- Week Tonkawa and Deer Creek Area, Oklahoma.

[Jay547]

9-30-2023
My grandson’s football team was scheduled to play against Tonkawa. Tonkawa is a couple of hours away and in an area I don’t often visit. I decided to take my bike and do some exploring after the game.

I first stopped at some of the old buildings downtown.

The old armory, which is part of the school property now.

Northern Oklahoma College.

The depot.

Grain eleveator.

St. Joseph's church.

Masonic Lodge.

 

[Jay547]

An Indian burial ground southeast of town. 103 graves listed but only two have headstones.

I rode through several dry low-water crossings. This part of the state is drought stricken.

I headed up toward Newkirk to see if I could ride the old railroad bed that included a tunnel under the interstate. Going west it was gated, but going east it was open. I was able to ride a mile of it and get through the tunnel.

 

[Jay547]

An old wooden barn and country church.

The grain elevator at Nardin.

An abandoned corner gas station in Nardin. As I was taking pics, the owner pulled up on a big Indian cruiser. He introduced himself as R.J. Regarding the building, he said it was an offer he couldn’t refuse, so he bought it. He mentioned that he owns several properties in the area. He said he rides nearly every day.

 

[Jay547]

Replica blacksmith shop, livery, general store, and church in Nardin.

I then rode to Deer Creek to see an operating blacksmith shop that I had read about. I stopped at this general store, but they had just closed.

This guy was just leaving so I talked to him for a few minutes about his car. It’s a 1921 Dodge. He said he is 23 years-old, a high-school geography teacher, and collects antique cars. He said he has put several thousand miles on this one. I never could find the blacksmith shop, so I moved on.

 

[Jay547]

From there, I followed dirt roads to the small town of Lamont. Ironically on the way, about nine miles from Deer Creek, I met the Dodge guy who now had a flat tire. He had a spare but no jack and was waiting for someone to bring one. I hung around for awhile and told him that I never found the blacksmith shop. He said it was out on the highway - I didn't go that way. I also mentioned running into the owner of the old gas station. He said, "You mean R.J.?" I guess he's famous in those parts. He said that his help would arrive soon, that he was okay, and I could go ahead with my ride. I didn’t have the heart to take a pic.

At Lamont, I found three closed, abandoned gas stations, and this closed and bypassed bridge.

I turned back there, rode backroads back to Tonkawa, and headed home. For the record, my grandson’s team won 20-0.

He's number 7.

 

[ZoomerP]

Thanks for taking me along. Your trip reminded me of bicycle touring in the Midwest. I don't know how much longer the surviving small towns have left.

 

[MVI]

From there, I followed dirt roads to the small town of Lamont. Ironically on the way, about nine miles from Deer Creek, I met the Dodge guy who now had a flat tire. He had a spare but no jack and was waiting for someone to bring one. I hung around for awhile and told him that I never found the blacksmith shop. He said it was out on the highway - I didn't go that way. I also mentioned running into the owner of the old gas station. He said, "You mean R.J.?" I guess he's famous in those parts. He said that his help would arrive soon, that he was okay, and I could go ahead with my ride. I didn’t have the heart to take a pic.

At Lamont, I found three closed, abandoned gas stations, and this closed and bypassed bridge.

I turned back there, rode backroads back to Tonkawa, and headed home. For the record, my grandson’s team won 20-0.

He's number 7.

This was nice, reminded me of the small towns from my youth.

 

[What??]

That's an awesome story, thanks for sharing. Reminds me of my grandparents town