View allAll Photos Tagged oldminingtown
madrid, new mexico
1975
miners' houses
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
Somehow the empty buildings of downtown Superior, Arizona seem not to have lasted out the eons of history these mountains share. It appears that some of these buildings are still in the hands of owners that are likely hoping to get some business going. The sign in the center is particularly ironic: "Set Free".
This is the eleventh image of a set I am building for the town of Superior, Arizona. This area is in a heavy mining location east of Phoenix. The glory days were likely late 1800's to about 1954. Each image is pretty stark, made more so by photographing in the blazing heat at high noon in July. On Saturday, July 4th this year, there was not much going on in the middle of the day...
Julian Branch Library:
First Library Bond Act library
to open its doors
Rampant wildfires destroyed much of rural San Diego County in 2003, but firefighters saved historic downtown Julian, including the Julian Branch Library then under construction. In spite of the fires, the library was completed on schedule.
In this remote mountain community of 6000, roads are sometimes impassable. There is no cable service, no movie theatre, nor video rental outlet. Luckily, the new Julian Library now gives this isolated community a window on the world.
Julian residents use the Julian library’s video collection for both educational videos and feature films. In addition, the library’s 20 public-use computers provide students and residents access to a wide range of database resources available from the San Diego County Library network via the Internet.
At approximately 10,000 square feet, the Julian Branch is not the largest library in the state, but, says Marilyn Crouch, retired director of the San Diego County Library, of which Julian is a part, “it has a huge impact on both library services and the lives of the residents of Julian,” sixty percent of whom hold library cards. Located adjacent to the Julian elementary, middle, and high schools, the Julian Branch is a joint-use library with a homework center for the community’s students who previously had to use an un-staffed school library with only 2,000 volumes. Their new public library can house over 20,000 volumes and will let Julian’s youth do schoolwork without traveling to the nearest regional library over 55 miles away.
The new public library branch also offers study rooms, a community meeting room, and a Friends of the Library Bookstore.
Julian is an historic Gold Rush-era community, where many of the buildings still look as if they were built in the 1860’s. The new Julian Branch, located in Julian’s commercial center, reflects the historical, rural, and architectural elements of other buildings in the vicinity, including the 1888 schoolhouse in which the library was formerly housed. In fact, the new library’s cupola is an exact replica of the schoolhouse’s, providing a visual recollection of the library’s former home.
The Julian Branch is unique in other ways. It was among the first group of libraries funded from the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2000 (Bond Act of 2000) and was the first project to break ground. In September 2004 the Julian Branch Library became the first Bond Act-funded library in the state to open its doors to the public.
A long exposure of downtown Leadville, CO. View Large On Black
(The orange streaks through the top-left half were from an 18-wheeler that just happened to pass through.)
©2008 Ben Morrow.
This series are photographs taken while discovering this magnificent 'bush' Capital of ours and the surrounding region.
I moved here to live at the end of May 2014 and this grouping were taken in late January on a Saturday drive.
Captains Flat is an historic mining town south of Queanbeyan in the Southern Tablelands of rural New South Wales with the Molonglo River running through it.
"The area was originally inhabited by Ngarigo Aboriginal people prior to European settlement. The town formed as a result of mining for gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and iron pyrites in the hills surrounding the upper reaches of the Molonglo River. The town boomed from 1881 to 1899 then went into a rapid decline until 1939 when rail access revived mining activity for another 23 years." [Text courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captains_Flat]. For detailed information on the township visit: www.captainsflat.org/
There are so many areas of natural beauty in and around Canberra, it's certainly worth a visit!
The reason they are linked to my pinch river profile is because they will inevitably feed into my work at some stage in some way or another, but for now can just be enjoyed as images of the area that captured my attention and inspired my creativity.
For details of my work and to purchase my products please visit my website: www(dot)pinchriver(dot)com(dot)au
Scenes from Picher - driving northbound US-69/Connell Avenue through what used to be the main city center of Picher - now completely barren, with the exception of one torn down building with some of its walls still up. The water tower is still up though - one of the few notable structures still remaining in this ghost town.
