Picher Ghost Town

Picher was once one of the largest lead- and zinc-mining centers in the world, but environmental contamination and physical hazards eventually turned it into Oklahoma's best-known ghost town. Mining began in the early twentieth century and produced mountains of waste rock called chat, while extensive underground workings spread beneath the community. After mining ended, contaminated mine water, lead-polluted soil and unstable ground remained. The Tar Creek Superfund cleanup began, but conditions were so severe that government buyouts ultimately relocated most residents. A devastating tornado in 2008 accelerated the town's decline, and municipal operations eventually ceased. Today Picher is haunting because so much of the urban fabric is gone while enormous chat piles and isolated structures still define the landscape. It is not a safe place for casual exploration: contamination, subsidence, unstable buildings and private property all require caution. Viewing from public roads is the responsible approach. Picher is one of the strongest places in Oklahoma to confront the long-term environmental cost of extractive industry and the social impact of abandoning an entire community.