St. Marie Montana - A Thrilling Ghost Town!

[@meifonlei]

I grew up there. They had little parks everywhere only a few of them were usable in the early 90s. My grandma lived there until last week when she died.

[@attrell]

Sorry about your grandma

[@ronniecardy]

Sorry to hear about passing.May she rest in peace

[@donaldblankenship8057]

My gramma died last year in a car accident at 95. She shouldn't have been going that fast. But on the upside, they were able to save the baby.

[@donaldblankenship8057]

Isn't it a shame that grammas always die?

[@valeriesmith3388]

Interesting. I would like to know more about your grandmother's life there. Why did she stay there? What happened to this town? Did your grandmother have parents or relatives that lived there before her? Do you know why the airforce moved out of there? I'm very curious. I hope this is not offensive to ask these questions. I lived in Montana in Russell triangle for several years. I am sorry about you losing your grandmother ❤

[@joegfjh]

I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents out there when I was a kid. They owned one of the 2-story duplexes and my great uncle owned one a few blocks away. We used to walk from one side of town to the other, down to the water tower and back. We would go thru the school grounds when it was out for the year, we shopped at that grocery store, my grandpa went to doctors appointments in that hospital. You just brought back a whole flood of memories, I really need to get out there to see what's left of it before it's gone

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!!

[@ygrittesnow1701]

What was the reason they left? What would make someone who spent so much money and energy just abandon all of this?

[@Joy-wg9nd]

Do you have pictures? It would be so interesting to see and compare.

[@SamMaass-s5h]

​@@ygrittesnow1701the Air Force Base closed.

[@joegfjh]

@@Joy-wg9nd I'll have to see if my granddad has any of his brother's old home movies. Roland liked to be the family cinematographer

[@raygongaware8647]

My wife and I with two children lived there back in the 70s, there was a program initiated by the Government for a 5 state area of people that were under employed and needing skills, it was called "Mountain Plains" Senator Mike Mansfield was instrumental in getting the program started, My wife and I both got our GEDs while there and also took up small engine repair which we both graduated from, I was the S.Dakota State Representative In the Student Government, Each State had a Representative. The weather was hot and winters were cold, But I have fond memories of those days, made many friends and several of us would hop in one of the cars and drive into Glasgow for Ice cream or a Burger.We had all kinds of conveniences, Stores, Hospital,Schools, churches,Sport shop, hobby shop, Etc. it is sad for me to see the condition that the Base is in now, Homes were all well taken care off, and if memory serves me right we lived rent free as long as we met our obligation to study and meet our goals. Thanks for the Video.

[@tony-ce7qp]

very cool.

[@steveswearngin6877]

We were there about the same time as you, as a kid we loved this place. Mom & Dad did too. It was cool to have so many activities available, gym, handball courts, ice skating rinks, bowling alley, movie theatre, with so little use. We were the base newspaper boys, Great Falls Tribune, mowed lawns, and shoveled snow for folks. Fished at the nearby ponds for trout, and bass. Great times!!

[@newfic2290]

Ужасно, что что всех странах, и в России тоже , очень много заброшенных городков и деревень! Жизнь там могла быть раем! 😢 у нас в России людям негде жить, многие берут разорительные ипотеки, а тут такие шикарные дома, и заброшены!!! Правительства всех стран намеренно сгоняет людей в мегаполисы !😢

[@BodyworkByJon]

I believe my mother took part in that education

[@chaosplan]

Sounds like a good program. We should have them now to help unhoused people… I bet trying to do that in this day and age would be challenging.

[@ivanhicks887]

I Am 90 - USAF - ANG - 20 year Retired - Last assignment HAVRE MONTANA 778 AC&W S part of the Dew Line - Glasco was on our Line - Sad Very Sad - The last of an Era - God Bless The USAF---------

[@Dragonflylane77]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.🙏🏻🇺🇸❤

[@scottschenk5456]

I would move there. Problem is that a town erected with utilities and none are visible makes it uninhabitable. Ok firehydrants but no fire station. No visible power substation. Was this a disaster sire?

[@perrybonney9090]

Havre AFS is up for sale again, now. $549,000 for 95 acres. Listed 10 months ago. Not much left of that place. That’s for sure. 24247 Base Rd, Havre, MT 59501. Listed on Landsearch, among others, if you want to see what’s left of it.

[@ivanhicks887]

Thankyou for the Havre Info - I got Married there - It was always kind of Home@@perrybonney9090

[@glennburchard582]

Thank you for recording and for sharing this. My dad was stationed there from early 1964 to July 1966. I finished 7th grade and went through 9th grade. I think I finished 7th grade at Eastside and then attended 8th and 9th in the High School. SO you video brings back lots of memories. We lived in a one story duplex close to the Youth Center (building now gone). I could easily walk to it. They dug a hole in the ground and filled it with water in the winter and when it froze over we had a skating rink. Played a lot of baseball, probably on the field you have in the video. Played Freshman football for the Scotties. I still have a couple of friends that I've connected to on Facebook. One actually lives not far from me in Texas. Interestingly enough, I joined the AF out of college and flew some of the same model B 52's that were flown out of GAFB when I was there; only about 7 years later. I would like to get back there one more time. The High School in town's been torn down and a new one built. Those bus rides from the HS to the base were sometimes miserable! Good memories!

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed my visit!