Picher, Oklahoma
Tuesday afternoon 31 January 2017
Picher, Oklahoma is a former mining town, considered a major center of lead and zinc mining in the early half of the 20th century, and had a peak population of 14,252 in 1926.
But with a decline in mining operations, the town's population declined as well. Mining ceased in the late 1960's, and the resulting effects on the land and water created a significant environmental problem for the town and area.
The most visible of these effects are the many large chat piles (large mounds of toxic and lead-contaminated waste pilings and dust as a result of mining activities) that surround Picher.
In 1980, Picher was designated a Superfund site - eventually the federal and state governments ordered the whole town evacuated and its residents relocated - one of only a handful of towns evacuated and declared uninhabitable due to environmental damage.
An EF4 tornado in 2008 caused significant damage to whatever was left of Picher at the time - and just accelerated the exodus.
The town was officially dissolved in November 2013.
And as of 2015, the official population of Picher is 0 (zero) - essentially making it a ghost town.
[Information obtained from Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picher,_Oklahoma]
Looking through the windows of the Dance Hall, in the city of Forest City I really couldn't see that well inside the building as the main door was locked, but I shot several photos with my camera through the window and I got some surprisingly interesting results. So proudly that flag flies and I like that soft glow that the light to the window gives our flag.
St. Elmo was originally settled in 1878 and was made official in 1880 when gold and silver began to bring many people to the area. Though it was first called Forest City, the small town's name was changed when the post office objected because there were too many towns with the same name. The new name was derived by Griffith Evans, one of the founders, who was reading a romantic nineteenth-century novel by the same name.
The town was laid out in six feet of snow and provided for the miners working in the nearby mines. Beginning with a high moral character, the settlement went the way of other booming mining towns, reaching a population of more than 2000 and taking on all the trappings of a single male population with saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses. When the Alpine tunnel was under construction, St. Elmo became the scene of raunchy Saturday night sprees.
In 1881 it became a station on the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad line where the tracks continued through Romley, Hancock and through the historic Alpine Tunnel. The settlement was considered a main source of supplies arriving by train for the area settlers and eventually included several merchandise stores, three hotels, five restaurants, two sawmills and a weekly newspaper called the Mountaineer. The miners worked at several mines throughout the area that were rich in silver, gold, copper and iron. The principal mines were the Murphy, the Theresse C., the Molly and the Pioneer. The Murphy Mine, situated high upon the mountain, 2000 feet above the railroad, shipped as much as 50-75 tons of ore per day to the smelters at Alpine. Altogether, there were over 150 patented mine claims in the immediate area.
The failure of numerous mines, and the closure of the Alpine Tunnel in 1910 started the decline of St. Elmo. Though mining continued at the Mary Murphy mine up until the 1920's, many of the miners moved away in search of new gold strikes. The railroad continued to run until 1922 and it has been said that the rest of St. Elmo's population rode the last train out of town, never to return. In 1926, the railroad tracks were torn up and the railroad grade was used to drive from Nathrop to St. Elmo.
All building in St. Elmo are privately owned, and well preserved.
Jerome is a town in the Black Hills of Yavapai County in the U.S. state of Arizona. Founded in the late 19th century on Cleopatra Hill overlooking the Verde Valley, it is more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. It is about 100 miles (160 km) north of Phoenix along State Route 89A between Sedona and Prescott. Supported in its heyday by rich copper mines, it was home to more than 10,000 people in the 1920s. As of the 2010 census, its population was 444
(Borrowed from Wikipedia)
This series are photographs taken while discovering this magnificent 'bush' Capital of ours and the surrounding region.
I moved here to live at the end of May 2014 and this grouping were taken in late January on a Saturday drive.
Captains Flat is an historic mining town south of Queanbeyan in the Southern Tablelands of rural New South Wales with the Molonglo River running through it.
