Got feeling nostalgic today so I thought I'd visit my grandparent's farm across the country away virtually on a google satellite view. Of course there's no address and it was before common folk could gps tag either. But I remembered, out of town on the highway, turn right at the grid road where the family friend's farm was, go several miles (but you counted half miles ala 1/4 sections of land boundaries) and watch for the turn in just after an intersection. Plot was unique because relatives each had a house (log) interconnected kitty corner on the same quarter. It was a big deal as a kid to ride on the pickup tailgate going to the cattle wire fence gate in the sweltering summer heat and get through without any escaping cattle. Then try not to smell/step in fresh cow pies.
In the early web days an app probably google had a crappy but identifiable satellite view where I could pick out the route and the farm.
Now on google earth even with its 2011 data set I can find no recognisable trace of the waypoint farm or ours. Talking farmhouse, barn, cattle shelters, garage, lane entry - everything. I've traced all three possible sideroads/turnoffs in case my memory isn't what it could be. Nothing. Even another relative's farm/gas station/garage at the town turnoff was gone except for the main residence and one corner building - no sign of highway access turnoffs or even building footprints.
Who'da thunk that could happen.
Small town went from peak population 300, 5 streets down to population 90 and dead town/no businesses after they took out the grain elevators and then abandoned the rail line. In the town history writeup I found I recognised all the family names mentioned one of whom I fondly mispronounced Mr. Ketchup - not right it was Ukrainian Tkatchuk. Region homesteaded 1880 something to 1906(?) mostly Ukrainian and Romanian. No schools for quite a while - grandfather made grade 4 IIRC then it was farm time. As time progressed more grades were offered. Schools shut down for epidemics to try to keep the death toll down (pre-vaccine times). I think there were 3 stop signs and one yield sign total
In the early web days an app probably google had a crappy but identifiable satellite view where I could pick out the route and the farm.
Now on google earth even with its 2011 data set I can find no recognisable trace of the waypoint farm or ours. Talking farmhouse, barn, cattle shelters, garage, lane entry - everything. I've traced all three possible sideroads/turnoffs in case my memory isn't what it could be. Nothing. Even another relative's farm/gas station/garage at the town turnoff was gone except for the main residence and one corner building - no sign of highway access turnoffs or even building footprints.
Who'da thunk that could happen.
Small town went from peak population 300, 5 streets down to population 90 and dead town/no businesses after they took out the grain elevators and then abandoned the rail line. In the town history writeup I found I recognised all the family names mentioned one of whom I fondly mispronounced Mr. Ketchup - not right it was Ukrainian Tkatchuk. Region homesteaded 1880 something to 1906(?) mostly Ukrainian and Romanian. No schools for quite a while - grandfather made grade 4 IIRC then it was farm time. As time progressed more grades were offered. Schools shut down for epidemics to try to keep the death toll down (pre-vaccine times). I think there were 3 stop signs and one yield sign total
