahoma are nicer and less narcissistic on average compared to New England residents
You are reporting news that is so important to hear. We aren't getting this kind of information from commercial outlets. Thank you for all your hard work!
There's no saying if they really are clean though. The brick exteriors are sturdy and look nice, but the insides could be rotting away. I live in a small town in WI and about 30 minutes away is a tiny town like this, and the outside of the downtown area looks nice in passing, but the interior pictures of the buildings that are for sale have severe water damage and junk piled up. If they were built with less sturdy materials they would probably look just like the abandoned houses in this video.
I drive all over MO, KS, IA, and NE for work and I drive through these little towns all the time. It gives me a sinking feeling in my core from the loss of life. It’s sad because you can almost feel and hear all of the ghosts from the past moving around in their day to day lives. No children screaming, or dogs barking, nor cars driving in a bustling downtown square….
That's cool. Your friend can tell people her chickens are youTube stars. Do you like living in Protection? It looks like a nice little town to live in. Thanks for sharing about the chickens.
@@thisorthat7626 I've lived here my whole life and it was a great place to grow up but now there's hardly any businesses and the town is sadly dying. Lots of druggies here now as well.
I would really enjoy living in small towns like these. So peaceful and charming. I'm a retired, rural, homesteader who could care less about internet connection (if that was a problem) so they're perfect for me. Beautiful ride along with you.
SpaceX provides a high speed internet connection now anywhere in the U.S. and in most of the rest of the world too. Could work from home anywhere if you can telecommute.
I would love to live in a town like this if I had a neighbor I could ride with to get groceries, and to Home Depot. Fixing up my own home would be wonderful. I'm disabled but not helpless. I bet the night sky is amazing.
The building with the bell in Englewood was likely an early school/church combo building a century ago. This was a common practice in rural communities. As for Ashland, KS, at last check they have both a hospital and a pharmacy, which adds to the income and sustainability of the community.
You and Nic really make my evenings and my Mother’s as well. We aren’t able to travel anymore and live in a secluded area in the country. What a treat you guys are. Feels like we are there too. Keep traveling.
28:44 - on Zillow - Built in 1922. 3-bedroom 1 bathroom, original hardwood floors and woodwork, over 1965 sq feet and a full unfinished basement, roof is only 2 years old, interior of the home is in need of some cosmetic repairs. $63,500
Its been for sale for over 7 years, my guess it needs a complete remodel of electrical and plumbing. Looks like it has beautiful oak cabinets and woodwork.
Lathe and plaster? Toxic to work with sometimes. How far to the nearest Lowe's? Housing in kansas is inflated about 70% above real value. Those zillow meters tell you. This house isn't really worth that much.
I was implanted in Kansas from Chicago 30 yrs ago and couldn’t be happier. Although I miss the food, the people and escapability from people and noise is priceless!!!!! I love to just be in nature, sit on my boat and reboot my mental compass😊
As a inhabitant of the UK, where land and houses are so expensive, this kind of situation is totally strange to me. Thanks for posting such an interesting subject. Also appreciate the statistics presented throughout the video.
@28:36 That house has three bedrooms and a bathroom and the property as a whole is only a bit less than an acre in size - the price equates to a bit less than £50,000! That is incredibly cheap, isn't it? I can't imagine one would find a decent little house like that in our country on a generous amount of land (by UK standards) for much less than ten times the price. Granted it is in a slowly dying town in a very remote location, and one could feel lonely and isolated, but with the increasing ability for people in many lines of work to work from home these towns might once again start to thrive.
No, not going to happen in Kansas, as it remains in the top 10 for most people moving out every year. NO ONE moves to rural Kansas as most counties have fewer people living in them now than in 1900. There are about 100 reasons why that is...
You wouldn't like it. There's no Uber. No clubs, discos, or nightlife. No fancy coffee houses. No shop to get your Audi or Mercedes worked on because the lone mechanic only knows domestic cars. Fine dining is considered a joint without gas pumps. And you have to have 3 generations of family living there to be considered a "local."
It would be a great place if you have a remote work employment, and are interested in gardening etc. Much better than some of the off-grid or homesteading places some are choosing with poor soil and impossible access roads.
Hi Joe! I've been watching your channel for a while now and all this time I kept thinking you'd really enjoy profiling my hometown of Coldwater. And now you've been there! I would contend, however, that there are two reasons that Coldwater may continue to slowly lose population, but will never die: 1) It's the county seat for Comanche County, and 2) Coldwater Lake is a recreational tourism engine that attracts visitors from across the region, like Dodge City and the surrounding counties. It's a big reason why you see the bigger grocery store and a Dollar General in town. Another important note is that ranching is a big source of income in this area, and may skew those numbers higher.
Years ago I went to Turkey Texas for Bob Wills day. A week long party in a little dying town in the Texas panhandle. Several people had bought abandoned houses in town and fixed them up to use for a couple of weeks a year. Quite a party.
There are towns like this all over the world, not just America. I have been to many such towns in Italy, Japan, and even China. Young people all moving to big cities to find opportunities. The house my mother brought in Los Angeles was 250k back in the 80s, now 2.5 million, crazy
That's because it's in Los Angeles. Back in 1972 my parents bought a house in Prairie Village Kansas which is in Johnson County and was a rich neighborhood even then. They paid $22,000.00 for it then now the house is worth over $350,000.00 and has been standing empty for five years that I know of. To rent the house it's over $1,500.00 a month and still not being used.. God bless.
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Not when you don't have that kind of money. I get less than $1,000.00 a month and half of that goes to the rent, lot rent, water and sewer. The other half goes for necessities, like food, toilet paper other household items and dog food for two dogs. My brother and I live together. God bless.
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Prairie Village ks is mostly 2-3 bed 1 bath basic ranch houses built in the early 50s... safe area w good schools and wealthier areas nearby... but rent is 1700-2000 for a 950 sq ft house. Wages in Kansas City aren't that good
I knew a guy from San Diego who was retiring to a small town in Kansas where he could buy a 3 bedroom house, two stories, full basement, and a garage plus large yard for less than $100K. His brother and cousins also lived there, so that's how he knew about it. I was amazed! It was perfect for retirement since the cost of living was so low, but to go there to start a new life would be difficult, since there's very little work to be had. Remote workers would do well there and have a nice home to live in for a small fraction of the price of a large metro area.
Amazing the median incomes are over 60K. Wonder where there are commuting to for those wages? That is hard to do as a single even int he cities. I am an RN and earn 70K in Phoenix and you cant touch a house for less than 500K
I grew up in a small town about and hour to two just west of these towns. You were fortunate to be there on a beautiful day as almost every day the wind blows excessively. These towns were part of the great dust bowl in the 1930's.
@@dknowles60 Back in the day almost all farms / ranches had personal windmills to pump water for home and farm animals. Now in the high plains you see lots of commercial wind turbines to generate electricity. Home wind turbines haven't really caught on as they are high maintenance.
Right in the path of tornado 🌪 alley! Bad idea ! 🧙♂️---- aaaeahhh ! I'sa wondering how many times a giant tornado roared thru there allready In the past ? Right in Tornada alley ya all ! 🧙♂️ aaaeahhh--- this guy or his relatives must own property there and are trying to GET OUT before the next big 🌪 Tornada ☠😱😭😖😫 You gotta know someone to get any kind of job there--- but if there aient no job's to begin with--- what can you do? Small towns like that like to give newbies the business !!! Like ALL small towns across the good ol U.S.A. Just drive on thru and dont look back.😮
That's why the towns are so deserted, people don't want to be torn apart by a damn🌪 You'd have to get your head 🤯 examined wanting to move to 🌪 alley❗🎯💯😫
Thank you for the very useful background information.
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I had a flight mate in the USAF that was from coldwater, Ks. When we got a town pass, to go into San Antonio, Tx. he was looking around as if he was on Mars, " look at all the tall building", "So many people everywhere". When we graduated from AF basic, I invited him and some other friends to come back to California with him, He was in awe of the Pacific Ocean and had to call home to tell them in went into the ocean and surfed. I went to his place, Coldwater. K.s. Doesn't look like much has change. We sat around watched TV, Played cards and board game. It was cool to go out at night, it was so dark and see all the stars, His family was very nice, good people.
Hey Joe! It was such a surprise and pleasure to meet you at the Walmart in Plano Texas today. Thanks for being so cool and talking with me for a few minutes. We really love your channel. Safe travels!
Thank you for going through my amazing state of Kansas. I live in a small town in Wilson County Kansas. I was born and raised here. You couldn't pay me to move to the city. It saddens me to see all the negative remarks about Kansas. Yes, we have weather conditions that are good and bad. But it's not like you're going to get a tornado in every town you come across. Yes, we have wind, cold, heat, rain, droughts and tornados. But I love my state and my small town, and there are several like me. If you don't like the peace and quiet, then don't move here. No need to leave negative comments just because you like a more lively, crowded and noisy scene. I'll take my Kansas sunsets to yours any day. Sorry, that's my rant for today.
@@PlayThroughTheGame I live in KCMO and it's amazingly the same. I just took a walk and ran into no one. There are no children running nor dogs barking or people mowing - nothing. Ever. I suppose everyone is online. Like us.
I grew up in Mound Valley KS before I moved to the East Coast as a teenager. Mound Valley isn't far from Englewood. When I was a kid in the 80s we had around 1200 people in a tiny town - when I returned to see my cousins (who still live there) after 30 years, there were only a few hundred people!? Nearly every house or business that had been there was a empty field. The whole sprawling town was just prairie fields. MOST the people who lived there in the 80s and 90s are all in the cemetery outside of town. People just didn't have enough kids to replace the older population, and the few kids that were there left decades ago. Even the house I grew up in, that my father built (only) in the early 80s was gone!? It was wild and sad to see, especially when you consider that there are literally ten times more people in the cemetery outside of town, than living souls inside its limits.
