As the name suggests, Picher was a former mining town named after Picher Lead Mining Company owner. The town that was the best in the Tri-state mining district existed for almost 10 decades before it was deserted and residents relocated. Mining which led to its establishment also led to its downfall and desertion.

Rise of the Picher Town

Picher town located in Ottawa county of Oklahoma United States was established in the early years of the 20th century. The town which was mainly occupied by native Indians came to popularity and major facelift when several mining companies built camps in the area to exploit zinc and lead. Picher grew when miners flocked the town, raising the population to over 12,000 people. Schools, homesteads, businesses, and stores sprawled the region making it the most productive town in the whole Tri-state district. At some point, the town was the capital City of Ottawa County. Only to be abandoned years later.

Dark days in Picher Town

Picher mines during their prime days produced several toxic lead and zinc wastes from their mines. This led to contamination of water and soil in the region. Because the company frequently pumped the water out of the mines many residents never felt the effect of the poisonous water in the town. These wastes from water and soil affected the majority of the children who were found to be highly poisoned by lead.

After the mining stopped in 1967, further studies and research by the government showed that Picher had an extremely high concentration of toxic wastes on soil surfaces and water. Efforts to control the environmental hazards proved to be futile forcing the government to relocate the residents. By the year 2000, the majority of the town residents had been relocated leaving behind only 20 diehard residents who refused to leave with the rest. Most of the diehards were driven out by a tornado that struck the town in 2008.

What remains of Picher Town?

The entire townsite of Picher was declared uninhabitable by the government and was officially closed in 2009. Six homes and one business remain as one diehard still lives in the town. A tornado that struck the town in 2008 caused further destruction to the abandoned ruins, collapsing most of them. Some of the structures in the town were declared national historic monuments and are currently preserved. The rest of the buildings are in extreme ruins due to the effect of the tornado. These buildings are up for demolition.

The whole townsite of Picher is contaminated by the toxic mine wastes from its operational days. The area is recorded to be the most toxic region in the United States of America. It has high levels of concentration of various heavy metals on its surface. Despite the toxic waste concentration, major digging of the town weakened the ground making it unstable. Due to these environmental hazards, the townsite is closed to the general public. Some events such as Christmas parades are still held in the town by the former residents.