So sad. I live about 2 and a half hours drive from Picher. It's another reminder that, often, ignorance is NOT bliss. Not that long ago we painted our homes with lead paint, put lead in our gasoline, even soldered our water pipes together with lead solder. Lead is everywhere and is so horrible for the body. It's things like this that make me wonder, as a people, what have we done, and what can I do to make a change. Often history is brutal, but we must learn from it and not repeat the same mistakes again. Thanks for the video and reminder.
Absolutely! So many things we have around us have dangerous chemicals and toxins and we are oblivious until it is brought out boldly and loudly then everyone is up in arms…. Instead of having so many issues arise the smarter thing would be to find ways to mitigate this happening in the first place.
We used to drive through this town to my uncles house. I remember when it was still a real town. We used to stop at the gas station there to get cokes.
The world through your lens is inspiring. I enjoy your videos always but you have a voice in making change. I appreciate that you challenge all those watching but also encourage us all. Keep doing what you do, you deserve a show. I have said that time and time again, but I feel your channel is a breath of fresh air.
Thank you so much! I do have a show though LOL it’s here on UA-cam… I appreciate that you feel as though I deserve something larger than this however that is very meaningful to me thank you. I feel like we’re going to places like this it is important because it shares a different side of the story then we’re traditionally seeing when we’re traveling for fun and leisure. Places like this need to be seen they need to be heard and they need to be an example to others as to why we can’t let this continue happening.
One of these days I will get back up there and try out that burger. My family actually has some ties to that area! So I would like to go and explore I know that you all also have a small museum I believe that I saw information for and that would be fun to stop in
Young lady you have touched on this and inspired thought. How often do we do things we don’t even realize impact others around us negatively? You are correct. I am thankful you shared this experience with us today and made us all think.
Thank you so much! I agree we need to learn more about how we impact one another and think of those things in our day-to-day life a bit more. A lot of people don’t realize things like this happen and remote spaces in addition to cities. They think it cannot happen to them. The people in this community thought that probably as well until one day they found out that the whole world has shifted around them.
You empathy for others shines through this presentation. You are correct that we have to do more to help our neighbors. I am from a time when lead paint was normal and many of us older people are still seeing the results of living in those homes. I appreciate your sharing this.
Thank you for those words. I feel this could be any of us based on various industries in our areas. It is important to learn from situations like these to not repeat this on a larger scale.
You are absolutely welcome! I think it’s important to see places like this in addition to the fun exciting places. It kind of sets the tone for us to realize the impact that we have and how fortunate that we are in many of the places that we go to.
This was very informative and thought provoking. We all need to do our part to keep the Earth alive. I appreciate your thorough coverage of this event. Safe travels.
Absolutely even though sometimes it might seem simple and silly to be pursuing some thing when the world around us doesn’t seem to care I think that place is like this or a prime example of why trying to do the right thing is important.
You said it so well 🙏 I am so impressed with your presentations of important issues. You are a great educator… Yesterday DIY headlights, today a very important food for thought. Thank you.
Thank you! By covering different aspects of travel I want people to see that there are fun places but also serious places out there that you can visit. But more so that by visiting each one of these places you find out a little bit more about the people as a whole who inhabit our country. The stories that they have to tell through these sites are very impactful and if you’re willing to take time to just visit places like this in addition to the really fun cool ones you can get a more well-rounded experience as a whole.
This is SUCH a powerful video Bunny- it is so well done- thank you for bringing such an important topic to the forefront- and thank you SO MUCH for all that you do!
Thank you for watching! A lot of times I share very fun exciting videos of places that are beautiful and vibrant and full of life however sometimes looking at those who were full of life at one point but now are like this is also important. The people who lived here and still continue to have roots in this area deserve to have their stories seen so that they can be an example for others so we can potentially protect others.
We always see the abandoned sites and think it’s neat to explore but don’t think about all the jobs lost there and the people who were impacted: You put a human face on this with your video. Well done.
Absolutely the impact that we don’t see are all the people who were there before us. That’s why I try to take a different approach when I’m talking about ghost towns or Bandan places because at one point in time that was someone’s livelihood, their home, the place that they found peace. And now it is not it is a place of desperation and sadness.
You are welcome! I wanted to make sure that we shared places like this because we can have all of the fun places on the channel but until we talk about some of the more serious ones we’re not fully seeing the bigger picture.
I remember seeing this on the news. I cannot imagine what I would do if I were in their position. You are right we have to protect the people around us better. How many years now has flint been dealing with this and we just ignore them.
All to many I feel…. Currently people are discovering the dangers of the oil and gas industry through there holding tanks and pits. In addition Flint Michigan is still very much so not able to drink their water… There are also other places that I’ve had similar fate as a result of negligence of humans not realizing that toxic materials are terrible. That’s why whenever I see people talking about protecting the water and the drinking water sources I get a little bit more adamant. A lot of times people don’t think about the impact that they have when doing industrial jobs near bodies of water. However those bodies of water don’t just affect those areas they also many times filter into streams and rivers which impact hundreds of thousands beyond that zone alone.
I am so sorry!! I know that the issues that are happening in Flint have to be very discouraging for everyone who is affected. I cannot imagine having this happen with a contamination of the water. I truly believe that there Hass to be some kind of solution that can be given to you all to help with this however people need to take political affiliations out of their thoughts and simply think about the people themselves.
@@BunnyPlaysHere Unfortunately there is a very long term corruption problem in the city government. Elected officials have been complicit in theft of city funds for many,many decades. Until they fix that nothing is going to change. Our city council is so volatile that they have police present to keep order. The President of the school board was arrested recently for assaulting another member during a meeting. 🤦♀️ SMH. Thank you. It’s a difficult place to live. Sometimes you don’t have many options.
You can see how the site impacted you as you relates to your home town. The tone of your voice shifted and it made it much more real. Sad to see the homes and businesses in that state of decay.
The entire trip through the community was very surreal. I described it to another Person as you would be driving past some thing that looks vacant and then you look closer and noticed there was a house foundation and then another and then another you would never have known just driving by on the highway that this was ever even in town if it weren’t for the water tower
Now I'm wondering what we're going to discover years down the road about the millions of tons of lithium being mined now to make batteries for all the electric cars we're trying to build. We just don't know.
I agree I feel we continue to find the negative effects of so many things each year so at some point we will learn more about this also. I hope the negative effects are minimal i comparison to some of the other things.
Thank you for another great video. Picher, Cardin, both in Oklahoma and Treece in Kansas all were abandoned because of the high lead in the soil and ground water, but the acid in the same ground water has caused kaurst or the dissolving of the limestone under ground which then causes the ground to cave in. Some people refused to leave and so technically they still own the land. If you don't pay your taxes, then the county sales the property in this case to the US Government. They still have to post the notices that the taxes are delinquent. The tornado actually likely saved a lot of children from excessive blood led levels. In areas were the water is not causing the rock to dissolve the government has removed the contaminated soil and brought in clean soil. The kaurst is why the government is still buying out those towns. Thank you for filming the area.
Thank you for that explanation! I was very confused as to why they would post this condemned property as a place that was for sale. However I had noticed that there were several industry jobs that were moving into the area and also that the marshals have a home post in the midst of the abandon homes. I spoke to someone and they said they actually live there however they have to bring in their own water. I cannot imagine the stress that would cause myself personally to be in that position. It is very sad to see what has happened to this community and continues to do so. Driving throughout it was a eerie feeling and after having researched it a bit more And learning about all of the children I do believe you are correct in saying the tornado saved lives.
Thank you! I always enjoy sharing places they have a unique story sometimes that story takes us to a fun place other day is it something like this where we can learn a lesson. Thank you for coming along for all of the adventures.
Thank you! I really wanted to share the story of this community because in reality this community could be any of our communities. I want to inspire others to learn more about what is happening to areas around us so that we can be the change. Also the somber tone of visiting this location I really wanted to capture through the music and also the videography.