Love your channel Joe and Nic. You are giving people a chance to see what other parts of the country look like. Some sad and some happy. Keep doing what you are doing!
Hi Joe & Nic loved this one, nice to see yous are still roaming 😊 I just did a check up on that house from here in Western Australia - $63,500 3bdr 1 bath 1965 sqft. Always a treat to see where abouts yous are. Stay safe friends ❤.
Love Australia, beautiful country however, you guys gave up your Guns. The ability to defend yourself from the Corrupt Government.Scary. America will never do that, and yes this countries government absolutely corrupt. Never say “never”??? NEVER.❤
Thanks for taking us along on these amazing road trips. I’m from NYC, transplanted to L.A. A city girl all my adult life. It’s really cool seeing what’s going on in other parts of the country & your informative & entertaining narrations are the icing on the cake. I really appreciate you.❤️😊
Ashland, KS was the boyhood home of Wes Santee... who in the early 1950s was in the competition to be the first man to break the 4 minute mile barrier. That ultimately achievement ultimately went to Roger Bannister... but Wes Santee was one of the three or four men in the world who were closing in on the mark when Bannister finally did it. From little 'ole Ashland, KS.
In the 70’s, I was a jogger. Kansas City Missouri had a club for runners and we had occasional meetings. Wes Santee came and gave a talk to us once. There was a movie about him (highly fictionalized) called “Running Brave”, I think.
The area is pretty. I've never seen such flat land for miles and miles. I liked seeing the towns, but none appealed as a place to live. The house in Coldwater was built in 1922. The interior is charming with beautiful woodwork. It has 3 BR and 1 bath, $63,000. No cats, no doga, but plenty of chickens! LOL That horse was beautiful and friendly. He appeared to be lonesome. Sometime I'd like for you to stick around and go to a movie in one of these tiny towns just to see inside the theater. I'm curious about the seating and snack bar. 😜 A long time ago I went to one that gave you a folding chair when you bought your ticket. You could get 2 chairs if you wanted to prop your feet up. I thought it was so funny. Thanks, Joe.
Thanks for sharing I was thinking more but thats not bad it gets cold I'd probably block off the rooms heat with wood and lng but ya wind wet ice bone chilling cold
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip I would like to see you go in to some of those tiny town Cafes or Diners and see what the cost is for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and maybe talk to the waitperson about living and working in tiny town USA. Fancy expensive restaurants are great too but would like to see more of small town Americana. Your channel is one of my favorites. You said next up is Nebraska. Check out Cushing, Saint Paul, Neman Grove, Chapman, and Central City. I have family there. Thanks!
@senatorj. If the hardwood floors upstairs where sanded and finished, wow. No closets in the bedrooms. A stand alone closet would look very nice. The house has radiators. I wonder if that's run on propane or like when I was a kid. Cole which was fed into a furnace? I'm going way back, as I'm 68. I remember being scared of the big boiler fire. imdracula1603.
You're making me wonder what happens to the cemetery in a small town if the town shrinks to nothing and the stores, church, schools and even the post office shut down. Does anyone continue to look after the cemeteries in such situations?
I grew up in Ashland, KS and when I was in grade school is about when Englewood closed their school and attended Ashland schools. They have an Active Community Foundation. My maternal grandparents lived outside of Protection until they moved to town. Don’s Place recently closed, but people would drive from surrounding communities to eat out. I remember one time when we went to eat there with family, my sister’s boyfriend couldn’t believe the restaurant had keys to the grocery store so if needed more supplies he could go get them and add to his tab.
Englewood always feels eerie when driving through on 283... I used to move a lot of windmill blades, hubs and drivetrains through that region out of Garden City. Never had a chance to look at the town beyond the highway. If those places could talk, eh?
@@WN_Byers And you Both probably had to put up w my loud music when I was stuck behind Both of you! I lived in G.C. I'd give Anything to move back home. ❤
Absolutely fascinating, the slow death it seems to be experiencing, there’s something so very sad about it, I bet that happens to a lot of places. And thanks for making this!
There used to be many more farmers to support the towns, but because farms have gotten much larger there are fewer farmers and that is why the small towns are dying.
I have 2 friends that lives in Ashland. Both worked for KDOT. One is retired and her hubby is getting close to retiring. They usually come up to Dodge City on the weekends to pick up supplies.
You probably also noticed that people as they pass you in their cars they wave It's just common courtesy in Kansas to wave to whoever passes you on the street and also people will just wave to you while you're driving by.
I just moved to this area from Miami. The first thing I noticed was that most people wave to you or say hello when they walk past. Oh yeah, and people making small talk if you're standing in line. It took a little while to get get used to all the niceness but I love it now. I could never go back to live a huge city now. I should have made the move years ago
@@teresasummers2268 yes and no. If you recognise them, yes you wave. If you don't recognise them, you wave, in case you know them. I grew up in the country. One waved. Yes sure, sometimes one just waves regardless, but less frequently the situation happened. Not wrong at all.
Most of the hotels in the small towns in Kansas especially in South Central, maybe occupied by roughnecks. You may just not have seen their cars parked out but if you go by in the evening you'll see it packed. A lot of roughnecks when they're there to drill for oil, used the small motels as lodging.
THIS is why people leave, because of THIS idea of "it's just a bunch of rednecks". Not everybody is a mod hipster. Go ahead and say it, they are poor people and poor people are just plain awful.
I've worked in Kansas and stayed in old hotels where people have lived for in the hotel most of their lives. It's kinda strange to live in the motel permanently. But some said their rent was cheaper than owning a home.
I'm a disabled Veteran on va compensation pay, unable to work... Honestly, these places seem like a dream come true... only thing that would bug me is as I got older I would probably need to be closer to a doctor,.. Lol.... But as for Necessities a small gas station for Essentials would be perfect I guess and I'll just have to plan things out to where I only have to go into town like once a week or something
Did anyone ever imagine that Depeche Mode would one day be considered “oldies but goodies music”?? 😱 I swear it feels like I went to bed one night at 22 and woke up the next day at 54! Time really does fly bye!
Thank you. These trips you take help me better understand the past and what I may want in the future. I love the wonderful clear skies and the video of what it might have been. I have to post before I read the others. I feel they may say a lot of the thoughts I have, so to not post would be less of me. Please keep showing me more. Hopefully, the next one has a place to eat with some cool facts.
Looking to move to a small town. I noticed the commenters always have some very good info about the towns you visit. Those chickens were having a good time!
I know of a small village in Texas that has a 40 acre lot that caters to full time RVers, mostly retiree with some on welfare. The county provides water, showers, bathrooms, dump station, dumpster, and laundry facilities. Guests all have solar power with generator back up. Local businesses in the county get all their business. Taxes on goods and services fund the simple upkeep of the place. Guests help keep the place clean. It's a good solution where everyone gets what they need.
@@joecontreras5068 Yes, it's a secret. ;) About 100 people know about it, half from Canada. Sort of the Texas version of Slab City but not as questionable, but much warmer in the summer so few stick around. Actually, there are small towns all over the country that offer free or low cost places to stay short term. A clever person could travel from each place to place all year around. All you need is an economically efficient vehicle and some RV technology. Goodness, there's videos on UA-cam of these places.
@@RoseanneSeason7 and west Texas, too. Texas seems to be the most generous state for travelers there is. It's just that those placers are not obvious from the main freeways.
I work in victim services and knew to look up the yearly KBI report for specific crimes in towns across Kansas. In the latest report that came out in July 2024 for 2023, there were 5 aggravated assault/battery crimes, 11 thefts and 1 vehicle theft in Protection. As another commenter said, sadly there are drug addicts now in town. A lot of small towns attract people trying to hide criminal activities in towns that no longer have police stations and must rely on the Sheriff’s officers to respond to crimes. It could take a while for a 911 response if the deputy or two who are on duty are on the other side of the county. This is what I look at when safety planning with crime victims as to whether or not a protection order would be useful due to time constraints for a response. I’m assuming there was domestic violence involved in the assaults/batteries count, but then again, I am hopefully wrong.
This is useful information, even surprising a bit. These small towns looks so peaceful and quite at first look, but you're right, this kind of thing can also attract criminal activities... sad.
I haven't explored that far south into Kansas yet I have explored more towards the Northeast side. I have found tons of abandoned houses and cool small towns. I love filming all of them. They are disappearing fast! Love the videos been watching you for a while now. Y'all are very fortunate to be able to see so much of the country!
Wamego Kansas has done a terrific job creating a tourism spot. Some artistic folks with fun ideas could move into these towns and get the ball rolling. You could help the local economy, and bring back some life to these gorgeous small towns.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I have an aunt who had a sister-in-law who died last year. Her name was Lucille "Lucy" A. Dater. You can easily pull her obituary up on a search. She grew up in one of these very tiny Kansas towns. She was 91 years old. Her obituary is pretty extensive and includes what her life was like growing up in rural Kansas. She grew up in Antonino, Kansas.👍
I don't know about right now, but the culture in Kansas used to be wonderful. Fantastic people. I'd be living there right now if my husband could deal with snowy winters. I absolutely love Kansas.
I had the pleasure of spending 5 weeks in Kansas a few years ago. I loved it. I loved the smell of corn ( it was everywhere) and i never had 1 drop of rain fall on my car. During my time there i also never saw a airplane. It was beautiful and quiet. Had one quick trip to Dodge City and it was a hoot. Sincerely, JIm Thornton
Grew up on a S.W. KS farm Our house would be surrounded by corn fields. LOVE corn on the cob. Would walk to the edge and just pick some ears for dinner. then we had a homeade icecream maker! Fresh cream, vanilla, sugar, ice/salt then 30 mins rRrrrrRr IS IT DONE YET?
Appreciate the generally respectful presentation. You missed some highlights in Ashland - our hospital is only a few years old and wonderful asset to the community and our schools continue to be cared well and serve the community. Both of these are major employers for the community - so your question about being about to find work is that there are good jobs available in growing sectors. Plus some beautiful homes that you missed completely!
