Driving around Boise City, Oklahoma

Boise City /ˈbɔɪs/ is a city in and the county seat of Cimarron County, westernmost in the Panhandle of Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,266 at the 2010 census, a decline of 14.6 percent from 1,483 in 2000.
Boise City was founded in 1908 by developers J. E. Stanley, A. J. Kline, and W. T. Douglas (all doing business as the Southwestern Immigration and Development Company of Guthrie, Oklahoma) who published and distributed brochures promoting the town as an elegant, tree-lined city with paved streets, numerous businesses, railroad service, and an artesian well. They sold 3,000 lots to buyers who discovered, on their arrival, that none of the information in the brochure was true. In addition to using false publicity, the three men did not have title to the lots they sold. Stanley and Kline were convicted of mail fraud and sent to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Stanley and Kline served two-year terms in the penitentiary. Douglas died of tuberculosis before beginning his sentence. The town nevertheless took shape and incorporated on July 20, 1925.
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture says that the origin of the town name is unclear, but offers three possibilities: (1) a Captain Boice who was a hero in the Civil War, (2) the town of Boise, Idaho or (3) the Boise Cattle Company, which ran cattle in the area.[7] It was speculated in Ken Burns' documentary, The Dust Bowl (film), that the town name was chosen as part of the original land scam to infer a false image of the town, as "boisé" is French for "wooded".
Boise City's prosperity in the 1930s, like that of Cimarron County generally, was severely affected by its location at the heart of the Dust Bowl region.
Boise City was the location of an unusual event during World War II when it was mistakenly bombed by a friendly U.S. bomber crew during training. The bombing occurred on July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m. by a B‑17 Flying Fortress Bomber. This occurred because pilots performing target practice became disoriented and mistook the lights around the town square as their target. No one was killed in the attack (only practice bombs were used and the square was deserted at the time), but the pilots were embarrassed. For the 50th anniversary of the incident, the crew of the bomber was invited back to Boise City, but all members declined. The former radio operator did, however, send an audio tape that was played at the celebration.

[@stephenquinna8811]

I saw a meme on Instagram that showed a picture of Oklahoma and it said “what the hell goes on here?” And it circled the long skinny part of Oklahoma. So anyways I went on maps and zoomed in on it and saw Boise City. Now here I am.

[@sidtv2542]

that's actually the exact same thing i did

[@Orbitinbloom19018]

BRO IM DOONG THAT RN EXACTLY THAT

[@livieperfetto4020]

I also got stuck in that trap

[@Orbitinbloom19018]

@@livieperfetto4020 seems like a lot of us here for the same reason, what a nice microcommunity of wasteland oklahoma enthusiasts

[@readwritespeakit294]

Me too

[@Jurgensen1]

For how much people take a dump on and down-play this town, it really doesn't look too bad. If a little more care was put into the smaller details like keeping certain road signs updated, adding some new street lights, and trimming some untrimmed lawns next to the road, this would probably stand out as a nice little town. If a group of modern houses was added somewhere to attract younger/wealthier folks that would help start people migrating to BC as well. I like it, and I hope to become a band director of their school one day.

[@brianh4625]

Charming. As a child I went to Boise City every holiday season. Grandmother played organ at the Methodist church featured at 4:35. There was nothing to do there, but it seems like it was a good place for my father to grow up. Farming and ranching were good to the family. I’ve never been any place quite as quiet.

[@djlresearch]

If you like isolation this is the town for you. Very quiet except for some train horns. Lack of nice homes, health care, recreational facilities -- I might be bored. But if you are into solitude, this is the place. Reminds me of a few islands in the Pacific that don't have much going on.

[@kramalerav]

Nowheresville, USA.

[@Jurgensen1]

@@kramaleravExactlywhereIwannagoesville, USA

[@KeltonTitan]

Does it have a decent downtown with at least couple gift shops and a bar?

[@djlresearch]

When I was there last the only bar was the VFW. The was also some old cowboy a few miles out of town that had a keg on his porch.

[@Jurgensen1]

@@KeltonTitan It appears that there's at least one bar, probably two in Boise City. Not as sure about gift shops but there's shops with some gift shop-like stuff in them.

[@lizmower1342]

I really enjoyed watching this. I hope to visit Boise City next month. Thanks for posting it.

[@Orbitinbloom19018]

Did you ? and can i ask why you had that urge

[@epicwolf]

Why do you want to visit this "city" again?

[@BeleducMartello]

video was fine but boise city is the most tragic looking place I've ever seen. each to their own so no judging

[@gatorpics09]

Have fun!

[@kramalerav]

Most people hope to visit, I dunno..Luxembourg City..or Québec City..or New York City? You my friend just might be the very first person in history to yearn to visit Nowheresville USA aka Boise City, OK.

[@sammyday3341]

I visited Boise City after reading the great book “The Worst Hard Time” about the Dust Bowl. Boise City was ‘ground zero’ for the incredible hardships of those years. And it’s also known as the town that was accidentally bombed one night by the military during the 1940s. Fortunately, the bombs were not live.