Powerful and sad. I recently watched the documentary “Meltdown” on Netflix. This could have been Middletown, PA if things had gone just a little bit differently. I stand behind the policies to protect our environment even though many see them as an infringement on their rights. My small town in California is attempting to limit oil drilling to protect the water supply. They received grants to remove and update windows and window sills in homes with high levels of lead in the paint to safeguard the brains of the children. We as humans need to protect our resources and be aware of the affects of our actions. Sorry for the soapbox here. I just really appreciate you for bringing this small town reality and the affects on the people and businesses to your followers.
I couldn’t have said it better. The pipeline that was supposed to be placed over water many thought was fine but it would have contaminated water for thousands. When they do projects they pay money to hide those facts.
I certainly think it’s important to be more aware of what’s going on in the world around us. The story that you have just shared is exactly why I said what I did in this video it could be anyone of us at any given time and we have to protect each other.
This site is a very eerie feeling. You’re just driving through what looks like nothing and you look closer and noticed that there is the foundation of home after home. It is very surreal
@@diannerobinson7150 I have been looking for the episodes everywhere and cannot find them… I did find a teaser however and it looks like a very well done documentary. I will keep my eyes movin looking for it because I do not have a subscription streaming service to HLN
I lived / went to college not terribly far from here at Pittsburg KS in the late 1990s. We would drive through Picher on the way to Grand Lake. Even back then it had a very odd dystopian vibe where the chat piles towered over the mostly vacant buildings. It was unnerving and I always hurried to get out of there quickly.
Thank you so much. I wanted to share this because I think that we all need to be aware of the things that are going on around us a bit more. Sometimes it’s hard to see things because they aren’t physically close to us but these things happen around the country and it does have the impact to harm regular every day people
Thank you so much for this video. As a young woman from the surrounding area, we spent much time in Pitcher, Oklahoma, attending church services, shopping the several flea markets, and visiting a dear friend and family member who lived on the outskirts of town. It has been sad to see the town die off.
No problem whenever I heard about this particular area I knew that I wanted to share the story because the people there some thing. A lot of people lose track of the realities of the world and often times we don’t realize that we have an impact on others
Very well put together documentary. Awesome job! My mother ,who is 94, grew up in Picher. The one building left in the little community of Cardin is a store my uncle once owned in the forties. My grandfather worked the mines until his lungs could no longer handle it. He died at the age of 69 due to COPD. Thank you for bringing this to the public.
Thank you so much this particular area was one that had fascinated me and I wanted to go and learn more. When you get there it’s such a somber look at reality. I wanted to make sure that I conveyed the stories of the people who once lived here but also showed what is the community currently looks like
My family is from Picher, they were one of the last ones to stay until the tornado. I had just moved back in with them a couple months before when the tornado hit. It's so heartbreaking to see all of this. When you started the video, you were actually standing where we had the yearly town fair called The Miner's Reunion 😭😭 You actually drove by where my grandma's house was 😭😭😭😭
what a wonderful inspirational video. thank you for that. it was so educational to me. as I was watching the video, I actually drifted into the video. I didn't here a sound while I was watching. keep up on your awesome videos. 👋
I always like to share different stories from places that I go. Sometimes those stories are happy and upbeat and leave everyone with joy and motivation to go to a fun attraction other times however I want to take a deeper look into things that of happened and share the realities of the world around us. This is one of those videos that while I was filming the area itself it was so surreal and I wanted to be able to convey that to the audience that may or may not be able to actually go there. I am so thankful that you enjoy the video and found it to be educational!
I lived in Picher for the 1st 11 years of my life. Daddy worked in the mines along with many other relatives. We moved to southwest Ok when the mine closed down. Daddy got relocated to the Eagle Picher Copper mlne until his retirement. The happiest time of my life was in Picher.
thank you for sharing your individual story!!! I have connected with so many who are from this area and have interesting memories... i am sad this happened to the community
🤦♀️ Having the most toxic town in America is NOT our proudest moment. But glad you got to come to my home state. There’s a lot of great things about Oklahoma too (especially the people). Hope ya got to explore some of the good stuff while you were here.
A reminder that the environment does matter. Many take so much for granted, yet this town shows that what we do as humans is not always good for us. Very eerie feeling watching this video. It would be interesting to hear the stories from those that lived there. Prayers to them and their family/friends. 💔
Hey Bunny..that was one amazing video. It was like a top notch documentary. I loved everything about it. You are wise beyond your years. You be careful out there. Can't wait for the next one. Kinda made me think of Centralia Pa.
Thank you so much I know there are a few other people who have covered the subject matter online however I wanted to share it with my audience because I think it’s very important that we truly realize the impact that we have as people
Hello Ms. Bunny. This is so heart wrenching. For me it is personal. Not this town, but another one. My father was in the Air Force and we lived on George Air Force Base, CA. Years after we left, the base was closed due to toxic water. My father died young. I've also lost 2 sisters and my mom because of cancer. I am a cancer survivor. I only found out this information after watching a YT Video showing the empty "Ghost Town" base. We lived there for 4 years in the late 60's, we were always outside, we played in the dirt, drank from the hose, etc. Sadly the Air Force never contacted my family after closing the base. Watching your video made me feel for all of the families that onced lived in Picher, OK. Thank you for a wonderful video and the respectful way you presented it to us. Take Care and Safe Travels.
I graduated from Picher High School in 1974. It was a great place to live. My daddy was the Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Picher for 7 years So sad how it all ended. But you are right, protect the land and water. Sad thing is back then WE DID NOT KNOW how toxic it was. Thank you for doing such a great job of telling a small part of our story. ❤️
No problem I feel as though stories like this should be told because it’s very important and could impact all of us are water supply is something we must protect
I think that if people look into their surroundings a lot of people will see stories like these pop-up. The fact is sometimes people don’t consider the long-term effects and just consider the short term and that’s what we’re seeing I think with some of the oil and gas now.
So sad about Picher. I'm not to far from there. I enjoyed this video and love to explore history of different places. I hope you do more of these videos and you are a good speaker btw. Thanks for the video. I can remember alot of people traveling to pitcher to play on the chat piles with their three wheelers and dirt bikes and things.😊
Thank you so much for your kind words! I enjoy sharing a variety of different kinds of places that I go and typically a lot of people want to see the more upbeat places however I think that places like this definitely have a story to tell and because of that story we can learn some thing and do better as overall people. I have heard several people mention similar stories to yours about traveling there or having played sports there and discovering what happened after the fact. I can only imagine that would be a very strange feeling. Thank you for sharing your story I appreciate it so much!
Yes. I am 48 miles from Picher. I'm actually in Parsons Kansas( a small town in southeast Kansas) I really enjoyed this one. If you ever go to a haunted place plz do a video. I enjoy exploring too. Keep doing these. 😊. Take care!
I know Picher very well .... spent a lot of time around those chat piles as a kid in the 70’s and even then the place had a grim feeling, a sense of tragedy... and now we know why. I drank a lot of water from that town because in those days kids got water not soda. Or we made tea and koolade. Sad place not because of lost jobs, because people moved on or worked elsewhere... but something about it felt doomed and tragic. The tornado was the last straw... excellent video and great reverence to the lives lost there. Some of the red buildings were senior housing. There are mine shaft (or caving limestone) under most of this town, don’t play on the chat piles least you disappear forever.
I certainly Paid attention to the warning of one of the marshals. He came up and had a conversation with me because he saw that I was filming and he made some comments about the land itself and how because of the tunnels it was actually very fragile. A lot of the fences are in place because those particular areas do have tunnels directly below them and could collapse at any time. It is a very serious subject that needs to be taken as such. I appreciate you sharing your stories as a person who has been in this area I think it’s important for people to listen to these stories and learn from what has happened here
@@BunnyPlaysHere I watched a boy on a bicycle riding the chat piles, disappear, they searched for him for days and never found him. It was early 70s... I was a kid so I got no news of it but my mom told me never to play on the chat piles... the weight was too much if there was a tunnel underneath. I’m glad you had that conversation with the marshal. Good I fo to pass along. You might check out the strip mines of SE Kansas... old timers would say that the mine waters held the secrets of criminals and battered wives in its depths.