@@RichardFelstead1949railroads where taken out around 2000-2001. Grew up in protection and spend a lot of time in all these places. Use to walk down to the old railroad bridge and play in the creek.
We moved away from the coast to a small town in Virginia. Not as small as these towns but much smaller than Chesapeake. Life is so much better here. Most of the people here are much nicer. What I do find is that certain families control a lot of political situations and they have no intention of letting go of that control.
I grew up in a small community just south of Dodge City. We played all of these towns in basketball games. I had several good friends from Bucklin. I just drove through Englewood on a road trip. What you don't see in the median income stats is that maybe three or four people own a farm and make big money while the rest commute or just live off of Social Security. I lived in Meade for a while when I was working on oil rigs. Lots of drilling in the area. Lots of Menonites too. I still have reitives in the area.
I was surprised that when you were talking about the theatre in Coldwater that you didnt notice that it was still an active business. Small towns like this are always full of surprises, when I did my roadtrip, I went to Wilson Kansas, it was fun just seeing how they were managing to hold on, despite being in the middle of nowhere.
All of the groceries appear to be 25-30 miles from Englewood. There appears to be one restaurant in Englewood and two that are 22 miles away.There is a single B&B 22 miles away. In fact, all of these amenities are in Ashland, KS. The closest Starbucks is six hours away in Kansas City.
@NoNameNoFace-rr7li I live on a ranch in near a small rural town in South Texas. I go to the dollar store to fill up water bottles at a vending machine for drinking water there. Nothing else!!
@@jamesspalten5977 dollar stores here are like ant hills ...shopping there is more expensive than going to a gas station convenience market. I wont go there ...ours do not have water veding machines.
I know a immigrant from Guatemala, he always says that the people from his hometown look at something like this video and wish they had some of that land. They talk about the cows they would have and the crops they could grow they can only dream of the vast amount of land we abandon. The reality is that it doesn’t pay to farm and young people want a bit more than just work to do.
They wouldn't be able to afford enough land or cattle to make a living at it. Wouldn't be able to afford enough land or seed to grow enough crops to make it worthwhile for the processing companies to have someone come pick up their crops, or make enough money farming on a small scale to make a living growing produce and driving it a hundred miles one way to sell at the nearest farmer's market with enough people to actually sell anything. There are young people who want to farm, but most don't have hundreds of thousands to start and can't afford to risk everything on a venture with such a high chance of failure.😢
They don't have the regulations there that exist here. Try looking up a guy named "Joel Salatin", his first book was about his troubles trying to farm like we used to. "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal" War stories from the Local Food Front". by Joel Salatin
I live in Wichita, Ks. and I think it’s great watching your videos of small town America, it’s just so sad to see all these towns losing their populations but tnen again most of them are farm towns and don’t have much population and there are a lot more farm animals than people.😊
I am so sorry for you, for living in Wichita! 😢. It's my hometown, I don't even like to pass through, I think there is something in the water or something!
@@brucelytle1144it's increasingly dangerous in Wichita. I know a guy that had to draw his pistol on 3 robbers that tried to jump him at the home depot parking lot.
I was born in Wichita in 78. Lived w/ my mom in a little trailer in the country outside of Mulvane. (She left my dad when I was like one). I still have family in Kansas, but don’t visit often. I do love my home state especially the thunderstorms, but I could never live there full-time. We moved away when I was 6. This is a pretty cool video. Thanks for sharing!
Hate to be negative, but to the people insisting we should move to these kind of towns…by all means, you first. There’s a reason why these towns are being abandoned. Poor job opportunity, the jobs that are there are low paying. Oh you say you’ll leave city life behind and just build a self-sustaining farm? Welp I know this specific area is prone to drought and the soil isn’t that good. Also, if you have no farming experience, just understand that it’s not easy. And I’m not just talking about the general hard work that is required, I’m saying the principles of agriculture are difficult to master….anyway, good luck and let us know how it goes
You aren't wrong. Not to mention towns like this sometimes don't have schools and kids have to be bussed to the next town over. No grocrey stores so you have to go to a bigger town/city to get your food and stuff and those could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour away. As a life long Kansas girl, it is sad to see small towns like this die out, but there are reasons they are dying out, and not just for your stated reasons.
The work is not easy u work b4 the suns up till it goes down yah is funny when ppl say that I just live in the country sorry if u have lived in the city forget it u will not like it..
Thanks for the video. I love the old grain silos in Western Kansas, and Oklahoma. Something so dignified, elegant. Tells the history of the town in one building. The hard work the dreams of the previous inhabitants. Building something from nothing.
I was thinking the same thing at first. Must be really peaceful out there. I was also thinking of how cool it would be to move a couple hundred or couple thousand people into these small communities that hate the big cities and start and revive these old, dying communities.
It is nice. I lived in the mountains of Clearlake, CA for about a year growing weed at a legal farm. I lived on-site in a tent. Kicking back in a lawn chair at night, sipping on a beer and watching the stars. The country's problems were non-existent too. Just living in the moment. I miss it, but I didn't get paid a dime. I had to leave
Even though this city is not featured in the video, I have been in Parsons, located in southeastern Kansas many times in my life, as my father grew up there and my grandparents lived there until they passed. We still go back to Parsons every few years. It is a very depressed place now that has steadily declined over the years, with a high poverty rate, and numerous homes that have a property value less than a new vehicle. When my father grew up there in the 1950’s, it was fairly prosperous due to presence of the MKT railroad and the ammunition plant, both of which are pretty much gone now. It’s sad how these towns have dwindled to what they are in the present day, as I know by what my father has told me that these types of towns did much better in the past.
Sometimes, not this town, but I've planned to move in and restore a house. The hick town is like, "Oh my god, no, you have to have this permit, and that permit. You can't park a camper there while you work on it,and if your buying it you need to pay fines and back taxes because the grass is too high. Town don't leave people, people leave towns.
I live in rural Arizona on six acres I obtained for back taxes. The local county government is lucky to be getting taxes now, but still won't leave me alone with all their permit crap.
All of these little towns that you have visited on this video were located on the Englewood District of the Plains Division of the Santa Fe Railway, which ran from Wichita to Englewood KS for a distance of 166.9 miles. The wheat grown in this area is the reason for its economic existence. The way that the wheat harvest is handled changed a lot by the early '80s, leading to the decline of these little towns (Coldwater, Protection, Ashland, and Englewood, and many others up and down that line).
Actually it had changed a lot by the 50's. Another main issue occurred at the same time. There were a lot of people who became adults in this areas. Farms were 2-3 quarters and maybe rented another 80 acres or a quarter. Well this was enough to raise a family on it was not enough to take a son into the farming profits. So since the sons went off to college or the bigger local towns the daughters left also. The parents were only in their 40's early 50's and not close to retirement for the son to take over. Same thing happened in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas. I have actually written college research papers on this subject for both 400 and 500 level geography and history classes.
Really sad to see these towns that are dying, you see the empty downtowns and can almost hear the sounds of life from the past. Thanks for taking us with you on these fascinating adventures. Safe travels
You need to visit Abilene, one of the most beautiful and picturesque small towns in Kansas. Also the boyhood home of President Eisenhower. The Eisenhower museum and visitors center are well worth a tour, Eisenhower is buried along with his wife and son in the chapel on site.
As to the lack of family farms, one farm of 12 - 20 acres could be used to grow fruit & vegetable's to sell at a farmers market or start a small store where the local farmers & folks who have large gardens can sell their produce also, which would benefit both the folks who grow & the folks who purchase ! Where i live we hold 2 farmers markets per week, lots of folks make use of them.
These towns are too small for that and too remote and empty for out of towners to want to drive 50 plus miles out of their way to buy anything. My town has a farmer's market, but we have 5,000 people and we're right in the middle of commuting for quite a lot of people so around 3-4 p.m. there's lots of cars going through town who are willing to stop for a bit. Maybe forming a co-op and investing together in a delivery vehicle to drive their produce to a bigger town, but an in-town farmer's market probably wouldn't work.
Hi joe & Nic, love the sites,ghost towns & stats, how ever if you would… 1. Tell how many miles it is to the nearest place to shop (Walmart,$ gen etc…) 2. What the little buildings are or used to be (besides the obvious)? 3. Why or what the town was founded on or for? 4. When it was founded? (Unless you post already) 5. What the weather is for the most part, if there’s seasons (hi & lows) snow fall,rain? 6. Where do these people work at in these lil town or the nearest decent place to work? I’m sure you make it easier for folks like myself to move to certain parts of the country…THANKS AGAIN!👍😄
96 average twisters a year for KS. Eh I'll stay in earthquake prone Cali lol. California usually has 15-20 earthquakes each year that exceed magnitude 4.0 and those are the ones you can feel.
I use to live in Florida where you have hurricanes but the difference is you know the hurricane is coming a week out you pack up and leave, twisters do not give much warning,
If you think about it, Kansas as a state is 82,278 square miles. The odds, even in Kansas, that one square mile is hit by a tornado is low. If you're standing in a field in the middle of the state and you stand there until you get hit by a tornado, you could be standing there for quite sometime. It might take a week it might take a century. What people assume though, is that all that debris and damage is from tornadoes when in fact it's from straight line wind damage instead.
That region of Kansas was hit especially hard by the dustbowl in the 1930s. It never recovered. Going forward, the towns died by attrition with most younger people never returning after being college educated. Most of the towns that survived were driven by the oil & gas industry, and of course, agriculture and ranching. Many farmers live in the towns, and commute to their farmsteads today.
I used to go to Englewood to hunt quail every year when I was a kid. That's where my best friend's grandma and grandpa lived and his uncle had a ranch near there too. They were Goodnights. If you know anything about the history of the area you will recognize that name.
