Lead Contamination Makes Ghost Town of Pitcher, Oklahoma

Pitcher, Oklahoma was once a small, sleepy town—content to remain quiet and out of the news. Most of its residents were satisfied with the subtle nuances that make small town living appealing. But the local mine replaced this dream of the simple life with a new set of nightmarish realities once lead had covered the land.

The town suffered collective poisoning due to the negligent operation of the mine and was declared a hazardous waste site in 1981. It was no longer safe to live there and doing so was considered both risky and dangerous. Still, many residents remained in the hopes of reclaiming their beloved hometown.

That once shining hope has since faded to a dim glimmer as recent years have seen one after another of its essential institutions close down—awaiting their inevitable demolition. All the schools have closed. The town government is a thing of the past and the post office has been torn down. Restaurants, shops, and even funeral parlors have been bought out by the federal government, which has claimed more than 900 businesses.

Sink holes have become the newest menace plaguing the city. The old mining shafts that tunnel under the city threaten to gulp down the remaining buildings—relegating the land to a large scale quicksand pit—making it virtually uninhabitable.

Only one local business lingers: a small pharmacy operated by a gentleman named Gary Linderman, who refuses to close out of an obligation to the handful of residents that have steadfastly persisted through the troubling times—and time is not on his side, nor the town’s side. This is the last stand of a hopeless town—a consequence of industrial recklessness.