"The area was originally inhabited by Ngarigo Aboriginal people prior to European settlement. The town formed as a result of mining for gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and iron pyrites in the hills surrounding the upper reaches of the Molonglo River. The town boomed from 1881 to 1899 then went into a rapid decline until 1939 when rail access revived mining activity for another 23 years." [Text courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captains_Flat]. For detailed information on the township visit: www.captainsflat.org/
There are so many areas of natural beauty in and around Canberra, it's certainly worth a visit!
The reason they are linked to my pinch river profile is because they will inevitably feed into my work at some stage in some way or another, but for now can just be enjoyed as images of the area that captured my attention and inspired my creativity.
For details of my work and to purchase my products please visit my website: www(dot)pinchriver(dot)com(dot)au
I am lucky to have a friend with a wonderful cabin on Quartz Creek in Pitkin, Colorado. We spent last week enjoying warm sunny days for photography, flyfishing and plein air oil painting.....:0) Pitkin is an old mining town from the 1800's. It is about 30 miles from Gunnison, Colorado.
On the Nevada and Arizona boarder is El Dorado Canyon, at one time the richest gold mine in southern NV.
madrid, new mexico
1975
abandoned mine
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
When it's about high noon and the day is blazing hot, this is the best I could capture in a color photo of this old fire truck. The previous photos show more of this truck in Superior, Arizona.
This is the sixth image of a set I am building for the town of Superior, Arizona. This area is in a heavy mining location east of Phoenix. The glory days were likely late 1800's to about 1954. Each image is pretty stark, made more so by photographing in the blazing heat at high noon in July. On Saturday, July 4th this year, there was not much going on in the middle of the day...
madrid, new mexico
1975
abandoned mine
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
madrid, new mexico
1975
miners' houses
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
An old fire truck in Superior Arizona - perhaps still used, but maybe only for parades? Beyond the truck is a mountain that is quite remarkable and known for some minor mining activity in the past. It is a place you can find "Apache Tears", a type of black obsidian known for their small, kidney shaped pieces. The next image shows a closer view of the fire truck.
This is the fifth image of a set I am building for the town of Superior, Arizona. This area is in a heavy mining location east of Phoenix. The glory days were likely late 1800's to about 1954. Each image is pretty stark, made more so by photographing in the blazing heat at high noon in July. On Saturday, July 4th this year, there was not much going on in the middle of the day...
madrid, new mexico
1975
abandoned mine and miner's house
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
On the Nevada and Arizona boarder is El Dorado Canyon, at one time the richest gold mine in southern NV.
madrid, new mexico
1975
miners' houses
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
madrid, new mexico
1975
abandoned mine
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
Julian Branch Library:
First Library Bond Act library
to open its doors
Rampant wildfires destroyed much of rural San Diego County in 2003, but firefighters saved historic downtown Julian, including the Julian Branch Library then under construction. In spite of the fires, the library was completed on schedule.
In this remote mountain community of 6000, roads are sometimes impassable. There is no cable service, no movie theatre, nor video rental outlet. Luckily, the new Julian Library now gives this isolated community a window on the world.
Julian residents use the Julian library’s video collection for both educational videos and feature films. In addition, the library’s 20 public-use computers provide students and residents access to a wide range of database resources available from the San Diego County Library network via the Internet.
At approximately 10,000 square feet, the Julian Branch is not the largest library in the state, but, says Marilyn Crouch, retired director of the San Diego County Library, of which Julian is a part, “it has a huge impact on both library services and the lives of the residents of Julian,” sixty percent of whom hold library cards. Located adjacent to the Julian elementary, middle, and high schools, the Julian Branch is a joint-use library with a homework center for the community’s students who previously had to use an un-staffed school library with only 2,000 volumes. Their new public library can house over 20,000 volumes and will let Julian’s youth do schoolwork without traveling to the nearest regional library over 55 miles away.
The new public library branch also offers study rooms, a community meeting room, and a Friends of the Library Bookstore.
