Northern Montana - Ghost Towns & Abandoned Places

[@thomasminnehan761]

Remarkable video! I grew up on a wheat farm just south of Joplin, MT, with many hours on tractors and combines. I left in 1956 to college, then military academy, 21 years as Army officer, 24 years as CPA, I’m now 85. The farm is still active as my brother has been on that farm since he graduated from college, with some 60 years of surviving northern MT winters. He and his wife are 82, tough people, 60 some years of marriage, raised a family and sent them off to college and med school. I have not been back since my mother’s funeral and the untimely death and funeral of my brother’s only son, a US Naval officer. I was saddened to see that the towns are as dead as they appear to be. The video certainly raises some memories, I attended grade school in Joplin and Inverness and two years of High School in Hingham and graduated from Shelby High in 1956. My father was a school superintendent, hired to assist local school boards in their struggles to save their schools in those three hi-line towns, Joplin, Inverness, Hingham; he was obviously also a wheat farmer on the farm where I grew up, holding two very time consuming and demanding jobs with the help of his family. A word about the farms in that area: as I said, my brother’s farm is active as are other farms in that area but it is a struggle. Costs and expenses are without limit, fertilizer, fuel, machinery, etc. The price of wheat has fluctuated with the geopolitical crises abroad and the political games being played here in the US. The farmer seems to be the last person the politicians think about in their games. Thanks for the video, Chris, and the memories! I hope this has not been too long but I wanted to give a touch of flavor for the towns on the hi-line from someone who grew up there. I welcome comments or questions.

[@hawwaadam2308]

Thank you so much for your reply, as you said, it brings back memories of some old places and people we used to know,,,

[@TheTryingDutchman]

Your generation is the best. Thank you for your service. Greetings from Europe.

[@thomasminnehan761]

@@hawwaadam2308 👍

[@thomasminnehan761]

@@TheTryingDutchman 👍

[@attrell]

Thank you for sharing and thanks for watching!

[@valanne4333]

I was born in Circle Montana in the early 80s, this video really captures the essence of these forgotten prairie towns. Thank you.

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@sailingaeolus]

Why are the folks leaving?

[@Svensk7119]

​@@sailingaeolusNo business, so urbanization can no longer be supported. Businesses that remain have higher costs to operate, and less of a margin. The cycle continues as more and larger businesses, like FedEx, become the only ways to reach them. Then, only ranchers and farmers remain. Then perhaps just ranchers.

[@thebiblepriest4950]

Greetings from your home town. Perhaps you already know that the old Gladstone Hotel (1912) on Avenue B (Main Street) was brought down by controlled fire a month ago. For many, many years it was the the place to be.

[@illtryanything5264]

I have many solid recollections of Circle as we headed west across what could be considered as the moon with prong horns.

[@sewergal1]

The charm and history of these small towns on the prairies just are so cool to see. Thanks for sharing!

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Not much charm

[@ErikJenks]

It is striking to see the contrast of these old, largely abandoned towns under the shadow of a passing train full of Amazon Connex boxes. How the world has changed. In many ways we have forgotten middle America and small businesses, and instead supported massive corporations like Amazon due to convenience. The abandoned homes also stood out to me. What stories could those walls tell, what memories were made there? It is sad in some ways. What a fascinating look at this part of the country, thank you for sharing! I have long had a deep appreciation for Ghost Towns and rural American towns.

[@Teno-z5m]

😢😢😢

[@markmendel9883]

Small businesses became too expensive. Can't afford them.

[@JohnDoherty-ck1dz]

Ot

[@hawwaadam2308]

It is sad, you are right,, one day, there where people living there,, today, they are all gone, some were little, grow up and moved somewhere, others simply passed away. It’s sad, but this is life, I hope God forgive all our sins when we stand in front of him

[@sigmasquared8209]

It is indeed very sad ... people often think that if you could jump to the future we would all be impressed... but try telling that to the people who's sweat and tears built those towns .. if they could only see them now.