I grew up in Ashland and went to school with the Goodnights! They went to our church in Ashland, Greg and Pixie Goodnight were the ones who owned the ranch! Their youngest, Aaron, was a year younger than me. Graduated in ‘08. Wes was in my brother’s class. Did you know any of them?
8:00 - the vast empty, flat plain reminds me of that scene from movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks standing at the intersection while it's just vast plain everywhere he looks.
I live in a thriving small town. It shifted into a commuter town 30 years ago. It's a 40 minute drive on a Interstate to the city jobs. They like the feel of living in a smaller community. But we do have fast food outlets and a Wal-mart for convenience.
I bought my first home at age 19 in a town like Engelwood for $23,000. It wasn’t much but it was mine and I built equity instead of giving it to a landlord. I’ll never forget the night sky and the sound of crickets instead of traffic. I never locked my doors, knew everyone in town and saved thousands on junk I didn’t need.
And then you had to leave, like everyone else.
@@angelcitystudio why should I get new material when the same material applies? Sounds like jealousy to me.
@@angelcitystudio hahahaha, my 400 head of cattle are worth about as much as your house. It’s ok, you can keep your jealousy and I’ll keep my night sky, unlocked doors and my neighbors who I trust. I hope your little house has a good security system.
Sounds idyllic. Kudos.
My first home was 63K
I don't know what others see when the look at a place like this, but I see a potential paradise. Just a nice small town with open fresh air, no traffic, and a real community. I hope good people move back in and revitalize this area.
My dream place! Out town is becoming overcrowded.
@@ritadyer9295 those who love rural places should do that. I like a mix.
People are bunkering down because of the nazis, but if Kansas had a fair election we'd have probably started sending buses of lesbian farmers over. Now they're all moving back to Colorado and California.
The problem is lack of jobs.
@BloodTithingsGaming as some have said, remote workers would have no problem, assuming good Internet.
I love how respectful you are in your presentation...others sometimes make rude comments and seem judgemental about what they are seeing ❤ to Nic and Joe
I'll echo this - we're in no position to judge any circumstances and people like their peace and quiet in these little places.
Yep. They are the best of these types of channels.
Yep. And reading this reminded me why I should sub. Thx!
@@maribethspence9458 What are some other channels like this?
@@enermaxstephens1051 I couldn't name them off hand. I don't think most of them say bad things either, I just like how this channel offers the stats cause I don't think many others do that.
I grew up a couple miles outside a tiny town in northeastern Kansas with a population of about 600. The population maxed out at about 1500 when the coal mines were open in the late 1800s. It’s still hanging on with the same number of people nearly 50 years later. The Santa Fe Trail ran through the corner of our property - wagon ruts still etched in the earth. A large creek flowing just a couple hundred feet from the house. Miles of sorghum fields across the dirt road. It was a magical place to grow up - running wild on 10 acres of woodlands. I remember the redbud trees blooming and the fireflies. My dad built our house with his own hands and we used an outhouse until I was 10 yrs old. Chopping firewood with my dad is a great memory. We would find arrowheads in the freshly plowed fields and search through the homes abandoned at the turn of the century when the coal veins dried up. Times were hard and money was short but we had a rich life. Sometimes I greatly miss Kansas.
Which town?
Coal mines in the north east? Southeast around Gelena is coal country.
@@waynedavis8986 We lived in Osage County and the coal mines supplied the Santa Fe Railroad with tons of coal in the early days. There were over 100 mines in the county. Our town, Scranton was named after Scranton, Pennsylvania, because of the coal mining.
@@brittanyberndt3832 Scranton. One of these days I’ll get back to see the old stomping grounds.
@jaredblanke2168 I didn't know there was a mine down there. I've been there many times over the years.
As a Kansas resident, I can tell you the problem with those small towns is getting a job. You’ll get tired of driving hours to your job or some places will not hire you if you live far away.
I understand what you are saying. I'm a small town Iowa lady. However, if enough people move back to the small towns, businesses can be supported. And, if businesses can be supported, more people and more businesses will come. Keeping the towns clean, keeping the riff raff out, and keeping the basic essentials like gas and groceries can do lots to build a community.
@@midwestribeye7820 and with remote work, it makes it a lot easier for people to live in these small towns now.
@@duncan359: Yeah, unless you want medical care, something decent to eat, and on and on.
But i wonder why not do farming? I am in East Africa and we love farming.
Can ask a question i live in Florida am Spanish Mexican live in Florida but am trying to move kansas is hard how can get a job thank you
I hate to see beautiful old structures and homes rotting away and abandoned. It is such a shame to see historic old towns like these slowly wasting away and I appreciate you going out there and documenting them before they are lost to us forever! Thank you 🙏
You would be devastated in Baltimore City
"Historic" Englewood. Here is full history of Englewood from WIki:
Englewood was founded in 1884.[4][5] It was named after the Chicago neighbourhood of Englewood, Illinois.[6] The first post office in Englewood was established in 1885.
Manufacturers going overseas is main issue ! It destroyed most big city's and town go abandoned its crazy seeing beautiful homes abandoned. You'll see hone for sale cheap then look it up and there no jobs near it.
Then you go and live there.
@@JohnAndrewNoftsinger3rdAnd we will see how Trump continues letting jobs go overseas.
My grandfather lived in Englewood during it's heyday in the 1910s. We took him back there about 25 years ago. At that time the downtown buildings were still standing and there was a restaurant still open. When he lived there they even had a ballroom on the second floor of one of the downtown buildings.
Is the grain elevator still in operation?
Wow
If you have a great paying job that's remote I don't see why you couldn't easily go to one of those small towns I would
Absolutely a quiet peaceful life.
💙💙💙
Joe & Nic - I'm an Ashland (KS) native, now transplanted to SE Pennsylvania. Very nice work. Like many in your comments here, your drive-through videographies bring sharp pangs of sadness, a forlorn feeling. I still have family back that way and the farm is still occupied by my dad. I'm always hunting for ideas on how to bring commerce back to areas like Clark and Comanche Counties. So many wonderful memories growing up in that area, it hurts seeing the decline in population, aesthetics, and economy. The people are resilient, though. Nicest, most wonderful people you'll ever meet.
Wow Ks to Pa mustve been culture shock! Ill stay here in Ks
@@terra2730is it a lot different from Southeast Pennsylvania?
@@kbanghart Night n day!
Cost of living, friendly, hard working and will help anyone out when needed
@@terra2730 what?? Cost of living whatever, but are you saying that nobody in that part of Pennsylvania is hard-working or will help other people out?? And in Kansas, no one is lazy or rude to others?
@@kbanghartWhy are you confused ? You seem offended by the truth
People in Kansas and Oklahoma are nicer and less narcissistic on average compared to New England residents
You are reporting news that is so important to hear. We aren't getting this kind of information from commercial outlets. Thank you for all your hard work!
How does the town get its drinklng water
@@michaelblougouras6104 the same way it gets it's income... from the government.
Probably wells and septic.
What news is reported here that you can't get in other places? I hear about these kinds of places all the time on the news.
What news could even happen here?
It’s amazing how they keep those old downtowns clean, even though most businesses are gone
No crime. I think the “immigrants” need to go culturally “enrich” some of these towns 😳
No trash (people) ya know, the ones NOT found in the Census
@@getshorty7549 immigration would give these cities a new life.
It's not difficult to keep them clean if human, the biggest polluters on earth, are gone.
There's no saying if they really are clean though. The brick exteriors are sturdy and look nice, but the insides could be rotting away. I live in a small town in WI and about 30 minutes away is a tiny town like this, and the outside of the downtown area looks nice in passing, but the interior pictures of the buildings that are for sale have severe water damage and junk piled up. If they were built with less sturdy materials they would probably look just like the abandoned houses in this video.
I drive all over MO, KS, IA, and NE for work and I drive through these little towns all the time. It gives me a sinking feeling in my core from the loss of life. It’s sad because you can almost feel and hear all of the ghosts from the past moving around in their day to day lives. No children screaming, or dogs barking, nor cars driving in a bustling downtown square….
That's pretty much all over the country soon
Dog barking isnt included
Maybe Trumps “ bring industry back to US “ plan will get factories and jobs back to the small American towns, the true heart and lifeblood of AMERICA
Actually the silence is good but you could become depressed.
Weird I've never felt this before, have you talked to a mental health professional about it?
The complete peace, quiet and stillness would be worth MILLIONS to me 💚💚💚
Well then you have plenty of places to choose from. Personally, I need a few things within reasonable distance like healthcare, etc.
seems nice until you actually live in one
@@alfreds.1142 It's great for those who already have a bunch of equity or money from some other source to get it fixed up. The rest of us, 😑
And they say they dont have space for migrants???
@franciscouderq1100 lol exactly
Your journeys allow me to view areas I wouldn't normally see. I appreciate your work! Many thanks ... 👍
I live in Protection and I work with the lady that has the chickens haha. She thought it was funny they're in your video.
That's cool. Your friend can tell people her chickens are youTube stars. Do you like living in Protection? It looks like a nice little town to live in. Thanks for sharing about the chickens.
@izmaryia I need to find out from her, why the chickens cross the road! ;)
@@thisorthat7626 I've lived here my whole life and it was a great place to grow up but now there's hardly any businesses and the town is sadly dying. Lots of druggies here now as well.
@@WayWordWay haha they go looking for bugs and go after the grain that falls from the grain trucks every day. They are entertaining to watch.
@@izmaryia That is so unfortunate and is happening to so many small towns. I hope things turn around for the people in Protection. Blessings.
I would really enjoy living in small towns like these. So peaceful and charming. I'm a retired, rural, homesteader who could care less about internet connection (if that was a problem) so they're perfect for me. Beautiful ride along with you.
SpaceX provides a high speed internet connection now anywhere in the U.S. and in most of the rest of the world too. Could work from home anywhere if you can telecommute.
