Saturday, August 1, 2026 ghost towns ghost towns in Oklahoma Oklahoma Ghost Towns abandoned towns abandoned towns in Oklahoma Tar Creek Tar Creek Superfund Quapaw tribe Quapaw and Picher Quapaw Superfund Cleanup
In the far northeastern corner of Oklahoma, near the Kansas state line, the remains of Picher stand within a landscape transformed by more than half a century of lead and zinc mining. Empty roads cross open ground where houses, businesses, schools, and churches once formed a close-knit community. Enormous piles of pale mining waste rise above the surrounding plains, while abandoned mine workings extend for miles beneath the surface.