[@debbiebarfield1840]

When you are unable to travel these videos are the next best thing. Thank you for sharing😃

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@trinita.62]

Hai ragione!!😊

[@guitarjeff55]

Really appreciate you showing the small older towns we used to service them in the 60s we serviced all of Montana as far as oil furnaces

[@attrell]

My pleasure!!

[@illtryanything5264]

Northern Montana is truly a treasure. Sad to see some of this. Nothing like the big sky great plains. Nothing compares

[@attrell]

Couldn't agree more!

[@spenciplier1908]

One of the most beautiful places on this planet

[@lnorman8553]

Thank you. I grew up in Dodson and Zortman. I loved the “big” dance floor in Jerry Johnson’s bar in Zortman. I attended 3 different one room school houses: Ruby Gulch, Zortman and Brookside. Thank you, again. 😢

[@attrell]

Zortman is amazing!!

[@Mitch-d7e]

I grew up in Dodson,that jail is used when county fair is going,a great place to grow.up in,now live near Seattle,Mick Wrigjt

[@magiciansbirthday]

I love that you did a video on the high line. Sad to see it so far gone from even 20+ years ago. I grew up in Geraldine, MT population 280. But you are right when you say the people are friendly and they love to tell stories!

[@ivanhicks887]

I wrote below age- 90, 1956 Havre Air Force- NEVER Expected So Many Replies to Your Video! All You Folks - We are in a special Club - God Bless Us All!

[@bozok4573]

Abandoned buildings, endless plain and yellow grass, sun and blue sky, a very impressive scene. I would love to see it all live. In America, even abandoned places can look attractive.

[@patrickporter1864]

BRING BACK THE BUFFALO.

[@ccrider00]

And the indians!☠👾👹😭

[@19683]

​@@patrickporter1864Yes!

[@gabrielrynard]

I have lived in Montana for most of my life and love it. My grandparents lived in a gost town called St Marie by Glasgow, it was an old military air base you should check it out.

[@anthonysifuentes3301]

He did :) last town in the video and he has a full video dedicated to it.

[@k98hans]

Thank you for sharing this with us. My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed at Malstrom Air Force Base in the 60's. We left when i was 6 in 1970. Both my parents and I loved Montana. My dad was an avid outdoorsman and hunted and fished all over Montana. He loved it there. We lost him 3 years ago 😢. Thank you again for sharing this and bringing such joyful, loving memories of my dad for me.

[@attrell]

Wow amazing! ANd thanks for watching!

[@sherrie6492]

​@@attrellMy dad was also in the Air Force, stationed at Malstrom . That was in the 60s also. I was 16.

[@ivanhicks887]

I am 90 USAF- was stationed at 778 AC&W SQ Havre Montana - Most of the towns at this time were Open and Busy Sad - Such Is Life

[@attrell]

I agree. Must have been nice to live in them in the 50's

[@jlynn7416]

I love to hear the stories you tells during holidays.

[@tracymesser296]

Thank you for your service

[@newfic2290]

😢это все очень грустно. А мировое правительство говорит нам о перенаселении Земли! 😮 В России и Казахстане тоже много заброшенных городков, поселков, деревень. 😢а людям негде жить, люди снимают жилье или берут дорогую ипотеку! Население Земли намеренно сгоняют в мегаполисы! 😢

[@tonisumblin2719]

I remember Havre, my father was stationed in Glasgow AFB years ago. I have good memories of Montana.

[@wellingtonvarela7626]

America is fascinating country that I love so much I'm from Brazil but my soul tells me I did belong there I can't explain how much I love this country God bless the USA ❤❤❤ from Rio Brazil

[@bigcuz4689]

God bless Brazil from Ohio, USA

[@Squince01]

Cheers right back to you 🍻 from Minnesota, USA

[@daisyhoney3088]

God bless Brazil from Indiana USA❤

[@Antonio18677]

Unfortunately it’s safer in Brazil than here in American…

[@davidsenderodelsanto]

It ain't nothing like what the propaganda tells you. Close your ears to hype.

[@bobmartin6055]

Good old Montana!!! Proud to be born there, can’t say I miss the winters!