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

I lived on the base as a teenager JUN 1974 - NOV 1977. My father, USAF, was deployed to Opheim, MT (779th Radar Squadron), about 40 miles north of the base toward Saskacthewan. Remnants of that facility still exist also, about a mile west of town on the right. We lived on Spruce Street @ the corner of Pine Street on Glasgow AFB at that time. I went to school in Glasgow. (Jr. High & Sr. High). In town, we were known as "the base kids." The old Junior High School is long gone. I actually played on the 1976 State 1A Football Championship team and the 1977 team that lost to Malta....Go Scotties! So sad to see the base in its present condition. It was a bustling & thriving community at the height of The Cold War, and with good reason. I'm 62 now...today's later generations have no understanding of the dangerous times we were and are living in currently. May God shed his Grace on us now as He did then. Great video. I saw where The Johnson's lived on Spruce St., where the Powell's & Smallwood's lived on Willow St., & it looked like where The Tucker's lived on Cedar Circle. I played baseball on that field shown. My younger brothers and sister went to that elementary school as well. Winters were brutal. I recall taking the snowmobile to the BX/Commissary for milk & bread, etc. WOW! We made awesome memories while we were there. After leaving Glasgow AFB, we were stationed to Aviano AFB, Italy. We went from the middle of nowhere to one of the best deployments in Europe, and that is another story to tell. AWESOME!...thanks for the video!

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing!! Italy must have been thrilling!

[@timhigham4470]

Did that base close in 1978 then? Thanks for sharing, and yes, what a world we live in. This must be a sad and eerie feeling for you. Are your parents still alive? God Bless.

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

@@timhigham4470 I'm not entirely sure when the facility itself was no longer deemed a "military installation", or "closed" so to speak. I do remember that the B-52's & KC-135's (4300th Squadron) were re-assigned back to Fairchild AFB in Spokane, WA in Fall of '76, hence the Boeing connection that still exists today to the former base. Some might have went to Minot AFB. Dad was attached to the radar station (779th Radar Squadron) in Opheim, which shut down in 1979, and is why we were still there even after the Bomber Wing had left. There was still a considerable amount of military personnel remaining when we left.... I'm guessing de-activation is a slow process. Pop's still with us and has fond memories of the times we had while stationed there!....Outdoorsman's Paradise!

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

Btw, just spent the past week fishing with Dad & my son on Lake Glenville, in the high mtns. of Western NC, Cashiers, (Jackson County)....absolutely beautiful here, where he has retired....still making memories!!!

[@timhigham4470]

@@GeorgeWhitmire That's great. God Bless.🙏

[@aaronhutchins1545]

In 1992, me and my brother helped my mom move to Glasgow. She got a high paying federal EPA job acting as an adviser to the county, she was making $80,000 per year just giving advise to the local government. We took a side trip to Williston, North Dakota, so my brother could see his birthplace. I noticed that a lot of small towns that I remember from the early 1970s (when we were living in North Dakota) were becoming ghost towns. In 1996 my mom quit her high paying federal job and moved back to California, she said everything was dying and there was literally nothing for people to do, she liked the money but was going crazy from boredom. It was obvious that the efforts to turn the old air base into some kind of bedroom community/tourist attraction was a pipe dream. The Fort Peck Lake Reservoir fishing events were not enough to bring in lots of tourists. Local leaders were pinning their hopes on Fort Peck and the old air base to revive their economy. They needed investors, but apparently nobody wanted to invest in fishing tourism and apartments for commuters that didn't exist. It would be ironic if the ghost towns revived tourism, I know my dad loved visiting ghost towns.

[@brentfisher6484]

Terrific! I was part of a team brought in to review the housing at St. Marie as potential housing for those displaced by hurricane Katrina (Aug 2005). I'd been to Glasgow before but had never been to or seen St. Marie until our team flew into the Glasgow Airport (Boeing who owns the runway and hangers that comprise what was the Air Force Base, would not allow our private plane to land there despite it being only a mile or two from the town. Ultimately the plan to ferry people from Texas and Louisiana was abandoned. Our team--about 12 people, had a similar 'sensation' as did you while walking around the town. Thanks for the video.

[@attrell]

Oh wow that would have been a hard transition from Texas to Northern Montana.

[@williebeamish5879]

What a waste of resources.

[@markmiller6844]

I am a ghost here. Part of me left with most everyone else June 1968 as U-Haul trailers and trucks lined the streets. We were the last occupants of our family house, (which was quite nice as base housing goes, with hardwood floors, full basement, garage.) Except for the slight valley of Porcupine Creek to the east, those trees didn't really exist. Saplings when we were there. The high-plains wind is a constant companion.

[@SGTMacBC]

Thanks for the tour. Military base housing is all based on rank. The higher ranks get the better homes, with more living space. The more rundown side of the base you were on was probably for enlisted families. I was amazed and impressed at how good of condition the buildings were in. It was relief to see no graffiti and limited breakage.

[@attrell]

Thanks for the information!

[@artmosley3337]

Check the demographics… the truth is out there… just wait until the government moves in 10,000 illegals…

[@FloGrown863]

Agreed.

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

Actually, the more rundown side was 1BR-2BR/1BA BOQ (Base Officers Quarters) for single or married officer's without kids. Officers with families lived in the Single Family dwellings (stand-alone 3BR/2BA house) Walnut CT., Cedar Circle, etc. Enlisted personnel with families lived in the Multi-Dwelling Units (4 unit-apartment style 3BR/2BA), with 2 garages on each end. Each family had a garage. Unlike a lot of military installations, the Officer & Enlisted families all lived together here....FYI

[@ColetteOuthier]

There were very few single family dwellings and the most senior officers on the base were bird colonels. Lt. Colonels and other officers lived mostly in the duplexes, with some living in the fourplexes. The officers did indeed tend to live on one side of the base with the enlisted personnel living on the otherside. @@GeorgeWhitmire

[@michaelm9623]

Very interesting. I lived in Glasgow during the 1950s and 60s, around the time the air base was active. The base housing was there, but I don't remember St. Marie existing as a town. The high school kids from the base were bused into Glasgow to attend school. The base was located up on a plateau and the wind blew constantly. Winters were harsh with extreme cold and deep snow drifts. Summers were hot with lots of big mosquitos. I can't imagine that place as a retirement destination.