Julian is an historic Gold Rush-era community, where many of the buildings still look as if they were built in the 1860’s. The new Julian Branch, located in Julian’s commercial center, reflects the historical, rural, and architectural elements of other buildings in the vicinity, including the 1888 schoolhouse in which the library was formerly housed. In fact, the new library’s cupola is an exact replica of the schoolhouse’s, providing a visual recollection of the library’s former home.
The Julian Branch is unique in other ways. It was among the first group of libraries funded from the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2000 (Bond Act of 2000) and was the first project to break ground. In September 2004 the Julian Branch Library became the first Bond Act-funded library in the state to open its doors to the public.
madrid, new mexico
1975
a.t. & s.f. steam locomotive
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
Western "wallpaper" in a small town hotel, Oatman, Arizona. The woman walked right into the photo as I snapped it, and I kept her there for she is an iconic element of a western character working in what is left of the Wild West. The condiments on the bar table, complete with a beer, a cig and a Coke are also classic.
The best photo of this wall decor is the next image, here.
madrid, new mexico
1975
abandoned mine
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
madrid, new mexico
1975
miners' houses
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
On the Nevada and Arizona boarder is El Dorado Canyon, at one time the richest gold mine in southern NV.
Image from Google Earth showing Mt. Dana (13,061), Tioga Lake and area of lakes above ghost town of Bennettvile (west of Lee Vining, CA). View is southward. The east entrance to Yosemite National Park is at the extreme top right at an elev. of 9943 ft. Shell and Fantail Lakes are a very short distance north of the ruins of the old mining town of Bennettvile. The area you see here is part of the Inyo National Forest.
On the Nevada and Arizona boarder is El Dorado Canyon, at one time the richest gold mine in southern NV.
Sign says Pop 12 but 2010 census said 58 people
A BRIEF HISTORY of
Alleghany, California
Beginning in early 1850, several mining settlements sprung up in the area which Alleghany now occupies. One of these settlements was Smith’s Flat which began in 1851. It was located at the southwest end of town where the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s substation is now situated. Another of these early settlements was Kanaka Flat which was located about 2 miles southwest of Alleghany. Other settlements of importance were Wet Ravine which was 1 mile west of Alleghany, Kanaka City which was about 1.5 miles northeast of Alleghany, and Cumberland which was located at the northeast end of town and became contiguous with Alleghany.
In April, 1853 the Alleghany Company (named after the river in Pennsylvania) began a drift tunnel which they named the Alleghany Tunnel. At this time the town started to form and was called Jericho and Alleghanytown. The Alleghany Tunnel tapped into a pay streak in 1855. By spring of 1856, the town of Alleghany was laid out and in November, 1857 the post office was moved there from Chips Flat. Although the drift tunnel mines began to decline by 1862, the district continued to be one of the richest with the development of lode mines.
In September, 1863, a fire started in a stable and consumed the General Store of Wood and Co.
In November, 1889, a fire started in Bennett’s Hotel. The fire quickly spread along the upper road destroying 12 buildings in the process.
The winter of 1889-1890 brought 14 feet of snow to Alleghany in a single storm. The drifts were so deep that residents dug tunnels to get around town.
Between 1900 and 1909, mining activity diminished in the area.
In March, 1909, a defective stove-pipe started a fire in a building housing the school downstairs and the Masonic Order Lodge upstairs. Although the building was destroyed, the fire did not spread to other structures.
In 1913, a road was constructed between North Columbia and Alleghany which greatly improved access of supplies from Grass Valley / Nevada City. The following winter, this road remained open.
In May, 1933, a fire started in Green’s Hotel near the center of town. Like the fire of 1889, the fire quickly spread along the upper road consuming 12 buildings on both sides of the street between Green’s Hotel and the Plaza.
Once again in 1987, a fire began in the kitchen of the Golden Eagle. The fire destroyed buildings on both sides of the street.
At present the population of Alleghany is less than 100 and the only establishments open for business are the Post Office and Casey’s Place.