I watched a documentary and read about this town awhile back. Horrible what happened to these people and their little part of Earth. Your video was well done and respectful. This reminded me of Love Canal and the poisons there. Growing up in the 1960's & 70's there seemed to be many areas like this. I also remember in the early 2000's, a dam breaking in the south east somewhere that let toxic sludge pour through an area.
I wanted to more so tell the stories of the people that live there and how this could be any person. More so than exploiting it just being an urban x video
As a kid in the late 60s, I played on chat piles a lot. Not in Picher but across the border in Kansas. Chat was hauled all around the area and piled up by the counties to use on roads in the winter. Local businesses would pile it up and sell it. It was cheap, plentiful and used for about everything. Concrete companies mixed it in their concrete, people pave their driveways with it, the uses were endless. We had no idea it was toxic. It was once a SuperFund site, might still be. Never been to Picher but thanks for this video. While you were in the area, another interesting place might of been Le Hunt, Kansas. Last I heard it was all fenced off though. Haven't been up there in decades.
@@BunnyPlaysHere Last time I was there in Le Hunt, there as very little left. At one time there was a small city of small wooden houses, most of them got moved to either Independence Ks or Neodesha Ks. Some may still exist today. The old foundations still existed the last time I was there. At the north end of the top of Table Rock, there is an old foundation that was rumored to be a brothel, There was a small Army barracks across the Elk river to the North. The story is soldiers would take a row boat across the river and climb the hill. Last time I lived there, this old barracks was a private home, so all I am saying is old rumors. All the wood and steel is mostly gone. All that is left is crumbling concrete. I heard it was all bought out and fenced off. It was a place we love to explore at the time. Might not be worth the time now.
I believe they were able to take their possessions however with many of their clothes washed in the water that has read it I don’t know that they chose to do that. There are a lot of mixed stories as to what people experience with Leaving
Just found your video; is accurate to a point. However, more to the story as you might expect. One of my chemisty professors at PSU was acutally Eagle-Picher's consultants on the Super Fund site issue. If we could talk you may want to make a follow trip. Man's input came from poking holes and allowing the water to get into the ecosystem, tar creek, which feeds the Neosho river and Grand Lake of the Cherokees. The chat was and is used for drive ways, roads, railroads, etc. At one point Picher was larger than the current size of Miami. The chat piles were the tailings of the ore, galena (lead sulfide) and would have very little lead and zinc salts remaining, as this is what was sought after. My children played in our drive way growing up. My son is now a CFO for a bank. You are correct the water coming out of the mines was the issue. The alarming fact to most was when the water would turn orange. The color comes from bacteria that existed millennium; which changes the valance of iron present. If you were to fly over in a helicopter, from Commerce (where Mickey Mantel grew up) to past Galena, KS you be provided with an interest site. I could provide you with so much more information. The original downtown, which fell in, to bodies being ceremonially dump into the shaft.
Heartbreaking! I grew up in Pawnee, which is about 2 and a half, three hours away. To be more specific, I grew up about an hour west of Tulsa. This video hits close enough to home for me. No, we don't stop & think about what we do. There's a song by the group Alabama called "Pass It On Down". Everytime I listen, and the more I listen, it gets me to thinking about what we're doing to this beautiful planet. I love it when Randy Owen (the lead singer) talks about the place where he learned to swim. The lyrics goes, "That water, it's so pure, and I'm gonna make sure daddy's grandkids can swim there like him". I also like the lyric, "Now, we all oughta feel just a little bit guilty when we look into the eyes of our kids. 'Cause brothers, it's a fact, if we take & don't put back, they'll have to pay for all we did. Now, I'm not married, and don't have children, but I do have a niece and nephew, who both will turn 14 & 18 later this year. I just hope & pray that when they're out of the house, that their parents have done everything in their power to teach them right from wrong. Whatever happened to personal responsibility & accountability? People want choices, but not accountability. They also want rights, but not responsibility. Very sad, but true. You can talk to people until you're blue in the face, but what they do is up them. Remember: you can't control what other people do, but you CAN control what you do.
It was minimized on the news apparently because of the issues they were having.. i have spoken to someone from the area and it was a major issue that because the government was involved they attempted to keep private for a while due to the nature of the issues.... many were getting sick but still these were homes so it was a very sensitive subject.. this is not the only community in the US that has had a similar fate sadly.. i hope to share another one in the future soon
Absolutely! It is super sad to see what happened to this community and to know that this is just one of many that this is happened to. This is just one of the more extreme instances however.
Picher will always be home to many of us. In fact the head of the EPA him self made the statement that it was not the raw lead but the byproduct of refining the lead that was a problem. This means Picher is not as toxic as they made it out to be. It was the fact that they were worried about the town caving in. The drinking watter was not contaminated. The tornadow was the final nail in the coffin for many who would still be there today had it not happened. That is if it wern't for the 100 year agreement with the Quapaw tribe. The mining companies were suppost to hand it back over to the tribe after 100 years and sold it instead. Sadly ownership of land in Picher was not legal as the land in fact belonged to the Quapaw tribe but the residence had no clue.
We visited in 2009, my grandfather was born and raised here. He also worked in the mines like his father. You showed the remains of a gas station he worked at in his twenties. I wish I had a better picture of this, but there was a billboard in Picher that read, “Don’t put lead in your head.” I don’t know how to attach it though.
The lead wasn't used just for bullets. It went in paint on just about everything. The zinc was for galvanizing just about everything that couldn't be painted. All has been replaced by plastics with a whole new set of problems. So much for better tomorrow's.
Hey Bunny, I just now found your channel, I'm so glad that I did especially since I live in Oklahoma. Are you from Oklahoma? I wonder how someone would or could repurpose that land, maybe an area that's the least contaminated idk, what kind of steps would you have to do to make it safe enough for habitation. What would it cost money wise, that's definitely food for thought. I'm going to benge some of your other videos now lol. Bunny 🐇 take care and God bless you and your entire family and our entire UA-cam family.
Welcome to my channel! I personally am not from Oklahoma but I travel through it pretty frequently. The problem with repurposing the land unfortunately is that a lot of it is very unstable thanks to the minds. They have had a lot of cave-ins in this area and so despite the contamination they also have to deal with that. This is another reason why this particular industry is a very dangerous and precarious one. This isn’t the first place that this particular situation has had impact on the community you can also look up Centralia Pennsylvania. In that community the tunnels under the mine actually became problematic because a fire started below ground and continue to burn into the community without many of the community even being aware that there was a fire burning until they were collapses.
Picher, OK is just a short drive from my home town of Quapaw, OK. I was actually raised in Hockerville, Ok just a few miles straight east of Picher which was another mining town. My mother was born there as was my aunts. As a kid growing up we spent a lot of time there playing sports and cheering on each team. The buildings at the beginning were low income houses. When the government buy out started those residents were forced from their homes because some did not qualify for the buy out. Some did find other places to live, but the struggle for them was very hard. When the Super Fund started the people of Picher were not all treated fairly during the process. Some where offered large amounts of money for their property, while others were offer well below the value of their homes. When the school closed for good the children were then moved to the surrounding school districts. The large manufacturing building is where my uncle worked building large dump trucks for mines. The road in front of the church at the end of your video, if you would have went straight down the road about 4 miles, you would have came to the town of Quapaw. There are several documentaries on the Super Fund buy out and the cause the lead had on the children who lived there. The tornado was the worst one to hit our area. We could see the wall cloud from miles away. Picher may be gone but the spirit and love of that town remains strong to this day. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Bunny. I want to ask how often do you do a car check, with constantly being on the road like you are? You know, tires, belts, radiator, timing belt, etc.