[@pclayton5063]

Dad was stationed in Great Falls at Malmstrom AFB in 1967 and some of the housing buildings at that time resembled some of those in the video. We used to joke the state bird of Montana was the mosquito. LOL Dad retired from the AF at Malmstrom and we drove up through Glasgow and Canada taking the scenic route back to the east coast.

[@joelmyhre9694]

what do you say neighbor?

[@Bill-cv1xu]

That's exactly how I remember Glasgow, we lived there in 68 to 70.... Didn't like Glasgow..😮

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

In the 70's b4 the base closed, St. Marie was just a small cluster of homes (8-10) / community located 5 miles south of the Main Entrance to the base. Hwy. 24 on the right going toward Glasgow. If you're traveling toward the base from town (Glasgow), the highway rises toward the "plateau" the base is located.... St. Marie was located on the left just as you reached the top, and then go 5 more miles to the base. After the base closed, the locals decided to rename the facility. Same name...new location. FYI

[@kellyreinlasoder2596]

My dad moved us to the base back in Aug. 1969 from Poplar, MT. 9:20 They had just closed the schools so we were busséd to Glasgow, MT I went to Southside Elementary. I was told that they starting to shut things down then. The base could house up to 10,000 people but had only about 2,000 when we were there. We lived there for 3 months. My favorite place was the bowling alley. I was on a bantam league at the time. Ten years later I visited and found they were using the base to train pilots from some of the Asian airlines. Good video. Thanks.

[@ericmattinen4728]

I wish you would have shown the occupied areas of town. It is mostly 4 plexes, some duplexes, 8 single family 2 story homes that were the officers houses, and the single level duplexes and single family homes on the east end. There are 251 condo units and probably that many non condo units occupied here. There are probably 600 people living here now. I've lived here for 10 years, not much goes on here other than the same BS that happens anywhere. There is a fair share of retired people that either grew up here or served here when the base was operational. The green building at 07:02 is not a school, that was the Commissary or PX, the brick front building I think was the Officers Club or the bowling alley, the tall green building you caught a glimpse of was the movie theater. The Montana Aviation Research Company (MARCO) is a subsidiary of Boeing and they do testing of new jets here once in a while, mostly noise testing and cold weather testing. You saw the one school that is all falling down, and the hospital, and yes, there are people using the old ambulance barn as a shop. The coffee shop just opened up a couple of months ago and was a convenience store for a while before that. The thrift store was run by a local, I'm not sure if they are still having it going.

[@hephaestus6605]

I had a friend that lived there til about a year ago. He was trying to help fix some things until he was killed in a car accident. Glad to hear that there are a few more people there now.

[@ericmattinen4728]

@@hephaestus6605 I think I know who your friend was. Did he die over in ND?

[@hephaestus6605]

@@ericmattinen4728 I do believe so. His name was Kevin. He was originally from NJ, so a bit loud and boisterous but he usually meant well. He was trying to get me to move up there and help him with the streets and stuff because I do that for the village I live in.

[@huriyekara2043]

Çok ıssız görünüyor ve yapayalnız

[@Dajr544_]

​@@ericmattinen4728Any houses for sale now or are they all abandoned?

[@ashleykejsar9155]

My husband moved to St. Marie a few years before we were married. We lived there from 2010 to 2012. Winters were rough, the HOA was awful but the housing prices were nice. We bought our 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house for $10,000. It was definitely creepy during the winter at night. We lived on Ash street and explored all the buildings but the hospital. That one creeper me out. I'd move there again...maybe.

[@attrell]

For that price, I would move too!

[@SilverSunPublishing]

They actually have an HOA there? That is crazy -- they are probably the ones keeping people away. They are like Nazis in skirts.

[@SilverSunPublishing]

They actually have an HOA there? That is crazy -- they are probably the ones keeping people away. They are like Nazis in skirts.

[@efuller6770]

HOA in a ghost town... I don't know if even that cheap would get me to deal with that, but somehow seems ironically amusing to think about. American dream, move west own land, have the neighbors tell you what you can do with your land while buildings around you rot. . .

[@mrbob19561]

An HOA wow

[@kirksway1]

this is heartbreaking. It looks like such an awesome mid-century ghost town. I can just imagine how useful it could be to people that have the option to work from home.

[@michaelchappell902]

Interesting. This is what you see with all of our abandon Army, Air Force and Navy Bases all around the United States. The building are just left to rot and decay. This is even true within our big cities. The buildings could be used, but a lot of the buildings and the housing have toxic waste around them or were built with what we now call hazardous material. I grew up close to a couple of bases in Illinois that you can go on line and see. Chris great job and thank you for your work here.

[@attrell]

Thank you so much!

[@richness1644]

I lived on Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, closed in 1965. Although one of the houses I lived in has been condemned the base housing was turned over to the Lincoln Housing Authority and they have done a pretty good job of making sure the houses are kept up and occupied. The base itself has fallen on hard times and fully 85% of the buildings are gone. I visited General Arnold School when we were there for a visit. It was the final year of classes there before they moved into the new school in the former Huskerville area.

[@derrillyager7946]

Yes, and it is upsetting to me to see that which we have already paid for going to waste.. the maintenance of these properties can provide jobs and living places for homeless people.. the facilities that are provided by cities are what is attracting homeless to be there where the help is.. if we were to have these other places available.. perhaps the homeless and their needs can be relocated off of the city streets.. I firmly believe it is not impossible to solve many of our problems by simply using resources that are already there.

[@this_epic_name]

I lived in Conrad, MT near one of the many radar bombing range sites. The site was operational for six years, and after it shut down, the military housing was sold (or gifted) to the city and became retirement / assisted living housing. Folks I used to go to church with live in my childhood home now!

[@kennethbriner5390]

Yea! My home town from 1963 to 1966. Had many happy memories. Went there a few years ago. Found some one was living in my old home.

