forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




UER Forum > Archived US: South > Ghost Town High School (Viewed 917 times)
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Ghost Town High School
< on 4/23/2011 6:43 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
The ghost town of Skedee was never a "boom" town. Originally Indian land, the area was opened to white settlement in 1893 and many small communities where created.

Skedee's post office was established in 1902 and when the railroads came, Skedee had the fortune of a viable water supply in a nearby creek, which was necessary for the steam locomotives of the time. As a result, Skedee flourished while many of the land run communities around it dwindled, reverting to scattered farmsteads. Many of the businesses and residents of these small communities relocated to Skedee.

Named for a branch of the Pawnee tribe, this is Skedee, Oklahoma, circa 1911.



Though never a boom town, and it's official population never reached 500 people, Skedee did benefit from the oil boom via the Osage Indians. A prominent local gentleman named Colonel Walters acted as intermediary between the Osage indians and oil companies, generating millions for the tribe, and a significant amount was spent in Skedee at the peak of the oil boom

Colonel Walters erected a statue in the center of the town square in 1926 depicting himself and Osage Indian chief Baconrind shaking hands. The statue was lambasted in the local papers of the time, partially because it was considered self promoting, but primarily because it was hideous.





A small side note. The Sante Fe coal tipple shown in the above photo, used to rapidly load coal for the steam locomotives, was one of three remaining in the United States when it was torn down in 1985. This is a 1975 photo





The only thing remaining from the above photo today, is the statue. In the end, it got the last laugh.



The roadway around the statue is somewhat large, even by modern standards. This was due to the popularity of the Pierce Arrow automobile. With the sudden wealth of the oil boom, the Osage indians purchased these expensive automobiles in droves and the extra space was required to turn these rather large cars. At the time, Skedee was home to the largest concentration of Pierce Arrows in the country.



1926 Pierce Arrow Town Car



As the town prospered, as well as the surrounding areas, the need for larger schools cropped up. Like most of the land rush communities, Skedee started off with a one room school house, followed by a larger two room school built in 1907. A brick school was built in 1916, followed by the current school in 1924. I'm not sure if the 1916 and 1924 schools where used in conjunction, or when the 1916 school was torn down, but where it stood was the later the playground for the 1924 school.

Skedee wooden school, 1907



Skedee school, 1913



Skedee schools, 1925



The 1924 school still stands. Designed by architect A.J. Love in 1924, it operated as a consolidated school with 1st through 12th grades until the 1950's. It was then redesignated as a grade school until it was closed in 1962. A.J. Love was a prolific architect in north eastern Oklahoma, designing about 150 public buildings up through 1939. One of, if not his last, was the school in the nearby ghost town of Gray Horse, also abandoned.

The Skedee school today.







The town maintained the school as a community center for many years. I remember visiting it in the early 1990's. You could get a key from the parsonage and play basketball on the old court. As the town continued to decline, the remaining citizens where unable to raise the funds to maintain it. By 2000 Skedee's population had dropped to just over 100 people. By the 2010 census, it was just over 40. The town made a last attempt to raise some funds to restore the building via rummage sales and donations a few years ago, but where unsuccessful.













The school design was based on a central gymnasium/auditorium with classrooms at the corners. Bleachers and student student "lockers" where at one side of the gymnasium, with a stage centered on the opposite side. Office space for the teaching staff was behind the stage. Bathroom/locker tooms where at the far end of the gymnasium. A large storm cellar was just outside the exit on the same end as the bath rooms. As you entered there was a hallway leading to the gymnasium/auditorium with class rooms on both sides.



































To the gymnasium/auditorium





The stage across the floor.



Bleachers and student "lockers". It was definitely a different era. The "lockers" had no doors.





The original stamped tin ceiling, though the lighting had been upgraded.





The old score board and controls.





The bath and locker rooms









The stage. The SGS was Skedee Grade School, its final incarnation.



The back class rooms.











The teachers office space behind the stage.





The view of the main entrance from the stage.



The last classroom.







Wise old Mr. Owl.



Some type of dedication from a 1985 reunion



Exit, stage left.


[last edit 4/24/2011 12:17 AM by dwtaylor999 - edited 2 times]

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
Captain_Slow 

The infamous Buttram Manfist


Location: Dallas, Tx
Gender: Male


Obviously capable of mediocre things.

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 1 on 4/23/2011 7:02 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Holy cow, I'm loving this place. Adding it to my long list of places to visit.


Price 


Location: Houston,TX
Gender: Male


Urbex: Keeping record of things most people have forgotten.

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 2 on 4/23/2011 7:21 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
this is insane

“It still amazes me how many millions goes to discovering another star in the galaxies when, for all we know, we are still sitting on top of another undiscovered world beneath our feet.”

-Martin Dansky (1952)
pkrearden 


Location: Funkytown, TX
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 3 on 4/23/2011 11:49 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
looks like i gotta make a road trip to OK.

"there is no devil, there's just god when he drinks." - Tom Waits
K8 Vonwolfie 

This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.


Location: ct
Gender: Female


people die right there ---->

Send Private Message | Send Email | 
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 4 on 4/24/2011 1:56 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
wow awesome looking place! thanks for all that information. The old photos are really interesting to see and having the information to go with them is great to see how the town used to be. Love how you transitioned from old to how it is now with the school house. Love how the old lockers did not have door, i agree we live in a much different age. Fav shot is def wise old mr owl! looks like a barn owl to me.

Twisted Orchid 


Gender: Female


My inner child is a mean little fuck

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 5 on 4/26/2011 6:14 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Truly magnificent! Love the story and pics were greatness!

Buffalonian 


Location: Buffalo, NY




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 6 on 4/26/2011 6:27 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Jesus H. that's one hell of an explore /story! Love it.

I cream, you cream, we all cream for .. white spooge.
fiftyone_eggs 


Location: jerzey
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email | my flickr
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 7 on 4/26/2011 6:39 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Very sweet set - love the owl!

I'm kinda wondering how a HS that graduated an average of 11 seniors a year managed to have a basketball team though.

lechuga 


Location: Madrid (Spain)
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 8 on 4/26/2011 6:45 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Incredible but unfortunately too long from my house

photograph is put the head, the eye and the heart on the same axis
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 9 on 4/26/2011 8:52 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Thanks for the comments!


Posted by fiftyone_eggs
I'm kinda wondering how a HS that graduated an average of 11 seniors a year managed to have a basketball team though.


The teams were comprised of 9th through 12th grades which gave them about 20 or so to choose from. Most of the teams from that era where only 6 to 8 deep. Girls played half court ball with 6 players, 3 offense, 3 defense and couldn't cross the half court line. Basketball was THE sport for these small schools, followed by track after the season ended.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
insulinguy 


Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email | my shit
Re: Ghost Town High School
<Reply # 10 on 4/27/2011 1:49 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
youre right DW - looks a lot like the school i found last friday. im going to drive up just for this place and those other towns nearby. seems like that area could have its fair share of other schools too! texas has more than i previously thought, though most of them are in ruins. i dont mind it so much - but a place like THIS is what we all want. artifacts left behind - narratives to weave. well done man - always enjoy your posts.

pro-abortion, anti-christ
UER Forum > Archived US: South > Ghost Town High School (Viewed 917 times)



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 93 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737102501 pages have been generated.