[@eionestill8215]

I have to say that it is absolutely amazing to see you go through this area of Montana because that is where I am from. Especially later in the video when you are going through places like Harlem, Saco, Dodson, and Zortman because those are all places that I have spent a large part of my life around and I love being able to recognize them in the video. I have a connection to each of those places in some way and I am glad that you were able to an area of Montana that I love and enjoy it in your own way.

[@attrell]

Wow, thank you!

[@jimmycain8669]

I got stuck in Harlem during a blizzard. They opened the movie up for the stranded people and it was The Ringer about a guy playing retarted the road opened and I never saw the last 30 minutes of that movie. The bar was open but I was in AA at the time.

[@shelzp7272]

I take Amtrak between Portland and Chicago fairly often and fell in love with Northern Montana. Sometimes I fly to Great Falls, rent a car to explore and always spend some time up on the hi-line area, Hwy 2. The first time I looked at my car rental agreement I couldn’t believe it said the car could not be driven on gravel roads haha…you simply can’t drive in Montana without being on at least a few unpaved roads. I always cross that part off and take full coverage. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jameskenpo]

I grew up in Montana. Most of my family is in Helena now. My my mom is in Missoula. I love seeing your videos, it brings me back.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@marleneb1664]

Missoula is beatuful❤

[@CaseyBlake-n8o]

I lived in Anaconda for quite a few years and deer lodge for a year. My oldest son was born in Butte ,and my youngest son in Missoula.

[@wesleyhay3881]

Thanks very much Chris. I really enjoyed this video. Seeing them makes one imagine what the people and their kids are doing these days. If the kids (even when older) ever go back and dream about the "good old days." Out in rural Montana, rural America.

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@dangreene3895]

I am 68 and I have lived in Alabama every since I was 8 , but I was born in Billings Montana than my family moved to Great Falls Montana . My dad used to take me and my brother and sister( who are 7 and 9 nine years older than me) to Ghost Towns on the weekends . Even though I was very young I remember one in particular which had boarded sidewalks and it looked as though the people just got up and left , we went into a old saloon and there empty whiskey bottles still on the bar , and poker chips on the table ; it was like something out of the movies . Don't ask me where I have No idea , I was like 4 or 5 .

[@attrell]

Oh yes that amazing mountain ghost towns! I am hoping to make it this fall!

[@viewfromthehillswift6979]

I'm a former Montanan. My college girlfriend at UM was educated in a one-room schoolhouse, and her mother, whose family pioneered on the high line, didn't see a tree until she was ten. The Great Plains have always fascinated me (I lived in Missoula, however).

[@internetcensure5849]

"college girlfriend at UM " culture of "girlfriends" and "exes".😂

[@chasetams8963]

@@viewfromthehillswift6979 no one would call themselves a former Montanan.

[@mjscoutboo]

My mom taught school for a year in Saco in 1938-39 as new minted college grad (MSU). Really cool to see it and think of my 24 yo Mom living there. They had terrible floods from ice floes that year!

[@internetcensure5849]

In 38, college grads were very rare!

[@erynd2524]

That was so awesome! I love vintage stuff and old buildings. Thank you for sharing this.

[@jefflunt9615]

I'm way down in NM and I'm on the old side so I probably won't ever get back to Montana. I used to backpack in Montana and Canada a lot. Love the area. Thanks for sharing. I just love these old towns and buildings.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@keith2599]

Many thanks Chris for bringing us another fantastic trip through Montana, I really enjoyed this journey through your camera... The whole place would be a great photo shoot though the night' with all those old trucks, cars, grain elevators and retro garages, fuel pumps....WOW.....WOW....WOW....Best 73s tyou and your family Chris.... From the uk.... Take care out and about.... 😊❤

[@attrell]

Thanks! i hope to do a night trip in this area!

[@01Lenda]

Think I haven't seen some of these towns, since I was a kid, in the 70s. Used to fish up there. Sad to see them abandoned. Good memories! 🌿💙

[@DMWBN3]

Watching from England, I always find it so sad seeing empty & abandoned buildings. So many memories within the walls. Places that provided jobs, social scene just left to rot.