[@scottfender2333]

I grew up north of this base on the Canadian side of the border. It was a very active base in its day with B52’s stationed there as well as F101 fighter jets

[@attrell]

Even in Canada? Would be cool to fly one of those over Valley of 1000 Devils.

[@jaysonschor]

Did you get to see the Hulk escape ? 😆

[@mtacoustic1]

I remember going there as a pre-teen with my Dad for a base open house. I understand the base was closed for budgetary reasons; and the coming on-line of the ICBM sites around Great Falls, MT. I believe parts of the base were still under construction when the base closed. Glasgow and Lewistown civil airports were an important part of the USAAF crew training program in WWII.

[@nancysmith2295]

I considered the housing on the other side were probably around wwii with the small garages. It's so curious to have small garages because they drove huge cars. Maybe used model t's were popular then? Base housing usually just sits and rots. I've seen Stead AFB, BEALE AFB, Mare Island, Benicia Armory, Alameda Naval Station all just sit and rot or be torn down. Some have said asbestos & lead paint was an issue.

[@MT_Madman]

Glasgow AFB was short lived, 1957 to 1968 and then again 1972 to 1976 as SAC base for B-52s and KC-135s. I'm not sure if Boeing owns the runway but they do or did a lot of aircraft testing off it. Last time I was on it was 2019 to meet up with a person who lived there. During WWII Glasgow wasn't around but Lewiston and Great Falls airport on Gore Hill was instrumental in the Lend Lease program with the US sending aircraft to Russia. A little side bar, I was stationed at the decommissioned Galena AFS in Alaska which has a hanger built by the Russians to aid in the transport of the aircraft.

[@michaelmikelson2946]

This is not the WWII AAF base. That is the current airport in Glasgow. This is the SAC base built in 1957, approx 20 miles north of Glasgow towards Opheim.

[@Steven-bp4yx]

I was at the same open house lol

[@Jerry-e6q]

Thanks for the video. I was at the airfield during winter 1994/1995 for cold weather testing of the Boeing 777. Properties in St. Marie were for sale at the time. With Fort Peck lake nearby and good hunting opportunities, it would have made a good home for outdoor types. That was a warm winter and we had to take the airplanes to colder locations to get the low temperatures we needed.

[@attrell]

Thanks!!

[@marymyxter]

I grew up in Glasgow and after HS graduation in 1961 got a civil service job as a "clerk stenographer" at the Flight Surgeons' office of the base hospital. It was great for a young girl, had so much attention from all the USAF single guys! I remember having to stay overnight with a family at one of the flight surgeon's house because of a snowstorm, since I came to work in a "car pool" with military people who live in Glasgow and commuted. The officers lived in the nicer neighborhood with upstairs bedrooms and plenty of room for their families. I went to St Mary's after I had left, married, had a family, and my parents took me to the restaurant out there. Most everything was abandoned but some were trying to live there. Later on a trip after both parents were gone I went and took pictures of the abandoned hospital, peeked in windows and could see the abandoned equipment in the dental office next to the office where I sat. It brought back memories. I met my future husband there. I wish I could see it all one more time, but I doubt a trip to Montana from Michigan at my age is in my future.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing, sorry you probably won't make it back glad you got to see video.

[@grantfahlman1815]

Chris these types of videos are certainly interesting and are enjoyed by those of us that have an interest in history (and no, not the ancient type).

[@attrell]

Well thank you! I enjoy making them :)

[@aimeemoore1094]

Amen

[@joelmyhre9694]

We lived at 288D Cedar St. in the late 50's - early 60's when the base first opened ... I went to the elementary school up the street on Country Club Blvd ... imagine if you can - we transferred from Montana to Guam, freezer to oven

[@attrell]

What a huge difference!!

[@GeorgeWhitmire]

Country Club Blvd. was Oak Street when we lived there in the mid '70's....

[@allenpeters9155]

The old hospital was a CDC Treatment Center. I was there in 1982 . Good story about that experience. WOW ! Really WOW !

[@spikel984]

Great,interesting video. So sad to see towns left to ruin like this. I love looking at the architecture, (even sort of modern) and always wonder, if only the walls could talk!

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gailhammerberg5821]

So very sad to see the condition of the base. My husband was stationed at Opheim AFS from 1972-1974 and we lived on Glasgow AFB during that time. It was a well cared for base then. Our twins were born in Glasgow just three weeks before we moved from there to McChord AFB in Washington. The winters there were awful and it was well below zero the day our girls were born!

[@ron-yt2lv]

Regarding the chapel, on the side away from the road there is an enclosed courtyard. The third week of June I attended a wedding there and the lilacs in that courtyard were amazingly fragrant and colorful. The plants cannot wait while winter takes its time going away, so when there is finally warmer weather they explode into life. And the turtles that somehow survive frozen solid ponds for months on end and appear just fine when the ponds thaw. And the jack rabbits the size of kangaroos. These are some of the things that leave St Marie indelibly inscribed in my mind.

[@jeanwilliams3425]

I found this video sad . 😢 I and my family lived there in 1976-77. My daughter went to school there and we used the hospital & grocery store. The winters are no fun for sure.

[@Wooley689]

This is so wild. Places like this fascinate me. Lots of questions and imagination for when it was hustling.

[@Wildflower-ue8qm]

I thought exploring was all about trespassing, filming, while respecting the explore and leaving without getting caught. How cool had you gone into some of the abandoned stores, schools, houses, Church etc. This abandoned place more than likely didn't have cops patrolling that particular neighborhood. I suppose it is a good thing you don't want to break the law. It's not as interesting looking at the outside of these buildings as it would be to see indoors of them. Thanks for sharing this old town. What a shame knowing this place was allowed to become abandoned rather than putting it to some good use. As a matter of fact I would move into one of these houses if in somewhat liveable condition.

