Okaton, South Dakota.
This week, Tina Schell challenges us to share those photos of places and objects that have seen better days. She writes, “Through the years I’ve learned how much we photographers love dilapidated, vintage, older things. My archives are a veritable storehouse of worn, aging items that are full of character. So this week, let’s all take the opportunity to show them off.” You can read her entire challenge post here.
In 1906, a railroad town was born in South Dakota. Okaton still has a few residents, but it’s got some buildings that have certainly seen better days. The elevator in the opening photo is certainly one example. In its life, it was even in a movie that was never released. Today, it’s but a shell of its former self.
Probably my favorite image from the visit to Okaton featured this house. An unrelated Internet post led me to believe that this house once belonged to a family known as Crazy Bear. A comment from Clayton confirmed the name is a surname, not a person’s name, specifically.
You may have seen this image in a Cellpic Sunday Challenge post I published in August of this year. In fact, you may have seen all of these images in a previous post about Okaton here. In that post, you’ll find more details about these abandoned buildings and their potential for being a tourist attraction that didn’t materialize.
As this is being written, we are just beginning the last week of a month-long journey across the western states. We are in Spokane Washington for the weekend, and sometime today, we’ll be headed eastbound for Fargo.
If you click on any of the images above, you’ll see them in HD on my Flickr site, and you will find a few extra images shared from my original post in January. Thanks to Tina for an opportunity to reflect upon a visit to a place that features several buildings that have seen better days.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
I agree that ruined buildings attract more attention than new ones, behind the image there is a story left for the subconscious to guess.
So true, my friend.
Beautiful in its decay
The stories these buildings could tell, for sure.
Fabulously tragic John 🙂
Many a town has disappeared because the railroad moved or the Interstate went a different way.
Like the town that Aletta put a day or so ago. The diamonds mine ran out and word of another place got out. Everyone just left. The town is being swallowed by sand and is a heritage sight
Since I’ve been traveling, I’m way behind on my blog reading. I am home tonight, and tomorrow, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’ll look for her post.
It’s worth the words and photos. Here you go so no need to search
https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2021/10/05/lens-artists-photo-challenge-168-seen-better-days/
Thanks for the tip!
Old churches, too! I’m fascinated by dilapidated things.
Indeed! They make for great stories, real or imagined.
I love these tumbledown buildings – very photogenic and perfect for the LAC theme!
Thanks. They have an appeal in their current state, for sure.
Excellent. Abandoned, run-down houses and cars always make me wonder about the previous inhabitants.
Indeed! I always wonder why the places were abandoned. In the upper Midwest, it is usually railroad and grain elevator closing.
The middle photo is my favorite too. They are all wonderful John 😀
Thank you! I love to photograph those buildings that have seen better days.
Absolutely loved Crazy bear’s house, just perfect!! Now we need to know who she was and why they called her that!!
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much info on her on the Internet, only a reference to her obituary when she passed in a nearby town. I imagine she was Native American, but I have nothing to go on that.
In any case, her house is photogenic, even in its current state. 🙂
That’s a family name not just one person name and I’m related to the Crazy Bears
I love your choices John. Well done!
Thank you!
😊
Crazy Bear’s house tumbling in on itself is my favourite too!
Thanks! Such a photogenic place.
Oh noooo…that second one is about to topple down!
It would seem so. It looks like it’s falling in on itself.