[@toddbalazic4884]

Thanks for posting this. It brought back a lot of memories. I used to play little league games in Rudyard and Joplin as a kid. Born in Havre, grew up in Big Sandy. It's bittersweet to see these towns today.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@bellyvomit7460]

I Love that frame starting at 15:45 with the shot of that old derelict service station and then Bam!! your snapped back into reality when that Amazon Prime cars go wizzing by, clash between to worlds and a sign of the times. Thanks for sharing!

[@attrell]

Good eye! I didn't even notice that.

[@michaelangelo7511]

The landscape is desolate and the wind and weather is brutal.

[@thebiblepriest4950]

Well, yes, Montana is not for the faint of heart. Many of the homesteaders went insane and sold their holdings after a couple of years. The pioneers arrived during the good years, when there was plenty of rain and winters were mild. But there were some very bad winters in 1883, 1919, 1936, 1954, 1966 etc. Many people lost their herds because the snow and ice prevented the animals from finding their food. (The wildlife too die horribly in those conditions.) So the ghost towns were built in the better years, and abandoned in the bad ones.

[@eduardovinuesa7428]

I was born in the Canary Islands and moved to Texas, with my Texan wife, in 1970, where I have lived for 54 years with occasional visits to Spain. That Montana area must be like an icy inferno, where they are not going to cach me living in one of their cozy chalets.

[@JohnnyULives-lz1ml]

I lived in Chester, MT in the late 80s and my boss lived in Joplin. Its amazing how much these towns have declined since then.

[@kimleone5496]

It's very sad that we've done this to our country. We've sold out our manufacturing and allowed the rich and the powerful to destroy our country. I hope someday these are we populated towns with families of loving, hardworking people

[@erikthorne]

Do you understand why these towns died? Three simple reasons. Cars, tractors and combines.

[@bingofuel3545]

I hope so too.

[@BrianStroud-d3p]

"WE" DIDN'T do this.. industry changes.

[@gayleenjones778]

Also, there are very few people that want to live a very rural life. They want to be in the cities 'where the action is'. If you think that someone did this to the area, move here yourself and make a difference! I live in Havre for the last 2 years and Bozeman for over 20 before that, originallly from Richland, MT. Look it up!

[@Coinbro]

Right the honorable William Clinton made international deals to give us "high tech jobs" and china would build all the low skill jobs. I remember how the 80s everywhere was alive and usa built things..

[@scoots8519]

Having traveled through Montana in the winter many times these places can be COLD and depressing places in the winter.

[@dirkvanerp7332]

Exactly! Bingo! Maybe close to paradise in the short 2 or 3 month summer, then 9 months of brutal cold winter hell, with unrelenting wind!

[@oneupmanship]

Drank beer in the Cowboy bar. And the Old Brand Saloon in Saco was a great watering hole. Loved driving the Highline( hwy2).

[@kethsharakhlok1976]

Excellent walking tour info., Sir. Your good narrative pace is very helpful for us as foreign listeners. I only passed through one part of MT on Amtrak ride in 1993 and I still don't know much about MT to present day. Now, I like to learn more about MT and this touring clip helps me visualize on what I could't get there in person via public transportation.

[@attrell]

Glad it was helpful!

[@marjoriegarner5369]

Keths, there is NO public transportation in those areas.

[@johnnorman7708]

These places are so fascinating and painful at the same time. Those abandoned buildings were once the center piece of someone's life. Entire families actually. The older I get the sadder these places are to me. The sense of national loss I feel when seeing such places is huge.

[@Catherinewheel1995]

Geweldig Mooi, prachtige beelden vooral die kleine kerken in open veld, met de prachtige wolken hemel met een beetje zon...

[@Youtube-Censorship-Police]

i really like how normally he speaks while he explains the places and buildings, very enjoyable video

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@luigi5326]

Good old Montana! Simply an amazing video! Thank you 👌

[@attrell]

Thank you too!

