With just about every resident gone, schools closed and city government dismantled, federal officials have begun demolishing the town of Picher, Okla., officals said Friday, Jan. 28.
The federal government has ordered the demolition because of years of lead contamination.
However, there is one business owner standing in the way of some of the wrecking balls.
Gary Linderman, owner of Old Miner’s Pharmacy, said he has an obligation to the people who are left, even though these days, only a few customers come in.
"It's not time for me to leave yet," Linderman said."We are all creatures of habit and closing might throw (the people) off."
Linderman said what's left of his customer based buys snacks, over-the-counter medications and beverages.
The federal government offered to buy Linderman’s business, but he refused several offers. Since the government declared Picher, located in the northeast corner of the state, a hazardous waste site in 1981, it is has successfully bought-out all of the town's 900 homes and commercial properties.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 24, crews tore down a thrift store, apartment complex, restaurant and a building used as a funeral home.
Officials said three historic building will remain for now. A former museum, auction house and church will still stand near Linderman’s property, although the pharmacy will be the only building in use.
Between 1917 and 1947, Picher was a lead- and zinc-mining hotbed. The town remained economically vibrant until the late 1960s. Today, it is part of the Tar Creek Superfund site.
Once a town of more than 14,000, Picher saw steady population declines as mining operations ceased. As of Novemeber 2010, only six occupied homes remained.
Much of the area is littered with mining sinkholes, which have caused significant dangers over the years.
The town was ordered to be closed in 2006. Citizens have been relocated to nearby communities.
Comments
Picher, Oklahoma is unique in the world and should not have been demolished. I know of no town anywhere hit by a deadly tornado, in which instead of rebuilding, the inhabitants were forced to walk away and leave their town just the same as when the tornado left it after killing six people. It's true that the ground water is polluted, but you don't go to Picher to drink the water. When it's dry and windy lead and cadmium dust blow off the piles of tailings that surround the town, so pick another day to visit Picher when it's not dry and windy. In the past couple of years I've been in and out of Picher photographing it. It was a compelling place that's suffered a perfect storm of disasters and a sad place too because the inhabitants loved the town they were forced to leave.
The Corps of Engineers warned the town was in danger of cave-ins from the mine shafts and huge void areas beneath the town. Trucks were told it was not safe to drive the highway that runs through town. Yet now the EPA is sending heavy equipment into Picher to demolish anything that still stands. Now it seems there was nothing to the Corps of Engineers cave-in warnings or they wouldn't be tempting fate with heavy equipment roaming around Picher.
And finally, the church was saved for historic reason. I'm happy it was saved, but in what way was the church more historic than the commercial buildings?
We've collected a lot of fascinating pictures in the Picher, Oklahoma group on Flickr. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/picheroklahoma/
I for one am glad I got out of Picher years ago. Growing up there was awful there was nothing to do. No jobs of any kind. And the kids there were all either drunks or pot heads. My brother Booner use to play football for the team there but I never went out. I was asamed to be from Picher. I am sure glad it is all over for this place.
Most of the people were nice. Gay as all hell like the Freemans, but nice none the less.
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