[@attrell]

I would live here too! And no I am not a fan of trapssing. It is easy to ask for permission and if I had tried I am sure I could have got permission somehow.

[@thatfeeble-mindedboy]

Oh, grow a pair for Heaven‘s sake… It’s unsecured and abandoned with the doors open or missing… Nobody’s gonna prosecute an urban explorer just taking pictures… Come on man

[@margot6041]

I may be generalizing, but I have noticed a big difference in how rules are regarded in Canada vs. the US, no judgment but just a difference.

[@davhuf3496]

​@@margot6041Older generation vs younger generation when it comes to respect.

[@WadeRasmussen-y5x]

My late wife Rhonda and i talked about checking out St Marie to maybe buy one of the houses there . She was originally from Crow agency Montana . She wanted to be closer to her momma to take care of her. Sadly my beautiful Indian princess Rhonda passed in August of 2020 . Now I'm alone and now am thinking about going to St Marie if there's a inhabitable house for me .

[@mattmeagher365]

My dad and brother were building the Northern Border pipeline in 1980, and all the workers lived on the base. We visited there for a few weeks. It’s pretty far from anywhere.

[@4knanapapa]

In the early 80s my in laws lived on the navel weapons center in Ridgecrest Cal.. My father in law was a civilian contractor and due to the remoteness of the base civilians and military personel were allowed to live there, at one time housing over 40000 people, everything was on the base ,schools stores, even a theater. They were in the process of moving civilian personel of the base due to the development of housing in Ridgecrest. What I remember of the houses they looked just like the ranch homes on this base two residences with a one car garage on either end but cinder block, nice and roomy inside, nice back yard, three bedrooms, cheap rent, great memory.

[@cheycasters]

That was China Lake .......I was born n raised there for thirty years......those were the days🎸

[@rem1762]

It's been years since I've been through there, but I think Ridgecrest is still up and running. High Desert.

[@4knanapapa]

I remember there was a old town in the area, the jail was still on the outskirts and there were wood walkways through out the town, I think it was Red Rock or Red Wood.

[@michaelvandyke6715]

Hell I would rebuild a home there and move in! No people, no traffic, no cities, no problem! 👌

[@redrustyhill2]

And no jobs. Glasgow is 20 miles away and has maybe 2k people max.

[@michaelvandyke6715]

@@redrustyhill2 , perfect, I'm retired..

[@redrustyhill2]

@@michaelvandyke6715 from what I've been told, its mostly retirees living there. Its nice and quiet. Lots of hunting and fishing opportunities. Not far from Ft Peck damn, one of americas largest earth fill damns and the states largest reservoir. Awesome for boating and fishing.

[@michaelvandyke6715]

@@redrustyhill2 , Montana is my old stomping grounds, raised there in the 1950's and 60's to early 70's...

[@tomf1060]

The airfield and some buildings were leased out to folks like Boeing for the testing of aircraft. The long runway was built to handle the weight of bombers and is perfect to handle large commercial aircraft. When the Montana winters settle in, test aircraft are flown there to be cold soaked....to see how they respond. The construction of the base was quick and the financial impacts of the effort were widely spread. Some of the homes were of prefab construction and built in Vulcan AB Canada, then trucked in to hasten the effort. As more and more minuteman missiles were buried, the need for manned bombers was lessened and Glasgow AFB lost it's flying mission. Many bases began to close or were greatly reduced in size and mission.

[@inevitablesalvation3750]

I grew up in Scobey, and my grandparents grew up in Richland and recently passed away. We just buried them together in Glentana. We used to swing through town quite a few times throught the years. Sad to see what its become. Time takes its toll. 😢

[@marcomcdowell8861]

It's always intriguing that no matter how out of the way an abandoned place may be, someone is either vandalizing it, or spray painting on it. The effort it takes to even get to these locations, just to smash them up is remarkable. That odd bus schedule was probably for alert crews and/or maintenance shifts.

[@paul0wen65]

My dad was stationed at the radar base north of Havre, MT, from 1968-1972. Don't recall if he ever went to Saint Marie but he did go to a few stations along the Hi-Line. I wonder what environmental hazards may be lingering here that haven't been considered: asbestos building materials, lead pipes, and other potential harms considering when it was built and abandoned. Fascinating vidoe.

[@SpokaneGirl85]

I lived in Montana for 8 years and never heard of this place. Good thing about middle of nowhere is vandals won't get to them. Roof cave in could be from heavy snow storms and with no humans to shovel it off or without power, snow can't melt.

[@twolder]

This is super interesting 👌Thanks for sharing Chris👍

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jeffb1791]

I was actually born there in the late 60's, but my dad was transferred when I was just a few months old.

[@cmscms123456]

Sad.. I do love these old AF bases. I was in the USAF from 1974 to 1977, The force reduction has been dramatic. 1973 active AF was about 680,000, only one year later was down by 10% to about 580,000.. Post Vietnam war many were offered 'early outs'.. Today active AF is about 310,000, less than half the people in 1973... when I was in. Its sobering to think.. half the people I saw during my active duty times are gone from active roles now. I was at Barksdale AFB LA. B-52 SAC base. Today, Barksdale has less than half the planes it did, and less than half the people. Barksdale was 24-7 operation, with 5 B-52's on 24 hour ALERT status... Today, I think its a 5 day work week, 8 hours per day... Bankers hours... Most shops on the flight line were never closed... the lights were always on, people were always there. Amazing

[@ericmattinen4728]

We are about 16 miles North of Glasgow, (sounds like Go, long O sound, not Cow) summers can be hot, winters can be brutal with the wind, and snow is random. Some winters we don't get much snow, and last winter we got dumped on bad!

[@nocturnusbostok2636]

My Father-in-law had a place up there. His dad was one of the caretakers of the place when it was still a base. The places that are lived in and pretty nice.