[@ShakiLanuza]

Thank you for touring us to Montana. Those are such a beautiful towns. If only those abandoned structures could talk and tell stories.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@westfork]

Rudyard, MT used to have signs on various highways pointing towards the town with a big arrow. Underneath it said: Rudyard, MT 296 nice people and one old sore head.

[@attrell]

Ha ha that town is great!

[@burnthecandleatbothendz]

i live in north Dakota, looks like every town we have here ,i assumed every town or city has a grain elevator. its usually population 150 or so ,1 gas staion ,grain elevators ,a post office and 3 bars .

[@attrell]

Very simular yes. When I was a kid in SIdney, we used to drive all over NE North Dakota. Looks the same as the high line in MT.

[@kc-qu2vh]

😂 we had a blacksmith too

[@sienaasem-som6616]

The most impressive (and a bit of sad, I may say) about these little abandoned towns is when you stop, and look to these buildings and cars, all stopped in time... And begin to imagine how things were back them, who lived there, who built that house, who drived that truck, what type of conversations they had when meet each other in the front of the hardware store... We probably will never know, but, while these things are still there, the history can be created by the imagination of everyone. Excellent video, thank you for let us be your travel partners.

[@attrell]

Thank you!!

[@robatsea2009]

Used to love traveling the Hi-line when visiting family in Alberta. We've had lunch at the Inverness Bar & Supper Club (very nice owners!), and I got a tour of the old theater in Rudyard. It's been in the same family since it opened in the 1940s, and still has its original popcorn machine.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!

[@retired3004]

Came across your channel today and subscribed immediately. As an Englishman retired and living in Germany these last three years, what a revelation. Look forward to learning more about the real USA and Canada with you.

[@PeterFranks-ls5qw]

love visiting germant,,love where they make disney cruise ships there ,like frankfort berling wilhemsburg,grunstadt nicest state in europe until united states sucked them in

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@Steve-l5v8o]

Another fascinating video. Had a Aunt and Uncle who lived in Havre, back in the 1930's!! Thanks Chris!

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@daveperryman291]

Thank you. Never been to Montana and, unfortunately, never will. Glad to look at this part of my country and a bit of history to remember.

[@khalidalali186]

Galata is a Genoese tower in Constantinople (Modern-day Istanbul), and Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. I visited both in 1997 and 2017.

[@DonnaDouglas-x3x]

I am from Vermont,i grew up a a farm in the mountains. i love small towns and history.i have never been to Montana. So beatiful . Love the open land golden grass and beautiful open blue sky. Thank you for share this with us all.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing

[@fasx56]

Really enjoyed the tour you put together of remote towns with few people and some with no one living there. As one Lady stated below each town has many stories of Families that lived there. Ghost Towns is a good description and one would get a feeling of loneliness and emptiness when you drive through. I live in Western Washington with several million people and crowded conditions everywhere. To drive through Northern Montana on roads that you would see 10 cars on a busy day would be a culture shock that would take some getting used to. One would have to drive for miles to Grocery Stores and small towns large enough to support nice Restaurants, Parks, Schools and maybe places of entertainment. No Industry or manufacturing to support any size population. When the Airforce Base closed down that would have been a huge loss for a large area of that remote part of Montana.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!

[@bioliv1]

So kind to vintage photographers.

[@furlvr1961]

I wish I could go back in time and visit all the old little towns across America, to see what they were like in their heyday! America has lost so much of itself (its soul) over the past 75 years.

[@johnbailey9408]

I blame corporate greed for killing small businesses that were the backbone of these communities 😢 as well as sending American manufacturing jobs to overseas labor which is cheaper for these big companies. Things used to be made in America by hard working Americans who were paid well and they took pride in their work 👏 👍 I believe this is what may have killed small town America 😢

[@IsaacMuntz]

​@@johnbailey9408 And the big collapse of the family unit

[@IsaacMuntz]

​@@johnbailey9408 And the big collapse of the family unit

[@lmc958]

I'm always amazed at how clean these towns are, very little evidence of dumping unlike some of our big cities! Just watching these videos gives me a sense of melancholy! ♥️

[@shaneamundson1192]

If one neighbor sees you do anything wrong in one of these towns, then everyone will quickly find out.

