We drove U.S. 69 to go from Miami, Oklahoma, to Johnson county, Kansas, on Saturday. We saw the white piles first. What on earth is going on in Picher, Oklahoma? The white stuff is "chat," or mine tailings, the leavings from decades of lead mining.
Things looked desolate as we drove down the main street. It's not uncommon to find a small town full of deserted storefronts but this was desertion to the max.
The town was condemned because of lead hazards and unstable ground due to all the mining. If that wasn't enough, a tornado hit Picher in May 2008, killing seven people and wiping out 20 blocks of the town.
Picher has been evacuated. "TBC" is spray-painted on every building still standing. Next time we take a road trip, I'm going to research the small towns along the way so I'll have some idea of what's coming.