[@Jack-ne8vm]

Same thing happened to Hamilton Field (Hamilton AFB) north of San Francisco & Mather Afb near Sacramento. Houses built for military weren't up to codes. Shut down, closed up, abandoned. Deer loved it.

[@nancysmith2295]

Hamilton Field near (San Rafael) has been converted. It's online. Unless I'm confused with Moffit.

[@Jack-ne8vm]

Hamilton was a shame. Nice tile roofed housescaving in... new houses & businesses now.. Moffit still NASA, coast guard , houses. @@nancysmith2295

[@MaxZomboni]

10:37 LOL, the sign was wrong. The pickup times were 7:45 AM, 8:27 AM, and 12:49 PM. M-P refers to Mountain-Plains Education & Economic Development Program. Which was a school operated on the base in the 1970s. That was the last use for the base. Two buses picked up students in the morning and took them from the MCP housing area to the Mountain-Plains study area for their classes, and two buses brought them home in the evening. One bus made a mid-day round trip and took students or "participants" as they were called home for lunch. Moms, could rush home to make lunch for their kids, and then catch the bus back for their afternoon classes. There were other bus routes on the base too, but none of them ran until mid-night. I think the latest was a recreational bus route that stopped running about 10 PM.

[@attrell]

THank you so much for sharing this!!

[@Travelingthru]

So cool this place and love all the comments from people who lived and visited there ! Great Video

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@sandrabourdon1789]

I live there in 1977-78 and it was part of a education system for newly married couples and single women with a child who went thru college or trade courses. It was 5 states that were involved.... Wyoming,N/S Dakota, Montana, Idaho They had a trade school and i took carpentry and my wife took banking. They would relocate u to a city or town within the 5 states. I choose Boise

[@redrustyhill2]

Interesting. I live close and never heard that before. I was born in 77

[@richhoops2413]

There's another person in this comment section who said something very similar to what you're saying. I believe he said he studied aviation. Him and his wife. That sounds like it was a great program.

[@PennyHELMS-m7j]

Exactly

[@kathleenmartin7498]

I stayed there in 1979, while attending a vocational school for adults. It hadn't been abandoned for long when I was there.

[@maryraynor9961]

Just went there. Fantastic and creepy at the same time. More people living there than I thought. Lots of young people. Nice people to talk to. Glad we went.

[@ThomasYanc-vg6uy]

I love looking at abandoned places

[@attrell]

Me too!

[@robertodebeers2551]

Spend a typical winter in Glasgow and you'll understand why people don't want to live there.

[@attrell]

I live 3 hours NW of Glasgow. You're correct.

[@michaelvandyke6715]

I spent 50+ years in harsh winters in Montana and ND, you either like them or leave...

[@redrustyhill2]

​@@michaelvandyke6715or hate it and just endure it

[@joanbrewer5016]

I was there after the military left ,was in a government funded training school for low income married or single parents with kids. The wind blows all the time there,used to have to ride a bus all the way to Glasgow cuz the store on base was soooo expensive. They had a bar called the Aurora Club there it kind of broke up the monotony. 😂

[@Chris-vp1vs]

Sounds Russian

[@genewalter5022]

Wind is always blowing, sagebrush doesn't slow wind down. Summer hot and dry 100+. Winter, snow and cold, -40 without wind chill. It does have it's moments.

[@mattpcut1]

Fun Fun I rember living as a kid at Glasgow Air Force base, when it was still a dispersal airfield with the tankers and B-52. What a sight and sound it was when the tankers and bombers took off, very impressive to a small kid!!!

[@SGT11B40]

I was a 4th grader, lived there from 1974 to 1975. I remember taking the bus to school, the movie theater, bowling ally. And some of us kids would do some exploring too.

[@vernbloyd]

I worked in Radio in Glasgow from 1988 to 1990 i remember St.Marie after the base closed and they were fixing up the houses and were renting the houses out i was in one of the homes and were very nice i remember they had a bowling alley there which was part of the base i think they were trying to fix up the other buildings i knew the people who were trying to develop St. Marie. when the base was open the air force was stationed there to protect the Fort Peck Dam i guess they thought that was one of the targets of probably the Germans or Japanese it is a shame that most of the buildings have gone to ruin

[@kenbrown438]

I tried to subscribe , but , KZbin says I have too many subscriptions !!!! Thanks for posting this very interesting abandoned town video !!!! I'll keep watching !!!!

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@stephenshanks3238]

In the early 70s my dad was the Base Civil Engineer/Deputy Base Commander. I went to 3rd and 4th grade at North Star Elementary (second school you went to). I lived in a duplex on the outer loop (think it was Ash Street). When I lived there all the military and civilians live in the larger houses (first group). The smaller houses were used by the training program (Mountain Plains) to house participants. My mother worked in the graphic. Department of Mountain Plains. I have nothing but great memories of living at Glasgow. Lots of kids, very safe, as a 8-9 year old you could ride your bike anywhere. To this day I still love MT history. Thanks for the video

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching! Glasgow is a fantastic town!

[@m.b.88]

Just finding these wonderful videos. Thanks to everyone who shares their memories of St. Marie 🙏

[@attrell]

Glad you like them!

[@m.b.88]

@@attrell they really capture a sense of time and place. Stay safe!

[@13thCP]

I went and urbex that whole area back in 2021. It was really cool! But the shady, creepy stuff happens at night when you stay overnight. Really cool video!

[@MissionSilo]

Like what

[@ginaperry2599]

I imagine the snow ❄️🌨️ piled on the roof and the weight made it cave in.

[@Oddlyhistorical2160]

Well done! Nicely filmed. I just watched one on outbackjack's channels and it's amazing how you got such great footage. They were on him like a tick (security that is). Love the documentation. It really is an eerie place.

[@attrell]

Thank you very much!