Each time I return to base camp I get a good thorough once over. But also if I’m on the road and it happens to be time for an oil change I will do it then. I try to make sure that I keep my maintenance up on my vehicle the best I can while on the road or at base camp.
Inspiring vid! Thank you for sharing and expressing your heart with us. For those who are interested, Google maps still shows how the town once looked before it was condemned due to the toxicity of the mine remains. It's interesting to explore if you happen to have a chance to!
I had my fun in Picher before the lawdogs got there ; I had a girlfriend that lived there , and a lot of us would go up on the chat piles and party up there. I've been through the gate with the pile of gravel in the way...lol . It was funny , in 1973, once I was drinking, and when I went through that gate, I said, " Well there ain't any law against going in here, yet. " I remember we had an especially rowdy time that night, celebrating that fact. There were dune buggy races in the pits, and a guy rode a dirt bike over the top and fell into a 110 foot hole where the chat pile had collapsed the underground tunnels. I knew the guy that laid most of the bricks in the first and last part of the video, his name was Pat. I'd come to Picher and get a burger there on the main drag ( greasy, always ) and chat with him. ( pun intended). I've been swimming in Tar Creek before they fixed all the dirt on the banks. The last thing I saw there was the riding mower races in 1974. There was this old couple in red T-shirts that said " WE SURVIVED THE LEAD ". I remember the road between Picher and Cardin fell in when a truck went over an undermined spot. That was after I moved away from the area. I lived at Miami, OK. I can't quite remember what the big parking lot was with the exit arrow...I used to know. Seems like there was a farmer's market on part of it, but the other I have forgotten what it was. It was a toxic place, though. But there were some old timers that swore they'd never move away. There never was much going on there, and you had to go out of your way to get there, so most people just passed it by. Nothing to be gained by going there. That chat pile was a great place to smoke pot...you could see the cops coming for at least 5 miles. That's about all Picher was good for in the 70's.
My great grandma lived in treece. When I would visit her I would get jealous of the kids on atvs riding the hills. What a blessing it was that I didn't get what I want lol. Also this disaster wasn't planned it was a side effect from the way the mining process was. I just hope we learn from past mistakes and don't make them again. Can you find pictures of pitcher and treece in late 80s or early 90s? Hard to find anything.
Absolutely super sad to see. All of the homes look like they’re in such a rough condition but you know that at one point they were someone’s livelihood and happy place
oh this makes me so sad. Such a terrible waste. I live in a small town here in TX and I can't even imagine! The Crucifix of our Lord Jesus Christ on that fence just about did me in. thank you for sharing this. Safe travels!
When I saw that I knew that the piece of property I was staring at meant something to someone… that’s what you don’t normally get to see whenever you just passed through a place that is abandoned. It is through the human touch on several of these properties that you can see still that makes it hit home also.
Raise awareness that this had happened in Oklahoma. It was surreal to visit and very hard to fathom that this was once a thriving area that people called home. Now it is overgrown and looks completely different. We all just have to respect the fact that each one of us has a voice in changing things like this from happening in the future.
I am not sure about how many people actually died. There were a lot of children that got sick and that’s what I actually got the situation turned over to authorities for water testing.
They say, "Ignorance is Bliss", I say it is a tragedy to not question and gain wisdom before putting the possibilty of a huge profit ahead of everything else, (False happiness), instead of just taking a step back and asking questions.
Most of the businesses are actually gone as a result of the tornado only the shell of the holes are still there. The doors and windows have been removed from all buildings so that no one can go in there and do any kind of mischief. So while the animals might pass through I doubt that they honestly stay there
Absolutely it was very somber to visit this location. As I visited I noticed that more and more you would find pieces of the past long forgotten. It was super sad to see where homes one stood.
@@BunnyPlaysHere There are mine tailings within an eighth on a mile from my summer camp in Edwards, NY and tunnels beneath from the St. Joe zinc and talc mine. Should I be concerned?
Absolutely. Communities across the United States have been poisoned one by one most of the time going unnoticed. This was a rare instance where they evacuated the entire community as opposed to just dealing with one particular aspect or letting it fade into the distance. We should all be aware that this is something that happens and could happen in our own areas.
There are some birds that are in the area and I was questioning what the water animals would’ve been like. I know in some places in West Texas they have found strange animals as a result of oil pits and things like that in addition California has had similar situation where they have found some strange things living out by the Salton Sea. So I can only assume that if the water is still toxic that the animals would’ve had to make some kind of adaptations to survive. Of course I am not going to go fishing to find out LOL
Question of the day: Have you ever been to an abandoned site?
Yes. I like to visit ghost towns to see what there is to learn from them.
Yes, I have been to a few in the west now.
Yes
Yes I have. I appreciate you sharing sites like these and their stories.
I have been to a few mining towns.
So sad. I live about 2 and a half hours drive from Picher. It's another reminder that, often, ignorance is NOT bliss. Not that long ago we painted our homes with lead paint, put lead in our gasoline, even soldered our water pipes together with lead solder. Lead is everywhere and is so horrible for the body. It's things like this that make me wonder, as a people, what have we done, and what can I do to make a change. Often history is brutal, but we must learn from it and not repeat the same mistakes again. Thanks for the video and reminder.
I would have to agree with you Arthur. I still remember lead paint and lead used in cooking dishes.
@@michaelbonderton5056 That reminds me, we still have to be careful with stainless steel. They still use lead in some stainless steels from over seas.
And mercurt dental fillings...
Absolutely! So many things we have around us have dangerous chemicals and toxins and we are oblivious until it is brought out boldly and loudly then everyone is up in arms…. Instead of having so many issues arise the smarter thing would be to find ways to mitigate this happening in the first place.
I know some Pyrex used lead paint for designs and coating and now is considered collectibles
We used to drive through this town to my uncles house. I remember when it was still a real town. We used to stop at the gas station there to get cokes.
Oh wow!!!
The world through your lens is inspiring. I enjoy your videos always but you have a voice in making change. I appreciate that you challenge all those watching but also encourage us all. Keep doing what you do, you deserve a show. I have said that time and time again, but I feel your channel is a breath of fresh air.
Thank you so much! I do have a show though LOL it’s here on UA-cam… I appreciate that you feel as though I deserve something larger than this however that is very meaningful to me thank you. I feel like we’re going to places like this it is important because it shares a different side of the story then we’re traditionally seeing when we’re traveling for fun and leisure. Places like this need to be seen they need to be heard and they need to be an example to others as to why we can’t let this continue happening.
Hey, you're in my area! You should stop at KUKU Burger in Miami, Oklahoma....or stop at the end of main street in Commerce, ok at Dairy King.
One of these days I will get back up there and try out that burger. My family actually has some ties to that area! So I would like to go and explore I know that you all also have a small museum I believe that I saw information for and that would be fun to stop in
@@BunnyPlaysHere come on back! We'd love to have you. Check out the Coleman Theatre....another historical location in Miami, Oklahoma!
Young lady you have touched on this and inspired thought. How often do we do things we don’t even realize impact others around us negatively? You are correct. I am thankful you shared this experience with us today and made us all think.
Thank you so much! I agree we need to learn more about how we impact one another and think of those things in our day-to-day life a bit more. A lot of people don’t realize things like this happen and remote spaces in addition to cities. They think it cannot happen to them. The people in this community thought that probably as well until one day they found out that the whole world has shifted around them.
You empathy for others shines through this presentation. You are correct that we have to do more to help our neighbors. I am from a time when lead paint was normal and many of us older people are still seeing the results of living in those homes. I appreciate your sharing this.
Thank you for those words. I feel this could be any of us based on various industries in our areas. It is important to learn from situations like these to not repeat this on a larger scale.
This seems so surreal. Thank you for taking us here and revealing something most of us don’t think about.
You are absolutely welcome! I think it’s important to see places like this in addition to the fun exciting places. It kind of sets the tone for us to realize the impact that we have and how fortunate that we are in many of the places that we go to.