[@ruthhedge]

I lived in Inverness for 3 years. My husband taught 5 and 6 grade for 3 years. The school was the center of activity.

[@Catherinewheel1995]

Great Beautiful, beautiful images especially those small churches in an open field, with the beautiful cloudy sky with a little sun ...

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@armyguy918]

Awesome video. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@suv4088]

Because of your video, my husband and I are planning a trip to Hogeland. I can't wait to go!!!

[@attrell]

Wonderful!!! I hope your trip is wonderful!

[@cslan4]

I love old abandoned towns , i never been to Montana but it's a state that I would love see and live there ,the town of Zortman OMG I fell in love with that's my dream town . Thank you so much for posting this video I loved it!!!

[@attrell]

YOu'll love Zortman. The entire little rocky mountain range is quirky cool.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I am watching these videos and I find them very enjoyable. As someone who was born in a village in rural Alberta, this type of thing is very relatable. Many parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota have places like these. It was a different life experience, way back then. Cheers!

[@attrell]

Glad you like them! Yes it is very windy :)

[@JJJJ-gl2uf]

Very interesting. I followed your journey on Google maps just to see where all these places were. I grew up in Manitoba and am very familiar with this type of scenery. Spent the pandemic exploring some of the abandoned towns in central Ontario, and really enjoy the peacefulness. Some of those Montana locations would be excellent for HDR photography. Hope to visit one day.

[@attrell]

Yes they would! Hope you get to visit!

[@TheRedDevil_NC]

that was tremendous. Thank you for sharing that. Would love to see as many locals as possible interviewed about their history and lifestyle.

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CaucasianCactus1]

3 yrs ago today I drove Rt2 and saw most of these towns. Incredible to see

[@attrell]

I sitll haven't been to mountain part since 1982

[@jasonsmith8756]

Really cool video of Northern Montana ghost towns. 🙌🙌👏👏Thanks for sharing your travels Chris.😊😊

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@miniaturemachinist6098]

Those little towns surrounded by grasslands look so depressing.

[@hedgehog5001]

Big sky country. Love to all the lovely folk in Montana.

[@SuradkarTushar]

At 16:45 I too could not believe those old gas stations were still out there 😲

[@attrell]

I love coming across those

[@brendamalarchik971]

My husband is from Livingston, Montana. We haven't been to the areas in your video. It would be a fun trip to see those towns.

[@attrell]

The hi line is pretty neat!

[@mikebk]

Drove Hwy 2 a couple of times in the past as a truck driver. It's a nice ride and views. Thank you for the video

[@reldoc]

Found memories of these towns in the '50s and '60s.

[@dskywalker3397]

Can you imagine how cold it is there during the winter months?

[@attrell]

Yes especially with the endless winds

[@AlbertaRose94]

It gets so cold there, you don't have to convert the temperature for your Canadian friends because the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius is minimal

[@r.e.campos8857]

@@AlbertaRose94 -40 degrees is the temperature at which Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.

[@D5Do]

Montana and Vermont are just breathtaking.

[@MrReymoclif714]

Yup?

[@RoseanneSeason7]

Vermont is like a dang postcard

[@SWSimpson]

You had to put it at the very end, didn't you? lol My dad was stationed to Glasgow, AFB, Montana. I was about 2.5 years old to about 4.5 years old, the youngest of four, when we lived there. My brother remembers this place better than the rest of us as he was the oldest, and we have two sisters between us in age. From Montana, however, our family made life-long friends. One of those families lived in the town where my Dad's last assignment was, which was my favorite base as it is one of the most beautiful. No, NOT Glasgow, but Barksdale AFB. Glasgow holds some tragic memories for me, and even after all these decades, some of it is still painful to remember. I had to delete what I was typing because I was having a difficult time with those memories. That surprises me as it was so long ago. My Dad is now 92, and I just turned 60. My brother and sisters went back to Glasgow to visit a few years back, but I have no interest in going there. I don't have enough good memories to bring me back here. Glasgow is also the name of the city my paternal Grandmother is from. Glasgow, Scotland. Every base we lived on, my parents flew my Dad's parents out to visit, and they did visit here too. Glasgow AFB, Montana, was a "cold war-era" base, which means it was built quickly and not necessarily intended to live beyond the cold war. It could have gone on longer and the base would have grown, but, like several other cold-war bases along the northern border with Canada, these bases were strategically placed to respond to a Soviet attack. Once the Soviet Union fell, these bases became obsolete. Another base I live on met the same fate as Glasgow, and that would be K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. All of these bases had B-52s and nuclear weapons.