I would love to live in a town like this if I had a neighbor I could ride with to get groceries, and to Home Depot.
Fixing up my own home would be wonderful.
I'm disabled but not helpless.
I bet the night sky is amazing.
Is 4G or 5G internet available here ?@@roycsinclair
When the internet is not available you will realize how much you miss the internet. You are on the internet, now.
@@kellyandrews8161yeah, it’s really hard, in fact nearly impossible to live without internet today.
The building with the bell in Englewood was likely an early school/church combo building a century ago. This was a common practice in rural communities.
As for Ashland, KS, at last check they have both a hospital and a pharmacy, which adds to the income and sustainability of the community.
You and Nic really make my evenings and my Mother’s as well. We aren’t able to travel anymore and live in a secluded area in the country. What a treat you guys are. Feels like we are there too. Keep traveling.
How do you define “secluded”? Cloudy?😊
How great it would be, for online groups of farming enthusiasts, to move together to places like this and revive it. So many benefits for all.
Oh. Not if tornadoes are an issue.
They are towns, not farms.
@@FreedomTalkMedia Small farms of less than 4 acres each feed most of the world.
Yea im a garden freak myself .save the bees
@@LilacDaisy2 But not small farms on 100 foot lots .
28:44 - on Zillow - Built in 1922. 3-bedroom 1 bathroom, original hardwood floors and woodwork, over 1965 sq feet and a full unfinished basement, roof is only 2 years old, interior of the home is in need of some cosmetic repairs. $63,500
Its been for sale for over 7 years, my guess it needs a complete remodel of electrical and plumbing. Looks like it has beautiful oak cabinets and woodwork.
Nice house. I'd like that old stove, oven combo. I'd love it. The home is really pretty, inside.
Lathe and plaster? Toxic to work with sometimes. How far to the nearest Lowe's? Housing in kansas is inflated about 70% above real value. Those zillow meters tell you. This house isn't really worth that much.
They DON'T have Hospitals 😮
@@carriecree1789good value. Homes sell in 3 months or less, 7 years in the market? Way overpriced😂
I was implanted in Kansas from Chicago 30 yrs ago and couldn’t be happier. Although I miss the food, the people and escapability from people and noise is priceless!!!!! I love to just be in nature, sit on my boat and reboot my mental compass😊
These days with remote working, actually gives people MORE options for this kind of living than ever before!
Not without internet. Have to get Elon's sat.syatem. $100 a mo.
Most people dont work remote though.
@@MeTreesndirt Infrastructure bill is bringing high-speed low-cost fiber optic cable to small towns and villages just like this.
@@MeTreesndirt That is a very small price to pay for broadband anywhere on earth.
@@TheyRiseBand
In most developed countries you pay less than $10 for super high speed internet.
For example in France, it’s 2 euros per month.
As a inhabitant of the UK, where land and houses are so expensive, this kind of situation is totally strange to me. Thanks for posting such an interesting subject. Also appreciate the statistics presented throughout the video.
@28:36 That house has three bedrooms and a bathroom and the property as a whole is only a bit less than an acre in size - the price equates to a bit less than £50,000! That is incredibly cheap, isn't it? I can't imagine one would find a decent little house like that in our country on a generous amount of land (by UK standards) for much less than ten times the price. Granted it is in a slowly dying town in a very remote location, and one could feel lonely and isolated, but with the increasing ability for people in many lines of work to work from home these towns might once again start to thrive.
@@danyoutube7491no jobs nearby...thats why the area died .....hours to places with good jobs.
You certainly are in proximitry for other nationalities and investors to buy your property.
@@govinda102000 ,u don't know the US market.
Excuse me, I think you haven't been to some parts of the UK that I've been to, definitely saw some houses and areas that needed to be saved.
My brother is an artist and loves to paint those roads disappearing in the distance. The beauty of Kansas is the sky.
Very short trees make the sky seem bigger.
The real beauty of Kansas is the people. They know what it means to be good neighbors.
and whats your excuse buddy?
Love those sunflowers at the end! Some of the buildings in those Kansas towns are really beautiful.
Us young folks need to leave the big cities and start bringing these blessings of towns back to thriving 🙌
No, not going to happen in Kansas, as it remains in the top 10 for most people moving out every year. NO ONE moves to rural Kansas as most counties have fewer people living in them now than in 1900. There are about 100 reasons why that is...
@@KS5040 That is so true... Everyone lucky leaves Kansas...
You wouldn't like it. There's no Uber. No clubs, discos, or nightlife. No fancy coffee houses. No shop to get your Audi or Mercedes worked on because the lone mechanic only knows domestic cars.
Fine dining is considered a joint without gas pumps. And you have to have 3 generations of family living there to be considered a "local."
It would be a great place if you have a remote work employment, and are interested in gardening etc. Much better than some of the off-grid or homesteading places some are choosing with poor soil and impossible access roads.
@@nancylucas4231 Great point, Nancy
Hi Joe! I've been watching your channel for a while now and all this time I kept thinking you'd really enjoy profiling my hometown of Coldwater. And now you've been there! I would contend, however, that there are two reasons that Coldwater may continue to slowly lose population, but will never die: 1) It's the county seat for Comanche County, and 2) Coldwater Lake is a recreational tourism engine that attracts visitors from across the region, like Dodge City and the surrounding counties. It's a big reason why you see the bigger grocery store and a Dollar General in town. Another important note is that ranching is a big source of income in this area, and may skew those numbers higher.
Here in Kansas, we love the space and the lack of drama in most of this state.
Yep. One can tell from your name and profile picture that you are really down to earth.
Will i find clark kent? my all time favourite teen?
@@testdriver3146
if a white boy from the midwest, that likes rob zombie, isn't your idea of "down to earth",
then call me a space alien
@@testdriver3146Captain Spaulding is very down to earth. And he makes good fried chicken
best way to live
Years ago I went to Turkey Texas for Bob Wills day. A week long party in a little dying town in the Texas panhandle. Several people had bought abandoned houses in town and fixed them up to use for a couple of weeks a year. Quite a party.
There are towns like this all over the world, not just America. I have been to many such towns in Italy, Japan, and even China. Young people all moving to big cities to find opportunities. The house my mother brought in Los Angeles was 250k back in the 80s, now 2.5 million, crazy
That's because it's in Los Angeles. Back in 1972 my parents bought a house in Prairie Village Kansas which is in Johnson County and was a rich neighborhood even then. They paid $22,000.00 for it then now the house is worth over $350,000.00 and has been standing empty for five years that I know of. To rent the house it's over $1,500.00 a month and still not being used.. God bless.
@@deborahross9974you can rent an entire house for only $1.5K? That’s not bad
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Not when you don't have that kind of money. I get less than $1,000.00 a month and half of that goes to the rent, lot rent, water and sewer. The other half goes for necessities, like food, toilet paper other household items and dog food for two dogs. My brother and I live together. God bless.
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Prairie Village ks is mostly 2-3 bed 1 bath basic ranch houses built in the early 50s... safe area w good schools and wealthier areas nearby... but rent is 1700-2000 for a 950 sq ft house. Wages in Kansas City aren't that good
@@deborahross9974 Empty for 5 years means that the rent is too dang high...
I knew a guy from San Diego who was retiring to a small town in Kansas where he could buy a 3 bedroom house, two stories, full basement, and a garage plus large yard for less than $100K. His brother and cousins also lived there, so that's how he knew about it. I was amazed! It was perfect for retirement since the cost of living was so low, but to go there to start a new life would be difficult, since there's very little work to be had. Remote workers would do well there and have a nice home to live in for a small fraction of the price of a large metro area.
It’s also an opportunity to build up a community. Bring in your own business.
Amazing the median incomes are over 60K. Wonder where there are commuting to for those wages? That is hard to do as a single even int he cities. I am an RN and earn 70K in Phoenix and you cant touch a house for less than 500K
Dam imperfect with no
Medical. No store. Half the sm
Towns clear over to Virginia have no store! I wm a Zilloh hobbyist.
do they have internet access there?
@@sabin97 Yes
I grew up in a small town about and hour to two just west of these towns. You were fortunate to be there on a beautiful day as almost every day the wind blows excessively. These towns were part of the great dust bowl in the 1930's.
you say the wind blows a lot that would be the perfect place for home wind turbines
@@dknowles60 Back in the day almost all farms / ranches had personal windmills to pump water for home and farm animals. Now in the high plains you see lots of commercial wind turbines to generate electricity. Home wind turbines haven't really caught on as they are high maintenance.
Right in the path of tornado 🌪 alley! Bad idea !
🧙♂️---- aaaeahhh !
I'sa wondering how many times a giant tornado roared thru there allready
In the past ?
Right in Tornada alley ya all !
🧙♂️ aaaeahhh--- this guy or his relatives must own property there and are trying to GET OUT before the next big 🌪 Tornada ☠😱😭😖😫
You gotta know someone to get any kind of job there--- but if there aient no job's to begin with--- what can you do?
Small towns like that like to give newbies the business !!! Like ALL small towns across the good ol U.S.A.
Just drive on thru and dont look back.😮
That's why the towns are so deserted, people don't want to be torn apart by a damn🌪
You'd have to get your head 🤯 examined wanting to move to 🌪 alley❗🎯💯😫
Thank you for the very useful background information.
I had a flight mate in the USAF that was from coldwater, Ks. When we got a town pass, to go into San Antonio, Tx. he was looking around as if he was on Mars, " look at all the tall building", "So many people everywhere". When we graduated from AF basic, I invited him and some other friends to come back to California with him, He was in awe of the Pacific Ocean and had to call home to tell them in went into the ocean and surfed. I went to his place, Coldwater. K.s. Doesn't look like much has change. We sat around watched TV, Played cards and board game. It was cool to go out at night, it was so dark and see all the stars, His family was very nice, good people.