This was very informative and thought provoking. We all need to do our part to keep the Earth alive. I appreciate your thorough coverage of this event. Safe travels.
Absolutely even though sometimes it might seem simple and silly to be pursuing some thing when the world around us doesn’t seem to care I think that place is like this or a prime example of why trying to do the right thing is important.
You said it so well 🙏 I am so impressed with your presentations of important issues. You are a great educator…
Yesterday DIY headlights, today a very important food for thought. Thank you.
Thank you! By covering different aspects of travel I want people to see that there are fun places but also serious places out there that you can visit. But more so that by visiting each one of these places you find out a little bit more about the people as a whole who inhabit our country. The stories that they have to tell through these sites are very impactful and if you’re willing to take time to just visit places like this in addition to the really fun cool ones you can get a more well-rounded experience as a whole.
Wow. Very interesting history. Thanks for taking us along.
Absolutely!! Thank you for coming along this was one of the most surreal places I have ever been….
That’s crazy! Thanks for braving it to show us💪🏼☺️
Absolutely I wanted to share the eerie nature of this space and the stories of the once thriving community.
This is SUCH a powerful video Bunny- it is so well done- thank you for bringing such an important topic to the forefront- and thank you SO MUCH for all that you do!
Thank you for watching! A lot of times I share very fun exciting videos of places that are beautiful and vibrant and full of life however sometimes looking at those who were full of life at one point but now are like this is also important. The people who lived here and still continue to have roots in this area deserve to have their stories seen so that they can be an example for others so we can potentially protect others.
We always see the abandoned sites and think it’s neat to explore but don’t think about all the jobs lost there and the people who were impacted: You put a human face on this with your video. Well done.
Absolutely the impact that we don’t see are all the people who were there before us. That’s why I try to take a different approach when I’m talking about ghost towns or Bandan places because at one point in time that was someone’s livelihood, their home, the place that they found peace. And now it is not it is a place of desperation and sadness.
It was mainly the kids that were effected and it is super sad and heart breaking because it took them too long to figure out what was happening
Didn’t know about this place. Appreciate you taking time away from what you were doing to check out this and tell us all more.
You are welcome! I wanted to make sure that we shared places like this because we can have all of the fun places on the channel but until we talk about some of the more serious ones we’re not fully seeing the bigger picture.
I remember seeing this on the news. I cannot imagine what I would do if I were in their position. You are right we have to protect the people around us better. How many years now has flint been dealing with this and we just ignore them.
You make a very good point Flint is still having problems with their water and that is not acceptable.
Hearing this story I thought about flint too.
So sad! An entire town wiped out by lead. I wonder how many other towns faced the same fate?
Unfortunately this is a situation in old mining towns all over the world.
All to many I feel…. Currently people are discovering the dangers of the oil and gas industry through there holding tanks and pits. In addition Flint Michigan is still very much so not able to drink their water… There are also other places that I’ve had similar fate as a result of negligence of humans not realizing that toxic materials are terrible. That’s why whenever I see people talking about protecting the water and the drinking water sources I get a little bit more adamant. A lot of times people don’t think about the impact that they have when doing industrial jobs near bodies of water. However those bodies of water don’t just affect those areas they also many times filter into streams and rivers which impact hundreds of thousands beyond that zone alone.
Great job Bunny
Thank you. I thought it was important to share the messages of this location…. It is unlike any place I have been previously.
I live in Flint Michigan. We still can’t drink the water
I am so sorry!! I know that the issues that are happening in Flint have to be very discouraging for everyone who is affected. I cannot imagine having this happen with a contamination of the water. I truly believe that there Hass to be some kind of solution that can be given to you all to help with this however people need to take political affiliations out of their thoughts and simply think about the people themselves.
@@BunnyPlaysHere Unfortunately there is a very long term corruption problem in the city government. Elected officials have been complicit in theft of city funds for many,many decades. Until they fix that nothing is going to change. Our city council is so volatile that they have police present to keep order. The President of the school board was arrested recently for assaulting another member during a meeting. 🤦♀️ SMH. Thank you. It’s a difficult place to live. Sometimes you don’t have many options.
😢
That's not what obama said
You can see how the site impacted you as you relates to your home town. The tone of your voice shifted and it made it much more real. Sad to see the homes and businesses in that state of decay.
The entire trip through the community was very surreal. I described it to another Person as you would be driving past some thing that looks vacant and then you look closer and noticed there was a house foundation and then another and then another you would never have known just driving by on the highway that this was ever even in town if it weren’t for the water tower
So very sad to see this in these so called modern days.
I agree I cannot imagine the feeling of being there during this time and the pain and heartache it must have caused.
Surreal and eerie to see the abandoned homes in this context.
Yes it is super strange to be there and feel the winds as they blow through and to take the moment to realize these were peoples homes.
Your just north of me I'm in grove
I actually drove through Grove! Very cool
Thanks Bunny for such an awesome video.
What became of the cemetery?
Apparently there is no listed cemetery. I could not find one anywhere and a google search showed nothing.
Now I'm wondering what we're going to discover years down the road about the millions of tons of lithium being mined now to make batteries for all the electric cars we're trying to build. We just don't know.
I agree I feel we continue to find the negative effects of so many things each year so at some point we will learn more about this also. I hope the negative effects are minimal i comparison to some of the other things.
Good piece, so many of your subscribers have already committed. Thanks for taking me/us there. So sad 😞
It was extremely sad to learn more information about this location. So many people were affected by this tragedy and still continue to be.
Thank you for another great video. Picher, Cardin, both in Oklahoma and Treece in Kansas all were abandoned because of the high lead in the soil and ground water, but the acid in the same ground water has caused kaurst or the dissolving of the limestone under ground which then causes the ground to cave in. Some people refused to leave and so technically they still own the land. If you don't pay your taxes, then the county sales the property in this case to the US Government. They still have to post the notices that the taxes are delinquent. The tornado actually likely saved a lot of children from excessive blood led levels. In areas were the water is not causing the rock to dissolve the government has removed the contaminated soil and brought in clean soil. The kaurst is why the government is still buying out those towns. Thank you for filming the area.
Thank you for that explanation! I was very confused as to why they would post this condemned property as a place that was for sale. However I had noticed that there were several industry jobs that were moving into the area and also that the marshals have a home post in the midst of the abandon homes. I spoke to someone and they said they actually live there however they have to bring in their own water. I cannot imagine the stress that would cause myself personally to be in that position. It is very sad to see what has happened to this community and continues to do so. Driving throughout it was a eerie feeling and after having researched it a bit more And learning about all of the children I do believe you are correct in saying the tornado saved lives.
I always enjoy your indeptht details and history of each location. Thx for sharing
Thank you! I always enjoy sharing places they have a unique story sometimes that story takes us to a fun place other day is it something like this where we can learn a lesson. Thank you for coming along for all of the adventures.
Excellent video: thoughtful, evocative, and well filmed. Thank you.
Thank you! I really wanted to share the story of this community because in reality this community could be any of our communities. I want to inspire others to learn more about what is happening to areas around us so that we can be the change. Also the somber tone of visiting this location I really wanted to capture through the music and also the videography.
Powerful and sad. I recently watched the documentary “Meltdown” on Netflix. This could have been Middletown, PA if things had gone just a little bit differently. I stand behind the policies to protect our environment even though many see them as an infringement on their rights. My small town in California is attempting to limit oil drilling to protect the water supply. They received grants to remove and update windows and window sills in homes with high levels of lead in the paint to safeguard the brains of the children. We as humans need to protect our resources and be aware of the affects of our actions. Sorry for the soapbox here. I just really appreciate you for bringing this small town reality and the affects on the people and businesses to your followers.
I couldn’t have said it better. The pipeline that was supposed to be placed over water many thought was fine but it would have contaminated water for thousands. When they do projects they pay money to hide those facts.
