Sunday, August 23, 2020

Evolution of a Ghost Town

Evolution of a ghost town. Back in 2016 while out on a Northern Utah birding and ghost towning adventure with my friend April, Shin noticed the word "Ghost town" on the map just over the border in Idaho. Two ghost towns in a day sounded really rad so we after visiting Kelton headed up north to the once town of Strevell Idaho to check it out. Not much was left of Strevell, just a few foundations and the upright remains of a one building, which my research indicates was likely Mary's Cafe. Once a busy Idaho port of entry town, the construction of I-84 a few miles north essentially put Strevell out of business. This past Sunday's adventure took us by Strevell again, and now the ghost town had become even more of an apparitions left as that last building standing, stands no more. Sometime between the end of June and now the building toppled, I know this because my friend Judi, had posted a picture when she traveled past in June. Soon no one will ever have any idea this town ever existed...
Another interesting thing about Strevell, Idaho. It is home to an airplane arrow. Back in the 1920's when "AirMail" began, the US created this system of giant arrows and beacons that could be seen from the sky to help the pre-navigation system postal aircraft find their way across the country. I was bummed when I found out, after visiting Strevell in 2016, that the town was host to one of these giants arrows and we missed. Well, this time we made it a point to find the arrow.