[@SpiritOf1976]

I’m curious as to why there are so many negative comments. Why click on a video of an area of the United States that you have contempt for?

[@karljacobson1575]

Exactly, they can keep the big city life.

[@markadamssr2468]

On our way from Arlington tx to Denver Colorado 287 North we used to come through Boise three times a week on my way to Denver DFC Trucking out of Arlington Texas those were the days once we drop our load in Denver we headed to alamosa Colorado to pick up a load of potatoes bringing them back to Arlington Texas👍😁

[@jimmychanbers2424]

Our band played music there. Fun group of people. Looked like an old VFW.

[@victorfaasuamaleaui]

VFW?

[@tempestblair1038]

Would love to know more about this town. We are looking for a place to plant roots and this looks like my kind of place!

[@brianblackberry6315]

But there is nothing there and its really, really isolated.

[@KozarBen]

@@brianblackberry6315 best part about it.

[@thespud530]

It is definitely a small town!

[@preacherman85379]

@@brianblackberry6315 exactly

[@spitbug382]

My mother was born there in 1906 in a Soddy just north of town on the family DLC on the banks of the Cimaron River. The McGowan family.

[@lucyritz6382]

Have you ever watched Ken Burns' Dust Bowl film? Check it out! 😊

[@spitbug382]

@@lucyritz6382 Yes, have seen it. My immediate family left the area in 1937 ish and I was born in Oregon 1938. Grandparents, aunts, uncles. etc. remained in Boise City and area. All gone now as far as I know.

[@user-mg1jr2dh1u]

My great grandmother was born here in Boise City OK. Garrett Family

[@spitbug382]

Yes, interesting. I was born in Ontario, Oregon in 38....pretty much on the trail, so to speak

[@spitbug382]

Some of my family are buried in Garrett Cemetery @@user-mg1jr2dh1u

[@TerraExplorations]

Ya cant beat $1.95 for Unleaded.

[@N1ghtH4wk86]

havent been there in years, my Dad worked the ER at the hospital. They had an old Doctor there that smoked his pipes in the hospital.

[@KozarBen]

Doc Wheeler, he was a funny old dude

[@lesliechan31]

We went here in 2018 on our way to Texas. What's the name of the first song in this video?

[@Dnice50000]

Jincheng Zhang - Hand I Love You

[@lesliechan31]

@@Dnice50000 Thank you so much!

[@briancordova1299]

This video helped me to find my motel (I just followed the Loves sign).

[@americanfirst4378]

Saw this city from a plane on the way to Vegas from North Carolina. It caught my interest being so isolated. Seems like courage the cowardly dogs hometown

[@NotSure876]

Thanks for posting this, I was gonna check this town out and now i don’t want to lol I do want to see the plains though

[@tinas3730]

I miss that place

[@wilsonwashington3027]

The gas was cheap

[@epicwolf]

When Loves gas station is your main tourist attraction you might be the winner of a small town that nobody cares to be in award

[@mamabear090]

Totally bypassed the Heritage Center 😆

[@Oshuskey]

There's more there than just the gas station, I can assure you. It's rather impressive that a town this size not only has a hospital, but an airport. In the town there's the heritage center, and even the town square(more like a town circle since it's basically a giant roundabout) looks nice. Also, why click on a video of a town that you have contempt for?

[@JR_1400]

Is the population growing here

[@davem.8681]

lok Folks Surely you jest. I saw one person walking. The population has been decreasing in rural Oklahoma. Younger people are moving out due to lack of jobs. We have been thinking of moving there.

[@JR_1400]

@@davem.8681 same here I love the plains and small towns something about them makes me feel relaxed and better mood

[@KozarBen]

It bottomed out years ago. Highest population in the seventies probably hit lowest in 1990 and been stable since then

[@lilliedingman1844]

No not really

[@epicwolf]

Yup its growing alright. It was 10 people now up to 50.

[@robertking4569]

Hey 👋

[@accountrandomnumber182]

Such a twister...

[@TARDIB]

Just saw a vaccine story about this town and it makes my fellow remedial Lawtonians look like harvard graduates. I love salt of the earth people but my lordt you can easily fool them. If I ever wanted to be unfaithful in a relationship this is where I would attempt to pick up a girl or two.

[@KozarBen]

I’m from the next town over, and I asked some of the people in that report about it, they say the reporters were in the restaurant for over an hour being super condescending and rude and then asked their questions and edited it all together to make them look as bad as possible.

[@SpiritOf1976]

@@KozarBen If these people have such disdain for this part of the country and the people in it why don’t they stay away from it?

[@NotSure876]

@@SpiritOf1976 Sometimes it’s fun to laugh at dumbasses I assume

[@brandondoty8211]

I'm interested in this place idky. Got a dollar general?

[@TARDIB]

@@SpiritOf1976 yup ain't ever lived have u

[@KarenWasherGrudzien]

I want to host a drag show there

[@olivedarb03]

The music is horrid , otherwise I enjoyed it .

[@kingjrlive9335]

I always wondered what 36th Parallel Oklahoma looked like... Yup... just like Slavery 👍🏽

[@Jurgensen1]

?