I certainly think it’s important to be more aware of what’s going on in the world around us. The story that you have just shared is exactly why I said what I did in this video it could be anyone of us at any given time and we have to protect each other.
Thank you so much for this. You did an amazing Job. I live in Oklahoma. I have somewhat followed the story but Have not been to the site. thank you.
This site is a very eerie feeling. You’re just driving through what looks like nothing and you look closer and noticed that there is the foundation of home after home. It is very surreal
watch the movie documentary about bible and freeman girls " hell in the heartland...they think they are buried in those abandoned mines
Do you know if this is available on a streaming service? I cannot seem to find it.
Hln that show that Nancy grace was on Cable Jax was the reporter that wrote the book
@@BunnyPlaysHere ua-cam.com/video/X9cq0Rt-d2Y/v-deo.html
@@diannerobinson7150 I have been looking for the episodes everywhere and cannot find them… I did find a teaser however and it looks like a very well done documentary. I will keep my eyes movin looking for it because I do not have a subscription streaming service to HLN
@@BunnyPlaysHere ua-cam.com/video/N254VyvqNxg/v-deo.html
I lived / went to college not terribly far from here at Pittsburg KS in the late 1990s. We would drive through Picher on the way to Grand Lake. Even back then it had a very odd dystopian vibe where the chat piles towered over the mostly vacant buildings. It was unnerving and I always hurried to get out of there quickly.
Excellent documentary Bunny! So professional. I'd never heard about Picher... until now.
Thank you so much. I wanted to share this because I think that we all need to be aware of the things that are going on around us a bit more. Sometimes it’s hard to see things because they aren’t physically close to us but these things happen around the country and it does have the impact to harm regular every day people
Thank you so much for this video. As a young woman from the surrounding area, we spent much time in Pitcher, Oklahoma, attending church services, shopping the several flea markets, and visiting a dear friend and family member who lived on the
outskirts of town. It has been sad to see the town die off.
No problem whenever I heard about this particular area I knew that I wanted to share the story because the people there some thing. A lot of people lose track of the realities of the world and often times we don’t realize that we have an impact on others
Very well put together documentary. Awesome job! My mother ,who is 94, grew up in Picher. The one building left in the little community of Cardin is a store my uncle once owned in the forties. My grandfather worked the mines until his lungs could no longer handle it. He died at the age of 69 due to COPD. Thank you for bringing this to the public.
Thank you so much this particular area was one that had fascinated me and I wanted to go and learn more. When you get there it’s such a somber look at reality. I wanted to make sure that I conveyed the stories of the people who once lived here but also showed what is the community currently looks like
My family is from Picher, they were one of the last ones to stay until the tornado. I had just moved back in with them a couple months before when the tornado hit. It's so heartbreaking to see all of this. When you started the video, you were actually standing where we had the yearly town fair called The Miner's Reunion 😭😭
You actually drove by where my grandma's house was 😭😭😭😭
Well Done Video Girl….Really enjoyed it..
what a wonderful inspirational video. thank you for that. it was so educational to me. as I was watching the video, I actually drifted into the video. I didn't here a sound while I was watching. keep up on your awesome videos. 👋
I always like to share different stories from places that I go. Sometimes those stories are happy and upbeat and leave everyone with joy and motivation to go to a fun attraction other times however I want to take a deeper look into things that of happened and share the realities of the world around us. This is one of those videos that while I was filming the area itself it was so surreal and I wanted to be able to convey that to the audience that may or may not be able to actually go there. I am so thankful that you enjoy the video and found it to be educational!
I lived in Picher for the 1st 11 years of my life. Daddy worked in the mines along with many other relatives. We moved to southwest Ok when the mine closed down. Daddy got relocated to the Eagle Picher Copper mlne until his retirement. The happiest time of my life was in Picher.
thank you for sharing your individual story!!! I have connected with so many who are from this area and have interesting memories... i am sad this happened to the community
🤦♀️ Having the most toxic town in America is NOT our proudest moment. But glad you got to come to my home state. There’s a lot of great things about Oklahoma too (especially the people). Hope ya got to explore some of the good stuff while you were here.
In addition to the most toxic town however you have some beautiful areas! I have visited so many and continue to enjoy Oklahoma overall!
A reminder that the environment does matter. Many take so much for granted, yet this town shows that what we do as humans is not always good for us. Very eerie feeling watching this video. It would be interesting to hear the stories from those that lived there. Prayers to them and their family/friends. 💔
Hey Bunny..that was one amazing video.
It was like a top notch documentary.
I loved everything about it.
You are wise beyond your years.
You be careful out there.
Can't wait for the next one.
Kinda made me think of Centralia Pa.
Thank you so much I know there are a few other people who have covered the subject matter online however I wanted to share it with my audience because I think it’s very important that we truly realize the impact that we have as people
Hello Ms. Bunny. This is so heart wrenching. For me it is personal. Not this town, but another one. My father was in the Air Force and we lived on George Air Force Base, CA. Years after we left, the base was closed due to toxic water. My father died young. I've also lost 2 sisters and my mom because of cancer. I am a cancer survivor. I only found out this information after watching a YT Video showing the empty "Ghost Town" base. We lived there for 4 years in the late 60's, we were always outside, we played in the dirt, drank from the hose, etc. Sadly the Air Force never contacted my family after closing the base. Watching your video made me feel for all of the families that onced lived in Picher, OK. Thank you for a wonderful video and the respectful way you presented it to us. Take Care and Safe Travels.
Omgosh what a heartfelt tour of the town. 💜
Absolutely… This could happen to any of us and the sad part is most likely we would not know until it’s too late.
I graduated from Picher High School in 1974. It was a great place to live. My daddy was the Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Picher for 7 years So sad how it all ended. But you are right, protect the land and water. Sad thing is back then WE DID NOT KNOW how toxic it was. Thank you for doing such a great job of telling a small part of our story. ❤️
Thanks for sharing this story
No problem I feel as though stories like this should be told because it’s very important and could impact all of us are water supply is something we must protect
Several communities in my area have spoken out against oil and gas because of contamination that has been linked to Frack tanks. So this hit home.
I think that if people look into their surroundings a lot of people will see stories like these pop-up. The fact is sometimes people don’t consider the long-term effects and just consider the short term and that’s what we’re seeing I think with some of the oil and gas now.
So sad about Picher. I'm not to far from there. I enjoyed this video and love to explore history of different places. I hope you do more of these videos and you are a good speaker btw. Thanks for the video. I can remember alot of people traveling to pitcher to play on the chat piles with their three wheelers and dirt bikes and things.😊
Thank you so much for your kind words! I enjoy sharing a variety of different kinds of places that I go and typically a lot of people want to see the more upbeat places however I think that places like this definitely have a story to tell and because of that story we can learn some thing and do better as overall people. I have heard several people mention similar stories to yours about traveling there or having played sports there and discovering what happened after the fact. I can only imagine that would be a very strange feeling. Thank you for sharing your story I appreciate it so much!
Yes. I am 48 miles from Picher. I'm actually in Parsons Kansas( a small town in southeast Kansas) I really enjoyed this one. If you ever go to a haunted place plz do a video. I enjoy exploring too. Keep doing these. 😊. Take care!
I know Picher very well .... spent a lot of time around those chat piles as a kid in the 70’s and even then the place had a grim feeling, a sense of tragedy... and now we know why. I drank a lot of water from that town because in those days kids got water not soda. Or we made tea and koolade. Sad place not because of lost jobs, because people moved on or worked elsewhere... but something about it felt doomed and tragic. The tornado was the last straw... excellent video and great reverence to the lives lost there. Some of the red buildings were senior housing. There are mine shaft (or caving limestone) under most of this town, don’t play on the chat piles least you disappear forever.