[@dorothymazzarelli2829]

😢😢😢How sad! I worked there, for Mountain-Plains, for almost a year. I met my husband, an Air Force officer, who also worked on the base. It brings back so many nostalgic memories and it's a shock to see all the structural decay. The buildings were once so well maintained! The chapel looks pretty much as I remember it. I vaguely remember shopping at the abandoned supermarket. We spent many fun hours at what was once the Aurora Club. I was unable to recognize that building, at all. 😢 Yes, the winter was cold and the summer was hot and there were mosquitos everywhere! The following year, my husband and I were married and living in New York!😂Lol

[@MaxZomboni]

My first job when I was a kid was working at the Aurora Club. First mowing the lawn in the summer, and then inside cleaning the mostly unused kitchen and dining areas in the winter.

[@johnolson7319]

I live in Wolf Point 45 minutes away from there. I remember hearing that the hospital was changed into a rehab center and also there was a movie made at the base, it was a Clint Eastwood movie "Firefox " (Early 80's) the old air force hangers were used. Also the open areas were used when a submarine top came to the surface.

[@attrell]

I didn't know what!

[@johnolson7319]

@attrell if you're in the area again check out the Valley County museum in Glasgow they have lots of history on the air force base

[@michaelmikelson2946]

True....the submarine surfacing through the ice scene was shot on the runways.

[@FlyMeAirplane]

I was a kid there on the SAC AFB. I always wanted to go back and see what was left. Thanks for showing me! I remember the snow getting so high in the winter that it buried our swing set. After a snow storm it was neighborly to go dig out a path to your neighbors front door, ... if you could get out yourself! rough place to live.

[@attrell]

Wow that is deep!

[@donaldblankenship8057]

The distances are huge even between buildings. Snowmobiles, buses, and plows were crucial.

[@ebarnum11]

I came here once when I went to High School in Wolf Point. Way cool to see it again!!!!

[@CSIPSD]

Your "old" fire Hydrant is a PIV or Post Indicator Valve. It shows if the fire line for the building is open or closed.

[@attrell]

Thanks for the info!

[@manofreedom]

this looks like the old housing area of the Blytheville Air Force Base in northeast Arkansas not far from the Mississippi River in Mississippi county. The base is being used to repair and dismantle airplanes now and Federl Express was looking at it at one time but the housing area of the old air base is falling apart like this is in Montana.

[@DanielDavis1973]

Boeing sometimes uses the old base runway for flight tests since it's so long and basically deserted but is maintained in good condition. I distinctly remember doing 787 tests there back when we were flight testing the -8's

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

This place has potential...it should be restored.

[@michaelkruk3415]

So many old bases and mining towns across North America. Wish I were rich. Then I'd start a foundation for refurbishing these old towns. You can buy entire, perfectly kept towns in Saskatchewan .

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

@@michaelkruk3415 Agreed.

[@summerz8867]

Interesting place🍃🎼😘 You ca show inhabited homes peoples Do it all the time with respect.

[@reneebrazeal788]

Got married in that church back on 70's....bowling alley across the street.

[@sewergal1]

Just discovered and subscribed to your amazing videos! Love those praire abandoned places and you do a great job filming and describing them.

[@attrell]

Awesome, thank you!

[@seanfrank4158]

Did you happen to run into any locals at all? Did they have thoughts about the future of the town?

[@attrell]

None at all. But when I return, I will try to visit the coffee shop.

[@redrustyhill2]

There is no future. I live about 70 miles from there. Its mostly just retired people living there from what I've been told.

[@Ultimate_Darius]

​@@attrellMy wife and I live there. We'd be happy to meet for coffee

[@joshmayo321]

​@@Ultimate_Dariusare the properties for sale? Who would one contact?

[@mikeohandley1922]

There are places like that all over the US - abandoned military bases, that is. Two where I was stationed are abandoned. The first is Ft. Devens, MA. Most of it was taken over by the town of Ayer, MA but a lot of it, Including the housing area where I lived, has been torn down. The second is Ft. McClellan, AL. I initially trained to be an MP there, and I returned and was there from '86 to '89 as cadre. After I left they built beautiful barracks that looked like college dorms for the enlisted men. A couple years later, it was abandoned. There was another one I saw - an air force base in Chicopee, MA. With all of the homeless in this country, you'd think they'd make these places available to the homeless and create some industry to keep them employed. I was told that they tear them down because they have asbestos on the pipes or lead-based paint. I guess it's preferable to allow them to live on the streets as junkies than employ them and let them live in decent housing even if it does have lead paint and asbestos.

[@Dragonflylane77]

I was thinking the same thing about the homeless.. so many unused buildings and space for the homeless and our vets who need housing..

[@aspensulphate]

For the most part, having a place to live is not their main concern. By the way, it's terribly insensitive to use the term 'homeless'. Now they are the "unhoused."

[@mikeohandley1922]

@@aspensulphate - F*** political correctness. Yesterday it was homeless, today it's unhoused, tomorrow it will be some other buzzword dreamed up to describe the same people. People need to stop being offended by every little thing.

[@Dragonflylane77]

@@aspensulphate Luckily I’m not PC so I don’t care what you call them. I’m about to be homeless so whether you call me homeless or unhoused it doesn’t change my situation

[@billyrocket62]

Strange how the same buildings that are considered adequate for the soldiers that protect our country, are considered "inadequate" to house drug addicts that live on the streets.

[@alanjameson8664]

The bus schedule on the sign makes sense for an airbase.

[@attrell]

I thought it was because bar closed at 1AM.

[@leowasescha4658]

Delivered for FedEx there a few years back. Indeed an eerie place.

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

2:17 Yeah, but no. What the Air Force did was cut new orders for service members, and they simple moved away. This is just one of many BRAC ghost towns.

[@redrustyhill2]

I have drove through that "town" many times. Its quite large. I've been told there was housing for at least 20k.

