Ardmore

The National Geographic used a picture from Ardmore from 2004 in article called "The Late Great Plains." It's now a wallpaper for my computer monitors.

Beautiful pictures. Love looking back to what it used to be and feel I'm not thankful enough what God has given us now.

Great Photos, Joel! How do I buy that beautiful rusty Chevy?

I love reading about the history of a town. The pictures are wonderful!

Great pics, Joel! So interesting learning about South Dakota's past.

Your pictures make me feel like I'm
right there. Awesome photography, Joel!!

These are so enjoyable to look at. Thank you, Joel, for sharing your photography gift with us.

This group of pictures just makes one want to go there to experience it all over again.

Great photography ! I love the history of old towns.

There is such loneliness in abandoned towns. When you walk the streets it's as if the memories are blowing past you in the breeze. These photos reflect that feeling.

Impressed again with Joel's photos. And the story is enlightening. Of course, without water life is limited.

Beautiful photographs. Joel Schwader has such and eye and really knows how to tell a story. Interesting that the grass looks so lush in a town that died from a lack of water.

I remember going to Ardmore for the annual firemens ball...good times and good people. We would always stop on our way to Cascade falls and buy some picnic supplies at the general store. Lots of good memories!

I just finished an historical fiction thriller set in Ardmore. I made the town come back to life through a scary perspective that is befitting to the deserted little town out in the middle of the lonely plains.
The book takes place in Ardmore and western Nebraska and includes some local folklore like the Witch's Grave, the Ghost Ship of the Platte, the School Children's Blizzard of 1888, Ft. Robinson, Ghost Dancers and strange occurrences along the Oregon Trail.
Check out my pictures and more about the book on my Face Book page @jamesreimerardmore. The book is titled ARDMORE, by James Reimer.

Ardmore comes to life each November on the opening weekend of west river deer season. 3 hunting camps make the population explode to 20-25 people. One camp has refurbished the hotel in town & now they are working on the VFW building. They host a burger feed & a pancake feed each November to benefit the Ardmore volunteer fire department. We have been hunting the area for 15 years & built our cabin in Ardmore 10 years ago. We have made lifelong friendships with several local ranch families. Great people out there!

I have had so many memories here in Ardmore. I am so sad to see my family having to leave the area and all the wonderful people from the area as well. My dad was a firefighter for the Ardmore Volunteer Fire Dept for MANY years and a local rancher as well. I will always think of Ardmore as home and I will always think of the friends in the area and the hunters who come down for hunting season as family.
Along with what Kelly said: I always thought of hunting season in November as a holiday, and hope I still make it down to see everyone for the good time! :)

I lived in Ardmore 1956-58 and loved it! These pics bring back so many memories, wonderful memories. I was so saddened to go thru there a couple of years ago reminiscing and saw the Sunshine Café that my parents, Ted and Julia Birdsall owned so falling down.

grew up on a ranch by Rumford. We used to go to church there and also were members of the fire dept. Also sold furs there at Harry's store in the mid 70's. I have fond memories of there and would like to relocate back there maybe when I retire. Rebecca, tho I do not know you my dad (Charles Morris and I used to hunt deer there on Duck Creek and Hat Creek.

Although I was raised in Illinois, during the early and mid-1960's, my parents and I vacationed near Ardmore while we looked for Fairburn agate on the grasslands and near Orella, NE. Remember meeting Harry Hartman and specifically remember his Moon Pies with the worm holes in them. Also met the good folks who ran the Hat Creek Cafe on the south side of town. Have many wonderful memories of Ardmore, Scenic, Crawford, and Orella, with its Sugar Loaf Butte.

The hotel mentioned above, once the Ardmore Hotel, was owned and run by my great grandparents, Harriet and George W Joseph. I am thrilled to hear it still stands and hope to one day see it for myself!

We just drove through and stopped at Ardmore. Very interesting if not a little scary and irry place. Looks like lots of the town just up and left at once! What happened?

Maybe there needs to be a new effort to revive the town! I'm looking to retire in this very area. Anyone else interested? It would be a challange but what fun!

Hey Rich, I'm game. I've been looking around for very small towns or Ghost towns that I could move to. I have a self contained camper I can always live in if I can't buy a building to renovate. You can contact me at KLemkecompton@yahoo.com.

Everyone, I just returned from South Dakota yesterday, Jan.17, 2015. I made a special trip down to Ardmore to look around. The town is in serious deteriorated shape. You couldn't live in any buildings and most should be condemned. Entering them would be very risky. There is evidence that a couple of building are being maintained on a shoe string budget. There are a few people living there but I don't know how many. The cars in these photos above are still there. There are a lot of cars there that are not shown in the pictures. Near by small towns are basically old car parking lots like Ardmore. A metal scrapper would make good money here. The Ardmore water tower is still up and looks like it hasn't been painted in 50 plus years. What appears to be a pumping house also is in bad shape and the roof has collapsed. There was enough snow to make exploring by foot difficult so I just drove around. I will be out again in June this year to look some more, take pictures and possibly talk to people that are living there to ask there perspective on the towns future. I will also be bringing a hard hat.