I certainly Paid attention to the warning of one of the marshals. He came up and had a conversation with me because he saw that I was filming and he made some comments about the land itself and how because of the tunnels it was actually very fragile. A lot of the fences are in place because those particular areas do have tunnels directly below them and could collapse at any time. It is a very serious subject that needs to be taken as such. I appreciate you sharing your stories as a person who has been in this area I think it’s important for people to listen to these stories and learn from what has happened here
@@BunnyPlaysHere I watched a boy on a bicycle riding the chat piles, disappear, they searched for him for days and never found him. It was early 70s... I was a kid so I got no news of it but my mom told me never to play on the chat piles... the weight was too much if there was a tunnel underneath.
I’m glad you had that conversation with the marshal. Good I fo to pass along.
You might check out the strip mines of SE Kansas... old timers would say that the mine waters held the secrets of criminals and battered wives in its depths.
I watched a documentary and read about this town awhile back. Horrible what happened to these people and their little part of Earth. Your video was well done and respectful. This reminded me of Love Canal and the poisons there. Growing up in the 1960's & 70's there seemed to be many areas like this. I also remember in the early 2000's, a dam breaking in the south east somewhere that let toxic sludge pour through an area.
I wanted to more so tell the stories of the people that live there and how this could be any person. More so than exploiting it just being an urban x video
@@BunnyPlaysHere That totally came through. ❤️❤️
As a kid in the late 60s, I played on chat piles a lot. Not in Picher but across the border in Kansas. Chat was hauled all around the area and piled up by the counties to use on roads in the winter. Local businesses would pile it up and sell it. It was cheap, plentiful and used for about everything. Concrete companies mixed it in their concrete, people pave their driveways with it, the uses were endless. We had no idea it was toxic. It was once a SuperFund site, might still be. Never been to Picher but thanks for this video.
While you were in the area, another interesting place might of been Le Hunt, Kansas. Last I heard it was all fenced off though. Haven't been up there in decades.
This is a fascinating story about the other community!! I didn't know I will have to look into it!! Thanks for sharing!!
@@BunnyPlaysHere Last time I was there in Le Hunt, there as very little left. At one time there was a small city of small wooden houses, most of them got moved to either Independence Ks or Neodesha Ks. Some may still exist today. The old foundations still existed the last time I was there. At the north end of the top of Table Rock, there is an old foundation that was rumored to be a brothel, There was a small Army barracks across the Elk river to the North. The story is soldiers would take a row boat across the river and climb the hill. Last time I lived there, this old barracks was a private home, so all I am saying is old rumors.
All the wood and steel is mostly gone. All that is left is crumbling concrete. I heard it was all bought out and fenced off. It was a place we love to explore at the time. Might not be worth the time now.
Sad but interesting!
Extremely sad.
Bunny you are an amazing young lady. You have so much compassion
Could the people not take anything from here? Clothes? Cars? Furniture?
I believe they were able to take their possessions however with many of their clothes washed in the water that has read it I don’t know that they chose to do that. There are a lot of mixed stories as to what people experience with Leaving
@@BunnyPlaysHere I’m researching the area now. Thanks
Just found your video; is accurate to a point. However, more to the story as you might expect. One of my chemisty professors at PSU was acutally Eagle-Picher's consultants on the Super Fund site issue. If we could talk you may want to make a follow trip. Man's input came from poking holes and allowing the water to get into the ecosystem, tar creek, which feeds the Neosho river and Grand Lake of the Cherokees. The chat was and is used for drive ways, roads, railroads, etc. At one point Picher was larger than the current size of Miami. The chat piles were the tailings of the ore, galena (lead sulfide) and would have very little lead and zinc salts remaining, as this is what was sought after. My children played in our drive way growing up. My son is now a CFO for a bank. You are correct the water coming out of the mines was the issue. The alarming fact to most was when the water would turn orange. The color comes from bacteria that existed millennium; which changes the valance of iron present. If you were to fly over in a helicopter, from Commerce (where Mickey Mantel grew up) to past Galena, KS you be provided with an interest site. I could provide you with so much more information. The original downtown, which fell in, to bodies being ceremonially dump into the shaft.
Heartbreaking! I grew up in Pawnee, which is about 2 and a half, three hours away. To be more specific, I grew up about an hour west of Tulsa. This video hits close enough to home for me. No, we don't stop & think about what we do. There's a song by the group Alabama called "Pass It On Down". Everytime I listen, and the more I listen, it gets me to thinking about what we're doing to this beautiful planet. I love it when Randy Owen (the lead singer) talks about the place where he learned to swim. The lyrics goes, "That water, it's so pure, and I'm gonna make sure daddy's grandkids can swim there like him". I also like the lyric, "Now, we all oughta feel just a little bit guilty when we look into the eyes of our kids. 'Cause brothers, it's a fact, if we take & don't put back, they'll have to pay for all we did. Now, I'm not married, and don't have children, but I do have a niece and nephew, who both will turn 14 & 18 later this year. I just hope & pray that when they're out of the house, that their parents have done everything in their power to teach them right from wrong. Whatever happened to personal responsibility & accountability? People want choices, but not accountability. They also want rights, but not responsibility. Very sad, but true. You can talk to people until you're blue in the face, but what they do is up them. Remember: you can't control what other people do, but you CAN control what you do.
Sad. Interesting story. Did they ever had any of this on the news? If so I missed it.
Thanks for sharing.
It was minimized on the news apparently because of the issues they were having.. i have spoken to someone from the area and it was a major issue that because the government was involved they attempted to keep private for a while due to the nature of the issues.... many were getting sick but still these were homes so it was a very sensitive subject.. this is not the only community in the US that has had a similar fate sadly.. i hope to share another one in the future soon
This is absolutely heartbreaking. So sad.
Absolutely! It is super sad to see what happened to this community and to know that this is just one of many that this is happened to. This is just one of the more extreme instances however.
Picher will always be home to many of us. In fact the head of the EPA him self made the statement that it was not the raw lead but the byproduct of refining the lead that was a problem. This means Picher is not as toxic as they made it out to be. It was the fact that they were worried about the town caving in. The drinking watter was not contaminated. The tornadow was the final nail in the coffin for many who would still be there today had it not happened. That is if it wern't for the 100 year agreement with the Quapaw tribe. The mining companies were suppost to hand it back over to the tribe after 100 years and sold it instead. Sadly ownership of land in Picher was not legal as the land in fact belonged to the Quapaw tribe but the residence had no clue.
We visited in 2009, my grandfather was born and raised here. He also worked in the mines like his father. You showed the remains of a gas station he worked at in his twenties. I wish I had a better picture of this, but there was a billboard in Picher that read, “Don’t put lead in your head.” I don’t know how to attach it though.
Interesting i had not seen anything about the billboard
Did you know that Joe Don Rooney singer with Rascal Flatts country band is from Picher, OK?
I did not know that that’s a cool fact! Thank you for sharing that
excellent information mixed with great adventure
The lead wasn't used just for bullets. It went in paint on just about everything. The zinc was for galvanizing just about everything that couldn't be painted. All has been replaced by plastics with a whole new set of problems. So much for better tomorrow's.
Hey Bunny, I just now found your channel, I'm so glad that I did especially since I live in Oklahoma. Are you from Oklahoma? I wonder how someone would or could repurpose that land, maybe an area that's the least contaminated idk, what kind of steps would you have to do to make it safe enough for habitation. What would it cost money wise, that's definitely food for thought. I'm going to benge some of your other videos now lol. Bunny 🐇 take care and God bless you and your entire family and our entire UA-cam family.
Welcome to my channel! I personally am not from Oklahoma but I travel through it pretty frequently. The problem with repurposing the land unfortunately is that a lot of it is very unstable thanks to the minds. They have had a lot of cave-ins in this area and so despite the contamination they also have to deal with that. This is another reason why this particular industry is a very dangerous and precarious one. This isn’t the first place that this particular situation has had impact on the community you can also look up Centralia Pennsylvania. In that community the tunnels under the mine actually became problematic because a fire started below ground and continue to burn into the community without many of the community even being aware that there was a fire burning until they were collapses.
