[Synopsis]

I plan to head up to the Gerty area this weekend and take my camera for some pictures. I'll probably use US75 out of Dallas, which will take me up through Durant, Atoka, and then up into Gerty. I'll take pictures along the way as well and post them in this thread when I get back. Gerty and the surrounding areas are very rural, so don't expect any "urban" shots! Have a great weekend all!

[_redbird_]

Get a picture of that little bigfoot that is supposedly in the woods and I will give you a dollar. Actually, he is around SE oklahoma, right? Okay, just get some purdy pictures of gerty. And have fun.

[Mattie Jo]

I want to see what downtwon gerty looks like too.

[Synopsis]

Downtown Gerty ain't much! And only a DOLLAR for a bigfoot photo! :-) I

I'll be leaving this afternoon, spending the night up there, and striking out again tomorrow for more pictures. Stay tuned! By the way, Gerty isn't exactly in SE Oklahoma. It's probably about 45 miles northwest of the kiamichi foothills. The hills around gerty are rather small, but it is my hometown and I love it there. BTW, here are a couple of pics of Gerty that I already have, taken last summer and fall. Enjoy!





Right on Gerty's "Main Street."

[Guthrie Kid]

I really like the photo with the old truck setting in front of the tin roofed building!

Looking forward to seeing more of your photos!

[Synopsis]

Hi Guthrie Kid,
Thanks for the compliment. Then you should like this comparison shot, taken about 7 1/2 months later (yesterday). I'll post more photos later. I just returned from my trip a little while ago.

[Synopsis]

Up until 1967 or 1968, Gerty had an elementary school and a high school. "The Gerty Bluedevils" was the name of their basketball team (and baseball). There were some very, very good basketball teams that played for Gerty. They had numerous state trophies for their class.

Sadly, some time in the late 80s or early 90s, the school and Gymnasium were torn down. I'm surprised that they lasted that long. Now all that remains as a memory is the entrance to the old gymnasium. I used to go in there as a kid and play with the other kids. The place was actually pretty dangerous in the decades after the school shut down. But with panels missing from the hardwood floor and lights dangling from the rafters, these presented an adventure to us local kids though. The gymnasium doubled as the school theatre, and it had a large stage complete with backstage dressing rooms and locker rooms/restrooms for the players. It was built to withstand the test of time.

The large rocks that you see making up the walls were gathered locally and both the school and gymnasium were made from this stone. Structurally, both the school and the gymnasium would have lasted much longer than I'll live, and probably for many decades after. I think the school and gymn were built in the early 1930s. They don't make 'em like that anymore!

[Synopsis]

Well, here it is in all it's glory. Main street, Gerty, Oklahoma USA. There's not much to the place. Actually, although it is my hometown and will always be close to my heart, Gerty itself is pretty unremarkable.
It's the surrounding countryside that I enjoy - rolling hills and farmland pretty much undisturbed by development for miles and miles. At one time around the turn of the century, this town of 90 people was a booming area of several thousand. It had banks and was a center of activity until the railroad came into being and bypassed the town; essentially making it a ghost town. Gerty was actually named in a book about Oklahoma as being a ghost town. All of the old buildings that made up the historic boomtown have long since been demolished or just been allowed to fall apart.

[Synopsis]

This is what's left of the old Baptist Church across the street from my old home, which no longer stands. It looks like they're attempting to shore up the old building; for what reason I do not know. Maybe they plan to make repairs.

[Synopsis]

The following shots are of some countryside surrounding Gerty. Nothing spectacular, but these hills hold a lot of fond memories for me as a kid. Summer days seemed to last forever and me and my friends made the most of every minute exploring the backwoods, damming up creeks, swimming, and just enjoying the outdoors. Things that kids aren't allowed to do these days, and many times for good reason. I sometimes feel that I'm lucky to be alive considering all of the cliffs I've climbed, swimming holes that probably had a snake or two in them, and all types of activities that were pretty dangerous. Not that I didn't escape without my cuts and scrapes, mind you.