Hey Joe! It was such a surprise and pleasure to meet you at the Walmart in Plano Texas today. Thanks for being so cool and talking with me for a few minutes. We really love your channel. Safe travels!
Neat! I lived in the Plano/ McKinney area for 12 years, many years ago.
I enjoyed meeting you as well, Bob! 👍
Plane old texas is another dead town.
Thank you for going through my amazing state of Kansas. I live in a small town in Wilson County Kansas. I was born and raised here. You couldn't pay me to move to the city. It saddens me to see all the negative remarks about Kansas. Yes, we have weather conditions that are good and bad. But it's not like you're going to get a tornado in every town you come across. Yes, we have wind, cold, heat, rain, droughts and tornados. But I love my state and my small town, and there are several like me. If you don't like the peace and quiet, then don't move here. No need to leave negative comments just because you like a more lively, crowded and noisy scene. I'll take my Kansas sunsets to yours any day. Sorry, that's my rant for today.
Wish I have money to move there...
You tell them!
I love small towns and solitude. But I require an ocean.
😂😂😂😂😂
Topeka here. I love living in Kansas and taking road trips through the country. It's so beautiful here.
Amazing! Finally saw a couple of people walking! The most striking thing of most of your small town videos is nobody outside walking or doing things.
I know. Huh.
An occasional car, but no people walking or tending to their homes, cutting grass, etc.
@@pinkythechihuahua3156 is it common in united states now in the rural towns?
@@PlayThroughTheGame I live in KCMO and it's amazingly the same. I just took a walk and ran into no one. There are no children running nor dogs barking or people mowing - nothing. Ever. I suppose everyone is online. Like us.
@@anthonythomas1504 I live in Saguenay/QC/Canada, we don't have this kind of decaying and it's very more alive than that.
@@PlayThroughTheGame Good for you. It used to be the same here.
I grew up in Mound Valley KS before I moved to the East Coast as a teenager. Mound Valley isn't far from Englewood. When I was a kid in the 80s we had around 1200 people in a tiny town - when I returned to see my cousins (who still live there) after 30 years, there were only a few hundred people!?
Nearly every house or business that had been there was a empty field. The whole sprawling town was just prairie fields. MOST the people who lived there in the 80s and 90s are all in the cemetery outside of town. People just didn't have enough kids to replace the older population, and the few kids that were there left decades ago.
Even the house I grew up in, that my father built (only) in the early 80s was gone!? It was wild and sad to see, especially when you consider that there are literally ten times more people in the cemetery outside of town, than living souls inside its limits.
Love your channel Joe and Nic. You are giving people a chance to see what other parts of the country look like. Some sad and some happy. Keep doing what you are doing!
Hi Joe & Nic loved this one, nice to see yous are still roaming 😊 I just did a check up on that house from here in Western Australia - $63,500 3bdr 1 bath 1965 sqft. Always a treat to see where abouts yous are. Stay safe friends ❤.
Beat me from Queensland Australia
Love Australia, beautiful country however, you guys gave up your Guns. The ability to defend yourself from the Corrupt Government.Scary.
America will never do that, and yes this countries government absolutely corrupt.
Never say “never”???
NEVER.❤
I’ll take 2! Put it in my tab.
Yes, I found the same house on Redfin and it was listed at $63.5 thousand
You Sissies are a riot!!!😂😂😂
Thanks for taking us along on these amazing road trips. I’m from NYC, transplanted to L.A. A city girl all my adult life. It’s really cool seeing what’s going on in other parts of the country & your informative & entertaining narrations are the icing on the cake. I really appreciate you.❤️😊
Thank you!
All theses towns look so tranquil and sentimental, like forgotten world. Wish I had a chance to visit these places.
If you see this Video in Black and White you see the same Story about the Steinbeck Story last Century!
Ashland, KS was the boyhood home of Wes Santee... who in the early 1950s was in the competition to be the first man to break the 4 minute mile barrier. That ultimately achievement ultimately went to Roger Bannister... but Wes Santee was one of the three or four men in the world who were closing in on the mark when Bannister finally did it. From little 'ole Ashland, KS.
In the 70’s, I was a jogger. Kansas City Missouri had a club for runners and we had occasional meetings. Wes Santee came and gave a talk to us once. There was a movie about him (highly fictionalized) called “Running Brave”, I think.
Well it is flat 😊
@@maggiegarber246The movie “Running Brave” was about Billy Mills.
The area is pretty. I've never seen such flat land for miles and miles. I liked seeing the towns, but none appealed as a place to live. The house in Coldwater was built in 1922. The interior is charming with beautiful woodwork. It has 3 BR and 1 bath, $63,000. No cats, no doga, but plenty of chickens! LOL That horse was beautiful and friendly. He appeared to be lonesome. Sometime I'd like for you to stick around and go to a movie in one of these tiny towns just to see inside the theater. I'm curious about the seating and snack bar. 😜 A long time ago I went to one that gave you a folding chair when you bought your ticket. You could get 2 chairs if you wanted to prop your feet up. I thought it was so funny. Thanks, Joe.
Great comment! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing I was thinking more but thats not bad it gets cold I'd probably block off the rooms heat with wood and lng but ya wind wet ice bone chilling cold
That's a nice house for the price, just looked at it myself. Could use some new tiles or linoleum but otherwise it's very nice!
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip I would like to see you go in to some of those tiny town Cafes or Diners and see what the cost is for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and maybe talk to the waitperson about living and working in tiny town USA. Fancy expensive restaurants are great too but would like to see more of small town Americana. Your channel is one of my favorites. You said next up is Nebraska. Check out Cushing, Saint Paul, Neman Grove, Chapman, and Central City. I have family there. Thanks!
@senatorj. If the hardwood floors upstairs where sanded and finished, wow. No closets in the bedrooms. A stand alone closet would look very nice. The house has radiators. I wonder if that's run on propane or like when I was a kid. Cole which was fed into a furnace? I'm going way back, as I'm 68. I remember being scared of the big boiler fire.
imdracula1603.
A lot of us love looking at the old cemeteries. Give us a glimpse, at least.
You're making me wonder what happens to the cemetery in a small town if the town shrinks to nothing and the stores, church, schools and even the post office shut down.
Does anyone continue to look after the cemeteries in such situations?
@@geofflepper3207 I do. It's fascinating!
I grew up in Ashland, KS and when I was in grade school is about when Englewood closed their school and attended Ashland schools. They have an Active Community Foundation.
My maternal grandparents lived outside of Protection until they moved to town. Don’s Place recently closed, but people would drive from surrounding communities to eat out. I remember one time when we went to eat there with family, my sister’s boyfriend couldn’t believe the restaurant had keys to the grocery store so if needed more supplies he could go get them and add to his tab.
Englewood always feels eerie when driving through on 283... I used to move a lot of windmill blades, hubs and drivetrains through that region out of Garden City. Never had a chance to look at the town beyond the highway. If those places could talk, eh?
I probably got stuck behind you before. A lesson in patience 🤣
@@WN_Byers lol Hauling blades makes us everyone's favorites, I know...
@@WN_Byers And you Both probably had to put up w my loud music when I was stuck behind Both of you! I lived in G.C. I'd give Anything to move back home. ❤
Absolutely fascinating, the slow death it seems to be experiencing, there’s something so very sad about it, I bet that happens to a lot of places. And thanks for making this!
There used to be many more farmers to support the towns, but because farms have gotten much larger there are fewer farmers and that is why the small towns are dying.
I agree, it seems that corporate farms wiped out the family farms
@@SilleeeMeee I’m an Iowa farmer and all the farms in my area of central Iowa are still family run farms.
Selling the land to the Chinese does not help.
Corporate Farming has No Soul
Concentration of wealth hurts us all
I have 2 friends that lives in Ashland. Both worked for KDOT. One is retired and her hubby is getting close to retiring. They usually come up to Dodge City on the weekends to pick up supplies.
You probably also noticed that people as they pass you in their cars they wave It's just common courtesy in Kansas to wave to whoever passes you on the street and also people will just wave to you while you're driving by.
Most farm towns are like that because farms were so far and few between that farmers would wave since passers-by were so rare.
I just moved to this area from Miami. The first thing I noticed was that most people wave to you or say hello when they walk past. Oh yeah, and people making small talk if you're standing in line. It took a little while to get get used to all the niceness but I love it now. I could never go back to live a huge city now. I should have made the move years ago
One waves because one probably knows them, even if recognition does not click straight away, it's covered.
@@davinasquirrel7672nope, your wrong. We wave to everyone. Just the way we do things here.
@@teresasummers2268 yes and no. If you recognise them, yes you wave. If you don't recognise them, you wave, in case you know them.
I grew up in the country. One waved. Yes sure, sometimes one just waves regardless, but less frequently the situation happened. Not wrong at all.
The prairie is beautiful. I imagine covered wagons passing through. Another great video. Hi Nicole.
Most of the hotels in the small towns in Kansas especially in South Central, maybe occupied by roughnecks. You may just not have seen their cars parked out but if you go by in the evening you'll see it packed. A lot of roughnecks when they're there to drill for oil, used the small motels as lodging.
THIS is why people leave, because of THIS idea of "it's just a bunch of rednecks". Not everybody is a mod hipster. Go ahead and say it, they are poor people and poor people are just plain awful.
I've worked in Kansas and stayed in old hotels where people have lived for in the hotel most of their lives. It's kinda strange to live in the motel permanently. But some said their rent was cheaper than owning a home.
@@moorek1967roughnecks........ not rednecks. . ...... roughness are the oil field workers. And some are also rednecks😂
I don't think you read or understood her post completely because her point was a lot of the hotels / motels were lodging for workers.
@@moorek1967roughnecks are oilmen not rednecks!