Good to hear you was in Oklahoma.
Yes I passed through and did a few different things than I typically do and I really enjoyed it. I always enjoy my trips to Oklahoma though
❤TFS! Yes, in AZ. Great job showing this!
I grew up in Picher. I can tell you so much about the town.
I'm from Oklahoma, great video.
I was born in Picher in 1958!
Went back in the 70’s so sad.
Absolutely it is like a somber Tour through town
Picher, OK is just a short drive from my home town of Quapaw, OK. I was actually raised in Hockerville, Ok just a few miles straight east of Picher which was another mining town. My mother was born there as was my aunts. As a kid growing up we spent a lot of time there playing sports and cheering on each team. The buildings at the beginning were low income houses. When the government buy out started those residents were forced from their homes because some did not qualify for the buy out. Some did find other places to live, but the struggle for them was very hard. When the Super Fund started the people of Picher were not all treated fairly during the process. Some where offered large amounts of money for their property, while others were offer well below the value of their homes. When the school closed for good the children were then moved to the surrounding school districts. The large manufacturing building is where my uncle worked building large dump trucks for mines. The road in front of the church at the end of your video, if you would have went straight down the road about 4 miles, you would have came to the town of Quapaw. There are several documentaries on the Super Fund buy out and the cause the lead had on the children who lived there. The tornado was the worst one to hit our area. We could see the wall cloud from miles away. Picher may be gone but the spirit and love of that town remains strong to this day. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Bunny. I want to ask how often do you do a car check, with constantly being on the road like you are? You know, tires, belts, radiator, timing belt, etc.
Each time I return to base camp I get a good thorough once over. But also if I’m on the road and it happens to be time for an oil change I will do it then. I try to make sure that I keep my maintenance up on my vehicle the best I can while on the road or at base camp.
@@BunnyPlaysHere Thank you. 😊
Inspiring vid! Thank you for sharing and expressing your heart with us. For those who are interested, Google maps still shows how the town once looked before it was condemned due to the toxicity of the mine remains. It's interesting to explore if you happen to have a chance to!
I had my fun in Picher before the lawdogs got there ; I had a girlfriend that lived there , and a lot of us would go up on the chat piles and party up there. I've been through the gate with the pile of gravel in the way...lol . It was funny , in 1973, once I was drinking, and when I went through that gate, I said, " Well there ain't any law against going in here, yet. " I remember we had an especially rowdy time that night, celebrating that fact.
There were dune buggy races in the pits, and a guy rode a dirt bike over the top and fell into a 110 foot hole where the chat pile had collapsed the underground tunnels. I knew the guy that laid most of the bricks in the first and last part of the video, his name was Pat. I'd come to Picher and get a burger there on the main drag ( greasy, always ) and chat with him. ( pun intended). I've been swimming in Tar Creek before they fixed all the dirt on the banks. The last thing I saw there was the riding mower races in 1974. There was this old couple in red T-shirts that said " WE SURVIVED THE LEAD ". I remember the road between Picher and Cardin fell in when a truck went over an undermined spot. That was after I moved away from the area. I lived at Miami, OK. I can't quite remember what the big parking lot was with the exit arrow...I used to know. Seems like there was a farmer's market on part of it, but the other I have forgotten what it was. It was a toxic place, though. But there were some old timers that swore they'd never move away. There never was much going on there, and you had to go out of your way to get there, so most people just passed it by. Nothing to be gained by going there. That chat pile was a great place to smoke pot...you could see the cops coming for at least 5 miles. That's about all Picher was good for in the 70's.
Such a tragedy for all of those folks.
I agree it would be such a hard thing to endure as you have your family home and all of your friends and family effected.
My great grandma lived in treece. When I would visit her I would get jealous of the kids on atvs riding the hills. What a blessing it was that I didn't get what I want lol. Also this disaster wasn't planned it was a side effect from the way the mining process was. I just hope we learn from past mistakes and don't make them again. Can you find pictures of pitcher and treece in late 80s or early 90s? Hard to find anything.
Also last I hear it was the lead that got everyone. It was like sand and the wind would blow it everywhere. Drinking water. Your garden. All bad news
It was around 14 thousand residents at its peak in the 1920's.
I live about 20 minutes from Picher. Sad to see. It was a very close knit community.
Absolutely super sad to see. All of the homes look like they’re in such a rough condition but you know that at one point they were someone’s livelihood and happy place
oh this makes me so sad. Such a terrible waste. I live in a small town here in TX and I can't even imagine! The Crucifix of our Lord Jesus Christ on that fence just about did me in. thank you for sharing this. Safe travels!
When I saw that I knew that the piece of property I was staring at meant something to someone… that’s what you don’t normally get to see whenever you just passed through a place that is abandoned. It is through the human touch on several of these properties that you can see still that makes it hit home also.
Ernie Reding and wife was still living there in 2010.
God bless you.
well done
Raise awareness that this had happened in Oklahoma. It was surreal to visit and very hard to fathom that this was once a thriving area that people called home. Now it is overgrown and looks completely different. We all just have to respect the fact that each one of us has a voice in changing things like this from happening in the future.
That is very sad. How many people died?
I am not sure about how many people actually died. There were a lot of children that got sick and that’s what I actually got the situation turned over to authorities for water testing.
They say, "Ignorance is Bliss", I say it is a tragedy to not question and gain wisdom before putting the possibilty of a huge profit ahead of everything else, (False happiness), instead of just taking a step back and asking questions.
Oh you're in my State Okieland America.
quick question, how did you get access? is it public? is some restricted? are restrictions enforced? awesome video!
Public roadways are still open however each homesite is marked as private property so you cannot go into buildings or onto properties themselves
Thanks Bunny, this was a Charles Krault moment.😞
It is funny that you say that because my mom literally said that to me also LOL
Any wildlife which businesses moved in
Most of the businesses are actually gone as a result of the tornado only the shell of the holes are still there. The doors and windows have been removed from all buildings so that no one can go in there and do any kind of mischief. So while the animals might pass through I doubt that they honestly stay there
I've lived in MT since 1993. This story is repeated in many mining communities all over the state.
Super sad what it is that we do to ourselves
There's enough underground mines that you could walk underground from pitcher to Joplin Missouri
Wow this is just sad a whole community destroyed all because of one tornadoes and the mine
Absolutely it was very somber to visit this location. As I visited I noticed that more and more you would find pieces of the past long forgotten. It was super sad to see where homes one stood.
Sad place!
I absolutely agree the feeling of driving around the streets really will make you think
I'm from pitcher there wasn't 1 mine there were over 200.
But what made the mine tailings and water toxic?
Lead and zinc
@@BunnyPlaysHere There are mine tailings within an eighth on a mile from my summer camp in Edwards, NY and tunnels beneath from the St. Joe zinc and talc mine. Should I be concerned?
Water is Life ..
Absolutely it is!!!
Im a new subscriber n yes its empty cause of a Tulsa race Massacre that happened as well......
There's several places like this in America.
What is this piece of music?
Sad. And think of Detroit.
Absolutely. Communities across the United States have been poisoned one by one most of the time going unnoticed. This was a rare instance where they evacuated the entire community as opposed to just dealing with one particular aspect or letting it fade into the distance. We should all be aware that this is something that happens and could happen in our own areas.
Not even one animal...apocalyptic.
There are some birds that are in the area and I was questioning what the water animals would’ve been like. I know in some places in West Texas they have found strange animals as a result of oil pits and things like that in addition California has had similar situation where they have found some strange things living out by the Salton Sea. So I can only assume that if the water is still toxic that the animals would’ve had to make some kind of adaptations to survive. Of course I am not going to go fishing to find out LOL
I had the pleasure to visit there last week and it really is a ghost town! I just uploaded a video of my journey if you want to check it out
i just went and checked it out.... really enjoyed!!
Not going there anytime soon.
I don’t blame you it’s very eerie