Missing Montezuma Boy

[carvers4math]

The mining towns were big with the KKK in Iowa due to the number of black workers.

We had an elderly neighbor who was illiterate who had worked in the coal mines. His father and grandfather had both died of black lung. After his wife died, he asked me to read him his mail and help him get his bills paid. He avoided black lung but basically drank himself to death mourning his wife. Lived a very hard life.

 

[Turn2]

The mining towns were big with the KKK in Iowa due to the number of black workers.

We had an elderly neighbor who was illiterate who had worked in the coal mines. His father and grandfather had both died of black lung. After his wife died, he asked me to read him his mail and help him get his bills paid. He avoided black lung but basically drank himself to death mourning his wife. Lived a very hard life.

There's a little known cemetery on the east edge of Ankeny with only one marked grave that is allegedly full of old miners and their families.

Amateur historians try to unlock mysteries of century-old Iowa cemetery

"There's people here, but nobody knows their story."

www.desmoinesregister.com

 

[Cyismymonkey]

Klan was bad all over the coal mining areas. Lots of Italians, Serbs, Croatians and Blacks working the mines. Didn’t care for Catholics either per old family stories.

 

[carvers4math]

Railroad workers got a lot of attention from Klan with many of them being Catholic or black.

One of my ancestors was tarred and feathered in southeast Iowa

 

[Al_4_State]

I hear some on here complaining about rural Iowa, but it makes me wonder how much these people have been to rural areas in other States. Iowa rural communities look high dollar compared to a lot of them around the country. And you do not have to go that far out of Iowa to see those that are much worse.

The Dakotas, Appalachians, South, Southwest, all have rural and small towns that look much much worse than any in Iowa, and it really is not even close. Cities around the country have a lot of rat holes too.

I like to get off the interstate and take the less traveled roads on trips and you will really see how much worse off some areas are. There are some really poor areas around, the country, and Iowa is not really close to as poor as some.

Lotta truth here.

In the last 5 years or so, I've driven off the beaten path in nearby states. I saw far worse rural decline in places like Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico than I have anywhere in Iowa.

Where I've been in the Dakotas has been pretty decent, as well as Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Those rural areas are more akin to rural Iowa.

 

[crs8975]

I love that someone else on here knows those towns. Stout is still alive and thriving. Play slow pitch at the Stout Astrodome every summer

lol... Thriving is not a word I would have used to describe Stout. Last I checked they lost their pop machine haha.

 

[CyCrazy]

Drive on the back roads of Mississippi is eye opening how people live. A whole different world.

 

[mapnerd]

The real life Al Swearengen is from SE Iowa. His coal mining experience there helped him when he moved to deadwood.

 

[2speedy1]

Lotta truth here.

In the last 5 years or so, I've driven off the beaten path in nearby states. I saw far worse rural decline in places like Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico than I have anywhere in Iowa.

Where I've been in the Dakotas has been pretty decent, as well as Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Those rural areas are more akin to rural Iowa.

I Believe the places in the Dakotas I have seen that are really poor were probably on reservation lands. Otherwise I agree that it is very similar to Iowa. It does seem Reservations struggle more in some states than others, some seem to be doing quite well while some really seem to be really struggling.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Lotta truth here.

In the last 5 years or so, I've driven off the beaten path in nearby states. I saw far worse rural decline in places like Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico than I have anywhere in Iowa.

Where I've been in the Dakotas has been pretty decent, as well as Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Those rural areas are more akin to rural Iowa.

Spend some time in West Texas. It'll make Ottumwa look like Dubai

 

[Al_4_State]

I Believe the places in the Dakotas I have seen that are really poor were probably on reservation lands. Otherwise I agree that it is very similar to Iowa. It does seem Reservations struggle more in some states than others, some seem to be doing quite well while some really seem to be really struggling.

The most impoverished place I've ever come across was a reservation in Arizona. If you were in the reservations just south of the Black Hills, I'm pretty sure those are among the poorest places in the country.

 

[Cyismymonkey]

Railroad workers got a lot of attention from Klan with many of them being Catholic or black.

One of my ancestors was tarred and feathered in southeast Iowa

Old people in the neighborhood I grew up in talked about the Klan burning crosses down the hill from where they lived.

 

[Al_4_State]

Spend some time in West Texas. It'll make Ottumwa look like Dubai

I drove through the panhandle a in spring of 2021 and didn't think it was terrible, but there's a lot more to west Texas than that, too. This was Stratford/Dalhart area, and there was a pretty strong local ag economy from the looks of it.

But just past there, we crossed into New Mexico, and the town of Nara Visa was like something out of a Breaking Bad murder scene.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[cyfanatic]

I drove through the panhandle a in spring of 2021 and didn't think it was terrible, but there's a lot more to west Texas than that, too. This was Stratford/Dalhart area, and there was a pretty strong local ag economy from the looks of it.

But just past there, we crossed into New Mexico, and the town of Nara Visa was like something out of a Breaking Bad murder scene.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

I just Google Mapped/Street Viewed that place...yikes...yeah...that would be an intimidating location to have a car break down: https://goo.gl/maps/k4pFraKHcQfg3exBA

 

[Al_4_State]

I just Google Mapped/Street Viewed that place...yikes...yeah...that would be an intimidating location to have a car break down: https://goo.gl/maps/k4pFraKHcQfg3exBA

I legitimately had the creeps. I had to take a leak and pulled off in a driveway about 20 miles past there and was just waiting for meth heads to jump me despite there not being a single source of light other than the vehicle on the horizon.

 

[cyfanatic]

I legitimately had the creeps. I had to take a leak and pulled off in a driveway about 20 miles past there and was just waiting for meth heads to jump me despite there not being a single source of light other than the vehicle on the horizon.

What? You didn't want to check-in to a room at this place on the edge of town?

 

[2speedy1]

The most impoverished place I've ever come across was a reservation in Arizona. If you were in the reservations just south of the Black Hills, I'm pretty sure those are among the poorest places in the country.

Yes exactly, Black Hills and Badlands area in South Dakota the Reservations are really rough. And since we probably arent going bowling this year, we are thinking of taking a trip to Arizona during the Holidays. Driving some of it along old Route 66 etc. We will definitely be going through some areas being mentioned here if we do.

 

[Gunnerclone]

What? You didn't want to check-in to a room at this place on the edge of town?

View attachment 105614

“Cartels Welcome”

 

[CRcyclone6]

“Cartels Welcome”

Reminds me of the movie No Country for Old Men

 

[Turn2]

The thing that creeped me out the most about going into the adjacent fields here was that power line went to...something?