I'm a disabled Veteran on va compensation pay, unable to work... Honestly, these places seem like a dream come true... only thing that would bug me is as I got older I would probably need to be closer to a doctor,.. Lol.... But as for Necessities a small gas station for Essentials would be perfect I guess and I'll just have to plan things out to where I only have to go into town like once a week or something
I ❤ these small towns - they appear to be very clean and in great shape.... Fantastic!!
My mom and dad were raised in Ashland and Goldwat😅. Both are buried in Ashland. Remberber going
to the air show as a kid in Ashland
Thank u for the quote:
"Just enjoy the silence."
Sir, Bravo to u. We'll done.
Did anyone ever imagine that Depeche Mode would one day be considered “oldies but goodies music”?? 😱 I swear it feels like I went to bed one night at 22 and woke up the next day at 54! Time really does fly bye!
As a Gen X loved the Depeche Mode reference. Made me chuckle. 😊
Thank you. These trips you take help me better understand the past and what I may want in the future. I love the wonderful clear skies and the video of what it might have been. I have to post before I read the others. I feel they may say a lot of the thoughts I have, so to not post would be less of me. Please keep showing me more. Hopefully, the next one has a place to eat with some cool facts.
These old towns hurt my heart. I'd love to hear the stories of our elders.
Looking to move to a small town. I noticed the commenters always have some very good info about the towns you visit. Those chickens were having a good time!
To a small town? My town was small until people from Los Angeles area moved here because of cheaper housing. Now it’s overcrowded and crime ridden
@@darlenedarlene419 I grew up 30 mins from LAX and it was very nice until people from all over moved there! It works both ways.
I know of a small village in Texas that has a 40 acre lot that caters to full time RVers, mostly retiree with some on welfare. The county provides water, showers, bathrooms, dump station, dumpster, and laundry facilities.
Guests all have solar power with generator back up.
Local businesses in the county get all their business. Taxes on goods and services fund the simple upkeep of the place. Guests help keep the place clean.
It's a good solution where everyone gets what they need.
So is it a secret ? I’ve heard of settlements ,communities and neighborhoods but I’ve never heard anyone say village in Texas
@@joecontreras5068 Yes, it's a secret. ;)
About 100 people know about it, half from Canada.
Sort of the Texas version of Slab City but not as questionable, but much warmer in the summer so few stick around.
Actually, there are small towns all over the country that offer free or low cost places to stay short term. A clever person could travel from each place to place all year around. All you need is an economically efficient vehicle and some RV technology.
Goodness, there's videos on UA-cam of these places.
They are all over East Texas
@@RoseanneSeason7 and west Texas, too.
Texas seems to be the most generous state for travelers there is. It's just that those placers are not obvious from the main freeways.
do they pay lot rent and ho much
I work in victim services and knew to look up the yearly KBI report for specific crimes in towns across Kansas. In the latest report that came out in July 2024 for 2023, there were 5 aggravated assault/battery crimes, 11 thefts and 1 vehicle theft in Protection. As another commenter said, sadly there are drug addicts now in town. A lot of small towns attract people trying to hide criminal activities in towns that no longer have police stations and must rely on the Sheriff’s officers to respond to crimes. It could take a while for a 911 response if the deputy or two who are on duty are on the other side of the county. This is what I look at when safety planning with crime victims as to whether or not a protection order would be useful due to time constraints for a response. I’m assuming there was domestic violence involved in the assaults/batteries count, but then again, I am hopefully wrong.
This is useful information, even surprising a bit. These small towns looks so peaceful and quite at first look, but you're right, this kind of thing can also attract criminal activities... sad.
I haven't explored that far south into Kansas yet I have explored more towards the Northeast side. I have found tons of abandoned houses and cool small towns. I love filming all of them. They are disappearing fast! Love the videos been watching you for a while now. Y'all are very fortunate to be able to see so much of the country!
I wish they would take truckloads of homeless start a maje it habitable program and get them housed.
Wamego Kansas has done a terrific job creating a tourism spot. Some artistic folks with fun ideas could move into these towns and get the ball rolling. You could help the local economy, and bring back some life to these gorgeous small towns.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I have an aunt who had a sister-in-law who died last year. Her name was Lucille "Lucy" A. Dater. You can easily pull her obituary up on a search. She grew up in one of these very tiny Kansas towns. She was 91 years old. Her obituary is pretty extensive and includes what her life was like growing up in rural Kansas. She grew up in Antonino, Kansas.👍
Listening from Northern Alberta Canada, and I so enjoy your comments and driving skills!
Looks like a great place to raise chickens and have a big garden. And you can see who's coming to your town.
I wondered though when they talked about the winds how that would work with gardening, unless you built some kind of wind barrier? Anna In Ohio
I don't know about right now, but the culture in Kansas used to be wonderful. Fantastic people. I'd be living there right now if my husband could deal with snowy winters. I absolutely love Kansas.
I had the pleasure of spending 5 weeks in Kansas a few years ago. I loved it. I loved the smell of corn ( it was everywhere) and i never had 1 drop of rain fall on my car. During my time there i also never saw a airplane. It was beautiful and quiet. Had one quick trip to Dodge City and it was a hoot. Sincerely, JIm Thornton
Grew up on a S.W. KS farm Our house would be surrounded by corn fields. LOVE corn on the cob. Would walk to the edge and just pick some ears for dinner. then we had a homeade icecream maker! Fresh cream, vanilla, sugar, ice/salt then 30 mins rRrrrrRr IS IT DONE YET?
28:33
The house is selling for 50 grand and is very livable by the pictures.
Looks like a little paint and polish and you would have a nice home.
Appreciate the generally respectful presentation. You missed some highlights in Ashland - our hospital is only a few years old and wonderful asset to the community and our schools continue to be cared well and serve the community. Both of these are major employers for the community - so your question about being about to find work is that there are good jobs available in growing sectors.
Plus some beautiful homes that you missed completely!
If it's like the rural area I live, we have loads of vacancies. It's actually easier to get work here than the big smoke.
Hey Joe, when you hear a train whistle in these small towns, you just gotta get a shot of the train!!! 🚂🚂🚂
I imagine where the grain elevators are located there was, or probably still is, a railroad. G'Day from an Aussie rail fan.
@@RichardFelstead1949railroads where taken out around 2000-2001. Grew up in protection and spend a lot of time in all these places. Use to walk down to the old railroad bridge and play in the creek.
We moved away from the coast to a small town in Virginia. Not as small as these towns but much smaller than Chesapeake. Life is so much better here. Most of the people here are much nicer. What I do find is that certain families control a lot of political situations and they have no intention of letting go of that control.
Same thing here in Kansas.
We enjoy traveling here in the Philippines. Nice to see you traveling back there.
In Catalan language we have a word for this: caciquisme. Caciquismo in Spanish language.
Then there's the floods. Flood damage is vast and was devastating.
Dad grew up in Prescott. We visited there before he passed. It was an eye opener me. There were people there who never moved away.
I grew up in a small community just south of Dodge City. We played all of these towns in basketball games. I had several good friends from Bucklin. I just drove through Englewood on a road trip. What you don't see in the median income stats is that maybe three or four people own a farm and make big money while the rest commute or just live off of Social Security. I lived in Meade for a while when I was working on oil rigs. Lots of drilling in the area. Lots of Menonites too. I still have reitives in the area.
You can thank Ronald Reagan for the death of small farms and small towns.
I'm from Jetmore originally!
@@scottjanes9074 nice lie, how young are you Try Carter
@@dknowles60Jimmy Carter was the worst President in many, many years until two idiots with one good President in between them, recently.
I was surprised that when you were talking about the theatre in Coldwater that you didnt notice that it was still an active business. Small towns like this are always full of surprises, when I did my roadtrip, I went to Wilson Kansas, it was fun just seeing how they were managing to hold on, despite being in the middle of nowhere.
All of the groceries appear to be 25-30 miles from Englewood. There appears to be one restaurant in Englewood and two that are 22 miles away.There is a single B&B 22 miles away. In fact, all of these amenities are in Ashland, KS. The closest Starbucks is six hours away in Kansas City.
starbucks and dollar stores are two places id never cast a shadow
@NoNameNoFace-rr7li I live on a ranch in near a small rural town in South Texas. I go to the dollar store to fill up water bottles at a vending machine for drinking water there. Nothing else!!
@@jamesspalten5977 dollar stores here are like ant hills ...shopping there is more expensive than going to a gas station convenience market. I wont go there ...ours do not have water veding machines.
Who needs Starbucks
I'm not a starbucks fan but there are starbucks in wichita😂😂
You outta try Ramona, KS . That’s a small dying town
I know a immigrant from Guatemala, he always says that the people from his hometown look at something like this video and wish they had some of that land. They talk about the cows they would have and the crops they could grow they can only dream of the vast amount of land we abandon. The reality is that it doesn’t pay to farm and young people want a bit more than just work to do.
They wouldn't be able to afford enough land or cattle to make a living at it. Wouldn't be able to afford enough land or seed to grow enough crops to make it worthwhile for the processing companies to have someone come pick up their crops, or make enough money farming on a small scale to make a living growing produce and driving it a hundred miles one way to sell at the nearest farmer's market with enough people to actually sell anything. There are young people who want to farm, but most don't have hundreds of thousands to start and can't afford to risk everything on a venture with such a high chance of failure.😢
They don't have the regulations there that exist here. Try looking up a guy named "Joel Salatin", his first book was about his troubles trying to farm like we used to. "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal" War stories from the Local Food Front". by Joel Salatin
It's always greener over the septic tank.
Well he’s from Guatemala he’d be happy to get to Mexico lol
I live in Wichita, Ks. and I think it’s great watching your videos of small town America, it’s just so sad to see all these towns losing their populations but tnen again most of them are farm towns and don’t have much population and there are a lot more farm animals than people.😊
Hard to have a farm town when all the farms get gobbled up by a handful of giant operations
My kind of place👍🏻
I am so sorry for you, for living in Wichita! 😢.
It's my hometown, I don't even like to pass through, I think there is something in the water or something!