[@straycat5499]

That was a Post Indicator valve to show if the fire sprinkler system is on or off

[@wi.dave3812]

Exactly, not a hydrant

[@joeblo1319]

That thing you thought was an old fire hydrant at the hospital was a post indicator valve or PIV, part of the buildings fire sprinkler system. It was shut and handle was missing. The 1960 was the date the valve was made. If the place closed before the mid 1990s then it was unlikely the building was retrofitted with fire sprinklers so it is reasonable to assume they were installed when the building was built thus the hospital was likely built in 1960. Those PVC pipes sticking up from the ground of the corner of the town hall are for either condensing boilers for building heat or condensing gas water heaters located in the basement. Relatively recent tech. They would have been installed within the last 20 yrs or so, so someone made a significant investment in converting part of that old building's plant from whatever it was originally to condensing since the 2000s. Church looks late 1940s to late 1950s construction. School and grocery store look mid late 1950s. Looks like a concrete pad with manhole cover at 13:20 probably over an underground oil tank and the building in the background has got to be the boiler room. Door at 13:36 partially below grade so probably a steam plant for heat for the school(s) too bad you couldn't have looked around in there. Great video.

[@attrell]

Thank you! WOW! You know your stuff. Thanks for sharing all that!!

[@PennyHELMS-m7j]

Mountain Plains was a Training program there. Worked at the Community Center in the 70's. So very sad.

[@doughaskell1690]

After the base was closed I had a short assignment to the base to remove communications equipment. Not much there, mostly the school to teach people that were under-employed skill trades and AF personnel assigned to Opheim AF Station. It was strange to see the AFB with no aircraft and the facilities all closed.

[@A.R.77]

11:55 ~ Oh goodness!!! California style school floor plan. That must have been nuts in the Winter. Oh that feels so desolate.

[@alansides955]

Yes if I got a free house there, I would move there. Its quiet and scenery in Montana is beautiful.

[@rgfisher21]

If the is a former AFB they probably sold all the properties to the town for $1.00. There is no one that still owns those houses except the city. The places were people still live were done early after the abandoning. The long buildings were probably barracks for single airman and the smaller housing were for airman with families (two units per building). Probably they didn't all leave at the same time but most did in a brief period of time because the air force personnel were transferred to other locations. At what was the end of the "cold war" many bases including some of the largest were closed down.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing that.

[@Ultimate_Darius]

I live here. Many people own the houses here in town that are occupied at any rate.

[@markw999]

Interesting. Zillow only shows one property for sale. 32k.

[@rgfisher21]

Right and that is what I said, the ones that are occupied are owned by different people, the abandoned ones would either be owned by the city or county or are just abandoned and still owned by the US government.@@Ultimate_Darius

[@robertingram6274]

I wonder who to contact if I'm I terested in moving there...

[@RichardCockerill]

those bus stop times not unusal at all,i was stationed in Okinawa 67 to 69 on a huge base and the buses ran all night

[@carrotspaghetti236]

I just checked real estate listings there: they were all being sold as condos with a monthly fee just under $200. I wonder what that covers. They were duplex/triplex, starting at $32,000. The nicest was $75,000. If you have a lot of freedom with the green spaces to garden or to fence a back yard for pets, it would be a good deal in retirement.

[@attrell]

That is a great price

[@Buck1954]

12:49am is not a strange time to catch a bus for a Military early warning base.People will be working 24 hours a day.

[@attrell]

I guess that makes sense

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I was going to say the same thing. I served in Germany in the 1980s and the base we lived on was about 16 miles for the duty station. they had regular shuttle buses running between the base, the site and the PX almost 24 hours a day. The base I lived on is gone now but the German government preserved a couple of the buildings and the quad as a museum. The site is still operating and is the last Flair-9 left of a world spanning listening system. The German Military is still operating it.

[@johnjones393]

No guessing at all, it makes perfect sense. A cold war AFB never slept.

[@kelechenyi]

A free home. I would move up there and help rebuild the place. Weather is no issue for me :)

[@tibo5828]

Nice story. Would liked to have seen more drone footage!

[@attrell]

Me too but then I realized with the airport being so close, I would have to get permission. Didn;t know it was still in use.

[@billparker244]

I would live there in a heartbeat. I wouldn't mind fixing a place up either.

[@scottmartinson2524]

It was very eerie seeing a town that I lived as a kid. I've been in that hospital, play8baseball on that field.

[@l.salisbury1253]

A PERFECT place to film a Zombie movie! "That was NOT a complement!" -Tommy Smothers

[@Niagara716]

Free house. I'm in! I'll reno it and stay. I'm down with winter and no neighbors 😀😎🍻

[@RicCampbell-qf6en]

I was stationed there in 74 and 75 ,tdy from Fairchild air force base.

[@brentnearhood8874]

Thanks! My brother-in-law lives in Saint Ignatius, Montana.

[@RichardCockerill]

i also did my Basic Training at Fort Ord Calif 1967,a hugh Army base,shut down in the mid 90's i believe

[@deadhorse1391]

I looked on line and it looks like they 6 houses for sale there…priced between $29,000 and $72,000. They all looked to be habitable and were being lived in

[@johnwood551]

I lived there for awhile in 1978, but it was still very nice and clean. I always that it would be perfect for a big corporation to build a shipping company using the the Huge airport that was still in perfect condition left over from the military . Sad to see it never became anything. There were HUGE bars in Glasgow with huge dance floors to handle hundreds of Air Force Personnel on time off.

[@dawilliamstn]

This is a pretty stark contrast between the way this looks today and the Google earth view.

[@phylliscurley1565]

My mother attended the family training center in 1978. I went to that abandoned school. I was in the first and second grade there.! My best friend was Tina, a red-haired girl. Dont know what ever happened to her, because we moved back home after 2 years. It was once a lively place. It's sad to see this place abandoned. 😢