My journey across South Dakota next took me to a small ghost town right off the highway called Okaton. Founded in 1906 as a place for railroad workers to live, Okaton survived until the 1980s when a combination of harsh winters and the railroad tracks falling into disuse slowly drove residents out of the town towards greener pastures.
Around that time a family called the Westlakes tried to turn it into a ghost town-themed tourist attraction with its own general store, petting zoo, rock shop, and other attractions. This attempt to turn Okaton into a ghost town themed attraction only lasted for a few years before Okaton ironically became a real ghost town- despite its proximity to I90, there simply weren't enough people stopping by for the Westlake family to stay in business.
The 2010 census listed 36 residents in 14 households remaining in Okaton, but the vast majority of those lived on farms outside of town. Only a couple of residents still live within town limits today.
We're almost done folks, but not quite yet. Next up, Ardmore.
post by Deserted Finland | | Re: The Great Quarantine Ghost Town Hunt: Okaton Ironies (3/4) <Reply # 2 on 10/5/2021 11:16 AM >
My personal favorites are number 2, 3 and 6. In the first two I admire the way you have managed to capture the light and shadows. The third one is just a beautiful balance between the ruin and the beautiful rural scenery.
post by fr00tCake | | Re: The Great Quarantine Ghost Town Hunt: Okaton Ironies (3/4) <Reply # 3 on 10/5/2021 12:48 PM >
Posted by mookster My favourite one so far, that Bronco (or is it an International?) is awesome.
International Scout II with the steel "Travel Top". Not great on years with those, but I'll take an edumacated guess at 78 or 79. Hard to tell on the drivetrain - they put 4cyl, a couple AMC I-6's, a couple AMC v8's, and Nissan diesels in those years. There is also a SUPER rare Nissan I-6 turbo diesel. Vice Grip Garage did an episode on the rare turbo, firing it up after some 20 years of sitting. Would love to make a project out of one of those one day. VW owns the rights to the Scout name today, and there were rumblings just last month of a potential revival. Unfortunately they said IF they did it, it would be an all-electric vehicle.....
Nice set Aran - I have been enjoying this series. I already had your tour thus far pinned for a future road trip. It's been a nice surprise to get a pre-tour! Also nice to hear you've had generally pleasant exchanges with locals....
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