These grounds are part of the large collection of antiques and oddities amassed by the owner of the Shady Lady Antiques. The woman pictured is Lora who became my tour guide through Chloride and into the hills above town. She was extremely knowledgeable and loved to give tours for free.
Shot in infrared with an IR Chrome Filter.
Besbee, Arizona an old copper mine town is a neighborhoods of Victorian and European-style homes perched miraculously on the hillsides.
St. Elmo was originally settled in 1878 and was made official in 1880 when gold and silver began to bring many people to the area. Though it was first called Forest City, the small town's name was changed when the post office objected because there were too many towns with the same name. The new name was derived by Griffith Evans, one of the founders, who was reading a romantic nineteenth-century novel by the same name.
The town was laid out in six feet of snow and provided for the miners working in the nearby mines. Beginning with a high moral character, the settlement went the way of other booming mining towns, reaching a population of more than 2000 and taking on all the trappings of a single male population with saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses. When the Alpine tunnel was under construction, St. Elmo became the scene of raunchy Saturday night sprees.
In 1881 it became a station on the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad line where the tracks continued through Romley, Hancock and through the historic Alpine Tunnel. The settlement was considered a main source of supplies arriving by train for the area settlers and eventually included several merchandise stores, three hotels, five restaurants, two sawmills and a weekly newspaper called the Mountaineer. The miners worked at several mines throughout the area that were rich in silver, gold, copper and iron. The principal mines were the Murphy, the Theresse C., the Molly and the Pioneer. The Murphy Mine, situated high upon the mountain, 2000 feet above the railroad, shipped as much as 50-75 tons of ore per day to the smelters at Alpine. Altogether, there were over 150 patented mine claims in the immediate area.
The failure of numerous mines, and the closure of the Alpine Tunnel in 1910 started the decline of St. Elmo. Though mining continued at the Mary Murphy mine up until the 1920's, many of the miners moved away in search of new gold strikes. The railroad continued to run until 1922 and it has been said that the rest of St. Elmo's population rode the last train out of town, never to return. In 1926, the railroad tracks were torn up and the railroad grade was used to drive from Nathrop to St. Elmo.
All building in St. Elmo are privately owned, and well preserved.
Bills hanging from the ceiling in the bar of the historic Oatman Hotel on main street, Oatman, Arizona. Other images in the set show the decoupage money on the wall and the setting of the 1902 hotel. I like this one the best of the images for money as it hangs from the ceiling. The title comes from the marker inscription on one of the dollar bills.
A chunk of rock that DH purchased at a ghost town near Yuma, Arizona. Don't know what type of ore it is but it is very shiny silver.
FOREST CITY DANCE HALL
BUILT BY WEST AND KNOWLES FOLLOWING THE FIRE OF
1883. THIS THEN THREE-STORY STRUCTURE HOUSED THE
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS, A LARGE RUBBER-SPRUNG DANCE FLOOR, BARBER SHOP, SALOON AND BILLIARD HALL. IN THE LATE 1930S, THE TOP FLOORS WERE CRUSHED BY SNOW AND THE DANCE FLOOR RELOCATED TO THE BOTTOM STORY. THE HAND-GRAINED WAINSCOTING, BAR AND FIXTURES REFLECT THE ORIGINAL 1880S DECOR. THE BARBER SHOP WITH ITS ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS WAS IN THE ROOM NOW OCCUPIED BY THE MUSEUM. IN 1992 THE FOREST CITY HISTORICAL ASSO-
CIATION ASSUMED STEWARDSHIP AND HAS DEDICATED IT TO
PUBLIC USE
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED JULY 13, 1996
BY THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS
One of the remaining buildings at the ghost town (old mining town) of Dawson. I'm posting this primarily to see if anyone knows more about this building. What was it? I took this very poor shot from far away--the townsite is behind a locked gate and is visible only from a road at quite a distance from the place itself.
Here's a website giving background info on Dawson: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson,_New_Mexico#cite_note-gtgall...