[@attrell]

THanks for posting. I am sorry the place holds so many bad memories. I made a video on here of that base.

[@Ndw1995]

15:45 seeing all those Amazon containers flying through these old Midwest towns gave me irony chills

[@AllanHunter-c2l]

This is a great video. I drove through there in the mid 70's mom and me going to Seattle. Thanks for sharing.

[@guitarjeff55]

That little church reminds me of the same one in Warsaw Montana. It was a one room school house.

[@toke7560]

Amazing. You have soooo much SPACE. I'm envious.

[@charsbob]

There's a sense of loss in these pictures - of communities that once thrived, or at least survived, now overtaken by something we probably called progress. Small farms suffered terribly from isolation; small towns could and can be cruel and bitter. But there was also a sense of community, where people knew and helped each other and made their way through life together. These are places to go to understand part of the price we've paid for mechanization and computerization and automation. Perhaps more of us should make the journey.

[@attrell]

I agree

[@unclechoclate]

It looks like a vacation destination for tornados. That aside, it's picturesque! ❤

[@sirapos6550]

This is a fantastic video, really. It has a Stephen King feel/vibe. The narrative is also so cool and smooth. Good job ! Greetings from Greece :-)

[@rader1175]

Greetings from S.E. Pa. I travel to Greece often , so much beauty, and old world history. Though my handicap has kept me from going so far, except as a You tube traveler. Still fun !

[@allanmakela3011]

Drove down from Alberta 20 years ago ,and we overnighted in Glasgoe,mt.we got a decent room,and slept well,not a sound all night,the place reminded me of towns in 1966,and had good discussions with the friendly local people,some places leave a big impression

[@markkuntz571]

Interesting! I was born and raised in Montana and traveled all over the state, except the northern part east of Browning. I have lived in the Philippines for over 8 years and may come back to Libby for a visit next year. I have been thinking about making a road trip on highway 2 all the way east across the state if I do come back, through some of these towns. I loved your video, thank you.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!

[@markkuntz571]

@@attrell Yea, I did visit for a month in June and July but spent most of my time in the Post Falls Idaho area. I visited my mom in Libby Mont. and drove from there to Cody Wyoming via highway 2 to Kalispell, 93 to Missoula, I-90 to Columbia Falls and then cut off south to Clark Wyoming. It was a very beautiful day and a gorgeous drive. I miss the Big Sky country. You video was so good I didn't have to make the northern highway 2 drive across Montana to see those small towns. Maybe next time around.

[@dankono4729]

My grandparents had a farm near Hingham...my grandmother went to high school in the school shown in this video...my father spent his summers growing up there...

[@annebellette201]

That was very interesting to see some old buildings in the USA ..I'm from Australia..thank you so much for sharing have. A great day ..

[@attrell]

Thanks for visiting

[@colvinator1611]

Excellent video Chris. A great peep into backwater USA. Thanks a lot, Colin UK

[@attrell]

Many thanks!

[@portnuefflyer]

One early Sunday morning I was flying my small kitplane across the Fort Peck Lake, at a low altiude of about 100'. A few miles ahead i saw something, after not seeing anything for some time, it was a small no frills boat, but making pretty good speed, 30 mph or so. I couldn't help it, but got down to about 20' above the water pulled flaps, and when I slowly flew by (off to one side, plenty safe) at 45 MPH rocked my wings a bit. The helmsman looked up, startled of course, then laughed and gave a big wave, and then we went our separate ways. Small town Montana has the best bars on earth, and the most small airstrips right close to town, at the end of the day.