@@brucelytle1144it's increasingly dangerous in Wichita. I know a guy that had to draw his pistol on 3 robbers that tried to jump him at the home depot parking lot.
Happening here in Arkansas too. Small towns dying right and left.
I was born in Wichita in 78. Lived w/ my mom in a little trailer in the country outside of Mulvane. (She left my dad when I was like one). I still have family in Kansas, but don’t visit often. I do love my home state especially the thunderstorms, but I could never live there full-time. We moved away when I was 6. This is a pretty cool video. Thanks for sharing!
Same 1968
Hate to be negative, but to the people insisting we should move to these kind of towns…by all means, you first. There’s a reason why these towns are being abandoned. Poor job opportunity, the jobs that are there are low paying. Oh you say you’ll leave city life behind and just build a self-sustaining farm? Welp I know this specific area is prone to drought and the soil isn’t that good. Also, if you have no farming experience, just understand that it’s not easy. And I’m not just talking about the general hard work that is required, I’m saying the principles of agriculture are difficult to master….anyway, good luck and let us know how it goes
You aren't wrong. Not to mention towns like this sometimes don't have schools and kids have to be bussed to the next town over. No grocrey stores so you have to go to a bigger town/city to get your food and stuff and those could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour away. As a life long Kansas girl, it is sad to see small towns like this die out, but there are reasons they are dying out, and not just for your stated reasons.
The work is not easy u work b4 the suns up till it goes down yah is funny when ppl say that I just live in the country sorry if u have lived in the city forget it u will not like it..
Someone who works at home in an established field would be perfect though, as long as they have updated internet.🤷♀️
Thanks for the video. I love the old grain silos in Western Kansas, and Oklahoma. Something so dignified, elegant. Tells the history of the town in one building. The hard work the dreams of the previous inhabitants. Building something from nothing.
Thank you for sharing some quiet towns in an objective, even fact-based way. This type thing is what makes youtube fun for me!
I bet it’s so peaceful in those small towns. No light pollution at night so the night sky would be so beautiful seen with visible stars.
@@roxiejones31 Go away, troll.
I was thinking the same thing at first. Must be really peaceful out there. I was also thinking of how cool it would be to move a couple hundred or couple thousand people into these small communities that hate the big cities and start and revive these old, dying communities.
@@roxiejones31oh dear you really need to work on yourself if that’s your mindset 🥴
@roxiejones31 you bet! 😂
It is nice. I lived in the mountains of Clearlake, CA for about a year growing weed at a legal farm. I lived on-site in a tent. Kicking back in a lawn chair at night, sipping on a beer and watching the stars. The country's problems were non-existent too. Just living in the moment. I miss it, but I didn't get paid a dime. I had to leave
Even though this city is not featured in the video, I have been in Parsons, located in southeastern Kansas many times in my life, as my father grew up there and my grandparents lived there until they passed. We still go back to Parsons every few years. It is a very depressed place now that has steadily declined over the years, with a high poverty rate, and numerous homes that have a property value less than a new vehicle. When my father grew up there in the 1950’s, it was fairly prosperous due to presence of the MKT railroad and the ammunition plant, both of which are pretty much gone now. It’s sad how these towns have dwindled to what they are in the present day, as I know by what my father has told me that these types of towns did much better in the past.
Sometimes, not this town, but I've planned to move in and restore a house. The hick town is like, "Oh my god, no, you have to have this permit, and that permit. You can't park a camper there while you work on it,and if your buying it you need to pay fines and back taxes because the grass is too high. Town don't leave people, people leave towns.
Yea there often is more to a story..I never thought about that but it makes sense
The politics and rules always get in the way of common sense and progress.
I live in rural Arizona on six acres I obtained for back taxes. The local county government is lucky to be getting taxes now, but still won't leave me alone with all their permit crap.
Definitely something to think about when looking at a cheaper home (especially if it's good quality).
@@phillipdavidhaskett7513 that's sad and discouraging. 🙁
All of these little towns that you have visited on this video were located on the Englewood District of the Plains Division of the Santa Fe Railway, which ran from Wichita to Englewood KS for a distance of 166.9 miles. The wheat grown in this area is the reason for its economic existence. The way that the wheat harvest is handled changed a lot by the early '80s, leading to the decline of these little towns (Coldwater, Protection, Ashland, and Englewood, and many others up and down that line).
After farmvequipment is fully automated, farm jobs will be mostly machine maintenance and delivery of parts.
Actually it had changed a lot by the 50's. Another main issue occurred at the same time. There were a lot of people who became adults in this areas. Farms were 2-3 quarters and maybe rented another 80 acres or a quarter. Well this was enough to raise a family on it was not enough to take a son into the farming profits. So since the sons went off to college or the bigger local towns the daughters left also. The parents were only in their 40's early 50's and not close to retirement for the son to take over. Same thing happened in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas. I have actually written college research papers on this subject for both 400 and 500 level geography and history classes.
@@erikthorneWhat are quarters? Quarter section or 160 acres?
@@jamesspalten5977 In farm country a quarter is a quarter.
I’ve been to cold water Michigan. This is a very relaxing video experience. Quieter than the mowing channels. ❤
I'm from Ironton,Ohio
Right across the river from Ashland. That's where I do most of my shopping
Really sad to see these towns that are dying, you see the empty downtowns and can almost hear the sounds of life from the past. Thanks for taking us with you on these fascinating adventures. Safe travels
You need to visit Abilene, one of the most beautiful and picturesque small towns in Kansas. Also the boyhood home of President Eisenhower. The Eisenhower museum and visitors center are well worth a tour, Eisenhower is buried along with his wife and son in the chapel on site.
It's in the works. :)
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip also tour the Seeley Mansion that was built in 1905.
As to the lack of family farms, one farm of 12 - 20 acres could be used to grow fruit & vegetable's to sell at a farmers market or start a small store where the local farmers & folks who have large gardens can sell their produce also, which would benefit both the folks who grow & the folks who purchase ! Where i live we hold 2 farmers markets per week, lots of folks make use of them.
A Farmers market requires a population.
These towns are too small for that and too remote and empty for out of towners to want to drive 50 plus miles out of their way to buy anything. My town has a farmer's market, but we have 5,000 people and we're right in the middle of commuting for quite a lot of people so around 3-4 p.m. there's lots of cars going through town who are willing to stop for a bit.
Maybe forming a co-op and investing together in a delivery vehicle to drive their produce to a bigger town, but an in-town farmer's market probably wouldn't work.
Hi joe & Nic, love the sites,ghost towns & stats, how ever if you would…
1. Tell how many miles it is to the nearest place to shop (Walmart,$ gen etc…)
2. What the little buildings are or used to be (besides the obvious)?
3. Why or what the town was founded on or for?
4. When it was founded? (Unless you post already)
5. What the weather is for the most part, if there’s seasons (hi & lows) snow fall,rain?
6. Where do these people work at in these lil town or the nearest decent place to work?
I’m sure you make it easier for folks like myself to move to certain parts of the country…THANKS AGAIN!👍😄
Tornadoes have done their fair share of ripping that place apart. The trees, debris blasted paint and roofs tell the whole story.
That’s mainly why I wouldn’t want to live in these towns. Tornados scare me so much.
96 average twisters a year for KS. Eh I'll stay in earthquake prone Cali lol. California usually has 15-20 earthquakes each year that exceed magnitude 4.0 and those are the ones you can feel.
Have a friend from college who was from Protection, Ks. He went on to law school there and returned to his home town where he now has a Law Practice.
I use to live in Florida where you have hurricanes but the difference is you know the hurricane is coming a week out you pack up and leave, twisters do not give much warning,
If you think about it, Kansas as a state is 82,278 square miles. The odds, even in Kansas, that one square mile is hit by a tornado is low. If you're standing in a field in the middle of the state and you stand there until you get hit by a tornado, you could be standing there for quite sometime. It might take a week it might take a century. What people assume though, is that all that debris and damage is from tornadoes when in fact it's from straight line wind damage instead.
Kansas is so flat that you can spend 3 days watching your dog run away.
Corner Gas!
😂😂😂😂!!!!!
That's funny and true. Especially western Kansas.
😁
Delaware, Illinois, and Florida are flatter, but Kansas doesn’t have many trees.
That region of Kansas was hit especially hard by the dustbowl in the 1930s. It never recovered. Going forward, the towns died by attrition with most younger people never returning after being college educated. Most of the towns that survived were driven by the oil & gas industry, and of course, agriculture and ranching. Many farmers live in the towns, and commute to their farmsteads today.
We got smart people on UA-cam. Thanks for the info.
People of Kansas are probably fed up with building there homes to get to spring time and having yet another tornado blow thru and take it away
I used to go to Englewood to hunt quail every year when I was a kid. That's where my best friend's grandma and grandpa lived and his uncle had a ranch near there too. They were Goodnights. If you know anything about the history of the area you will recognize that name.
I grew up in Ashland and went to school with the Goodnights! They went to our church in Ashland, Greg and Pixie Goodnight were the ones who owned the ranch! Their youngest, Aaron, was a year younger than me. Graduated in ‘08. Wes was in my brother’s class. Did you know any of them?
Love these old towns. Really quiet, nearly abandoned looking .
8:00 - the vast empty, flat plain reminds me of that scene from movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks standing at the intersection while it's just vast plain everywhere he looks.
Then that super cute girl drives up 😅
@@MeTreesndirtthe girl with those wings painted on the truck😅😂
@@omkardixit4428 I thought they were setting up a sequel movie. Still waiting.
I live in a thriving small town. It shifted into a commuter town 30 years ago. It's a 40 minute drive on a Interstate to the city jobs. They like the feel of living in a smaller community. But we do have fast food outlets and a Wal-mart for convenience.
Big difference from these remote rural towns that are 1.5-2 hours away from even a Wal-Mart.