OK Ghost Towns

• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-20 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=79 ) 10:33:49

• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-19 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=78 ) 10:12:39
• Indianapolis Oklahoma http://twitpic.com/ueo4a 16:04:12
• http://bit.ly/4Jyjlq
  Indianapolis 16:04:48

• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-18 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=77 ) 10:09:32

• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-17 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=74 ) 10:03:04
• Does anyone have pictures of the old Calmez Hotel that stood in Clinton? Was torn down about 10 yrs ago. 11:02:09
• New post: Login ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=75 ) 13:53:35
• New post: Twitter Feed ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=76 ) 13:53:44

• New post: Work to Be Done ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=72 ) 09:29:28
• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-16 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=71 ) 10:09:52

• Adding a metal detector to my list of tools used for ghost town research. Should have it delivered on Friday. 08:53:05
• New post: Tweets for 2009-12-15 ( http://okghosttowns.us/?p=70 ) 10:05:49

There is still a lot of work to be done on this site.  I figure it is going to take a few years just to get to some point of completion and even then there will still be work to be done.  Here is what has happened since I started this site about two weeks ago:

1. Got the wiki up and running
2. Created links for each of the Oklahoma counties on the wiki page
3. Created maps for almost all of the counties.  Found a few I missed when uploading the maps.
4. Listed ghost towns in each of the counties.
5. Began work on few of the ghost towns listed.
6. Setup a Twitter account and configured settings to push out site updates over Twitter.
7. Created an Amazon store for books I recommend reading.
8. Created a Flickr group page for other to share their ghost town pictures.
9. Created a Facebook fan page.
10. Got the blog pages laid out nicely and tried to make them user friendly.

Here is a list of things I still need to get done:

1. Create maps for each of the ghost towns to try and show where within the county that town lies.
2. Research at least one ghost town a week and work on its wiki page.
3. Continue looking for other towns that the site does not currently have listed.
4. Travel to as many of these towns or areas as I can to get new pictures for the site.
5. Promote the site and history as much as possible.

I have great expectations and hopes for this site.  I welcome others who share the same interest to join me in educating others about Oklahoma’s ghost towns.  If you have any information or knowledge to share about any of the towns or know of other towns that we don’t currently have listed, please use the contact page to share it.  I have gotten several submissions so far and they have all been great.

• I know I have been quiet the last couple of days. Been work on some other projects. Should have time to get back to this one real soon. 08:31:01
• Avery, OK http://okghosttowns.us/?p=68 11:12:37

I wanted to take a second and thank Nancy for sending me some great pictures from Avery, Oklahoma.  I will be adding these to town information page in the wiki just as soon as I can.

Robertson Home

This is a picture of her great grandfather’s home in Avery.  G.A. Robertson was one of the founding members of the town.  He also owned and operated one of the largest general stores in the town, a livery stable, and had an interest in the the lumber mill and cotton gin.  At one time G.A. Robertson was the mayor of Avery.  His brother James B. A. Robertson went on to become the 4th Governor of Oklahoma.

On a separate note, James Robertson has a very interesting history as Oklahoma’s Governor.  In 1921, Robertson was forced to declare martial law due to the Tulsa Race Riots.  Robertson also tried to pass many programs aimed at helping Oklahomans and tried to pass legislation for vast improvements of Oklahoma’s highway system, but voters did not support the bill.  With a divided legislature and government scandals, the Republicans impeached many Democratic politicians and fell one vote short of impeaching Robertson himself.

Bryan Robertson

Avery Train Station

Avery 2002

I would like to recommend a book for your reading and research about Oklahoma Ghost Towns.  This is the same book that inspired me a few years ago to begin looking for more towns and more information on other towns.

Ghost Towns of Oklahoma

Ghost Towns of Oklahoma is a well written book.  Unfortunately it is about 30 years old and much has changed since the book was written.  None the less, the history behind the towns is solid and stories about each is worth your time to read.  The author includes several pictures for many of the towns from it’s hey day to the time the book was written in the 70′s.  I have visited several of the towns mentioned in the book and there is even less of them from the pictures taken in the 70′s.

I feel like there could have and probably should have been more towns mentioned in this book.  Perhaps it would have made for too large of a book to include many of the towns I have been made aware of that are not in this book.  Regardless of that fact, I still really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone.  This book helped to inspire this website and will be referred to many times for both research and reference.  I have included this book in our Amazon Store.  Stop by and pick yourself up a copy.  I think you will enjoy it as much as I have.