[@cindyelam9509]

Cool story, thanks for sharing

[@portnuefflyer]

@@cindyelam9509 Another one: flying up a winding small valley in Wyoming, near sundown so that real golden light, outside of Thermopolis, at about 300', I came across a big herd of sheep with a single mounted cowboy leading (maybe pushing, can't remember) the sheep. As I flew by at about 60 mph (the plane has a super quiet muffler system, so the sheep weren't spooked) I could see the cowboy look up, and I waggled my wings. He took off his hat and gave me a big wave, just two ships passing in the night! Wyoming is right up there with Montana and Idaho for cool places to explore.

[@billderinbaja3883]

My Dad was the Wing Commander at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls back in '62-'66. I was young and don't remember much, but my wife and I have spent weeks driving thru Northern Montana in recent years, all the way across the state. Hwy 2 was the "big road"... 80% of the time we were on much smaller roads. So many stories lost, entire ways of living gone. I love Montana.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jefferymorris4644]

I grew up just south of shelby and have not lived there in years but it is sad to see what time has done to montana. 😢😢😢

[@RustyShackleford-od1nd]

I drove down the Hi-Line across US 2 a few years back coming from Glacier NP, went from Browning to Wolf Point I believe. You feel so insignificant in this vast ocean of plains as you travel further and further away from the Rockies, passing all these forgotten small towns with little to no residents. With very little traffic, the only activity you see much of is the actual Hi-Line trains making their rounds and the occasional pronghorn grazing on the side of the highway. Outside of towns like Shelby, Cutbank, and Havre, etc., this truly is a forgotten section of the country that I've come to appreciate.

[@FredRoberts-w7c]

The book ‘’Bad Land: An American Romance’ by Jonathan Raban, tells the story of eastern Montana homesteaders trying to make a go of in the early twentieth century. Great read

[@attrell]

Thanks! I'll see if library has it

[@tillitrueheart971]

Just found your channel and subscribed. Love seeing Ghost towns and this was great! Thx!

[@attrell]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@bartdaw6681]

When I was a child my mom would drive from the west coast along highway 2 and then up into Saskatchewan through Bengough and up highway 334. Quite different now compared to then.

[@attrell]

Indeed! Even on the Saskatchewan side!

[@satum__]

thank you i live near havre and i love exploring abandoned buildings so thanks for letting me know of some . i know of most of these already but i still appreciate it thank you !!

[@attrell]

Thank you!!!

[@roadyo69]

Grew up in Harlem in the 50's & 60's. Used to be a cool little town till they put in the bypass. So many stories!

[@GoPackGo2015]

Thanks for visiting and featuring Turner and Hogeland! I’m from Turner and make it back to visit often. Love my hometown. Plenty of life left there too. The annual car show/summer celebration is coming up this month if you ever want to see a full Main Street!

[@attrell]

I pass thru Turner often as I live an hour north!

[@GoPackGo2015]

@@attrell Oh awesome! You must be around Shaunavon then? Know that nice little town very well!

[@scottdimond6763]

Thanks Chris. I feel a road trip coming on :-)

[@attrell]

Especially the Church! Perfect spot for night shots.

[@Raghzor]

For someone who grew up in a mountainous region, all this flat land feels so incredibly bizarre. Also, you can see the reminescence of the old beauty of smalltown America in many of these buildings.

[@4skinner666]

Just south of Galata on the other side of the reservoir is the old Montana Safeguard Complex. It’s a big Cold War bunker from a radar facility, pretty neat though.

[@attrell]

WOw really? I must check that out. Thankyou!

[@JohnnyULives-lz1ml]

I remember visiting the site doing survey work in Liberty county in the 80s. It was surreal.

[@spencerbaldock4969]

My mom's family still lives in Chinook. I still drive there every couple of years. I love the HaiRline.

[@nancysmith2295]

I liked seeing these more modern (compared to 1850-1940) ghost towns. I liked the farming buildings. My winters in Northern California near Mt. Shasta are benign compared to Montana!

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!