On the Nevada and Arizona boarder is El Dorado Canyon, at one time the richest gold mine in southern NV.
Wow, a sign to advertise the amenity of "indoor plumbing"! One wall of the historic Oatman Hotel, in the restaurant and bar. This is part of a set for the historic site on the Route 66 tourist destination, northwestern Arizona.
A BRIEF HISTORY of
Alleghany, California
Beginning in early 1850, several mining settlements sprung up in the area which Alleghany now occupies. One of these settlements was Smith’s Flat which began in 1851. It was located at the southwest end of town where the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s substation is now situated. Another of these early settlements was Kanaka Flat which was located about 2 miles southwest of Alleghany. Other settlements of importance were Wet Ravine which was 1 mile west of Alleghany, Kanaka City which was about 1.5 miles northeast of Alleghany, and Cumberland which was located at the northeast end of town and became contiguous with Alleghany.
In April, 1853 the Alleghany Company (named after the river in Pennsylvania) began a drift tunnel which they named the Alleghany Tunnel. At this time the town started to form and was called Jericho and Alleghanytown. The Alleghany Tunnel tapped into a pay streak in 1855. By spring of 1856, the town of Alleghany was laid out and in November, 1857 the post office was moved there from Chips Flat. Although the drift tunnel mines began to decline by 1862, the district continued to be one of the richest with the development of lode mines.
In September, 1863, a fire started in a stable and consumed the General Store of Wood and Co.
In November, 1889, a fire started in Bennett’s Hotel. The fire quickly spread along the upper road destroying 12 buildings in the process.
The winter of 1889-1890 brought 14 feet of snow to Alleghany in a single storm. The drifts were so deep that residents dug tunnels to get around town.
Between 1900 and 1909, mining activity diminished in the area.
In March, 1909, a defective stove-pipe started a fire in a building housing the school downstairs and the Masonic Order Lodge upstairs. Although the building was destroyed, the fire did not spread to other structures.
In 1913, a road was constructed between North Columbia and Alleghany which greatly improved access of supplies from Grass Valley / Nevada City. The following winter, this road remained open.
In May, 1933, a fire started in Green’s Hotel near the center of town. Like the fire of 1889, the fire quickly spread along the upper road consuming 12 buildings on both sides of the street between Green’s Hotel and the Plaza.
Once again in 1987, a fire began in the kitchen of the Golden Eagle. The fire destroyed buildings on both sides of the street.
At present the population of Alleghany is less than 100 and the only establishments open for business are the Post Office and Casey’s Place.
As the sign reads:
This model of the Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Building was constructed and donated by Teresa Thomas, a 9 year old student from Panorama Elementary School in St. George. The model was made asa part of a Utah history project assigned by fourth grade teacher Jay Kemple and was donated to the building restoration committee in May, 1987.
Scenes from Picher - last remnants of the former Picher Mining Museum. The museum was already abandoned, but in 2015 it was mostly destroyed due to arson.
Picher, Oklahoma
Tuesday afternoon 31 January 2017
Picher, Oklahoma is a former mining town, considered a major center of lead and zinc mining in the early half of the 20th century, and had a peak population of 14,252 in 1926.
But with a decline in mining operations, the town's population declined as well. Mining ceased in the late 1960's, and the resulting effects on the land and water created a significant environmental problem for the town and area.
The most visible of these effects are the many large chat piles (large mounds of toxic and lead-contaminated waste pilings and dust as a result of mining activities) that surround Picher.
In 1980, Picher was designated a Superfund site - eventually the federal and state governments ordered the whole town evacuated and its residents relocated - one of only a handful of towns evacuated and declared uninhabitable due to environmental damage.
An EF4 tornado in 2008 caused significant damage to whatever was left of Picher at the time - and just accelerated the exodus.
The town was officially dissolved in November 2013.
And as of 2015, the official population of Picher is 0 (zero) - essentially making it a ghost town.
[Information obtained from Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picher,_Oklahoma]