Horses eyes are usually covered with transparent mesh to prevent flies from biting at their eyes. This fly-mask allows the horse to see and hear just fine but prevents flies from gathering on their face and eyes.
I thought it was like why they cover falcon's heads with those little leather helmets, to blind them so they will stay calm and not attempt to fly away. But yeah, flies can be a real problem for horses, so that totally makes sense. Thanks for explaining that!
Harrold's school consolidated with Highmore many years ago. The big red and brown building is the gym and lunch room. The old brick school building has the bathrooms and cloak rooms all divided by gender, so the girls were to stay on one side of the school and the boys on the other. When I attended school there the classes were mixed but we still hung our coat on opposite sides of the building. The locker rooms were also on opposite sides of the school.
So is the big school still serving the community? Great piece of architecture. Guess it did not clue in that it was summer so yes it was deserted on a weekday morning.
Born in Sioux Falls in '52, my parents moved the family to rural, southwest Minnesota in '55. Our little town of Dudley, MN no longer exists. It was great growing up in the country, but it all seems so far away now. Wonderful videos, folks...thank you.
@knrdvmmlbkkn • The business that made Dudley a town was the pair of wooden, grain elevators. A new, metal facility was built several miles away in Marshall, MN, and the wooden structures were set ablaze and burned to the ground. The railroad tracks were removed, and the town disappeared. There is a small collection of homes there, but nothing else except memories.
@@minime8048 to ride. You can have cars and other vehicles and still have horses to ride for entertainment. But with that there are Amish populations that do not have any motorized vehicles just horse and buggy.
It's interesting to hear the praises and jealousy as Road Trip proceeds through rural SD. I did note that there was at least one comment that the focus he had was escaping the doldrums without losing the ship. It is clear that rural life has some advantages but there is a trade-off that is difficult for non-rurals: the peace and quiet are lovely but the tedium and the lack of stimulation are enervating . There is little to no poverty, everyone is law-abiding and there are no confusing cultural experiments. The sheep like one place, goats the other. Presently, this is the great divide in the US.
A wonderful video, as always. It's so relaxing and interesting, just driving around and taking it all in. I love exploring new places. Thanks so much, Joe and Nic.😊💚
We appreciate that your videos are so different from those of other chanels. The slow pace makes them both informative and relaxing. Keep it up and don't change anything!
When I first got to South Dakota, I figured I had wronged someone in a past-life. Eventually it grew on me and it became home for 8 years. Brutal winters and scorching summers, but there were things to do...with some ingenuity and a bit of travel.
Whew! After watching your video, my blood pressure just dropped 20 points. So beautiful and peaceful. I grew up spending a lot of time in South Dakota with my grandparents and I just loved it. Now I live in Fort Lauderdale and it’s just crazy-town. Roads are always clogged with traffic, high rise apartments on every corner, no green space, and the temperature has been at least 95 degrees every day for the last month…South Dakota is an undiscovered treasure!
I was born in Watertown. I just love South Dakota, but wife doesn't want the winters! It's peaceful. The bad- South Dakotans haven't heard of, "Southern Hospitality".
That's sad to hear. I have an excellent long-term memory. I was born there in 1960, and we left when I was 11. Life was like the movie, "Sandlot", and Charlie Brown. I've occasionally gone back. It's very sad when I'm there to know my loved ones there are almost all dead or moved away. @@user-jp7rk1uf2n
Almost wish you'd headed east instead of west on 14. You might have ended up in De Smet, which is where Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House on The Prairie fame came of age and spent the first few years of her married life. Most of the town itself is involved with the Little House tourist industry, but there are farms around as well. Its a lovely small town, a tiny bit more lively than most of the towns in SD!
Thank you for driving through the Highmore neighborhoods. My dad grew up there & went to that school. My grandfather had the first car in that town & owned the lumber mill. Was hoping to see their house - I believe it’s still standing. Sad to see it’s a dying town.
My wife and I along with some friends visited South Dakota several weeks ago. It was pretty amazing. We saw the Black Hills, Deadwood, the Badlands and visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial. It was an amazing trip
Many of these young families in these communities would have lived on rural farmsteads years ago, For schooling, it's easier for dad to commute to the farm than for children to spend hours per day going back and forth. Thanks for covering my hometown of Highmore, I'm class of 1975,
I grew up in the 50’s and there is not much that attracts me to today’s popular culture, but I just love RUclips! What a great resource whether you want to play a musical instrument, learn a language, bake an apple pie, fix the carburetor on a 53 Studebaker or take a stroll through South Dakota just before bedtime.
Rural SD is about what I expected. I liked the beautiful courthouses. There were some beautiful homes sprinkled into these towns. The school with the separate entrances reminded me of my grammar school, Sacred Heart, in Chicago in the 1970’s. Heaven forbid we see a Hardy Prep boy! 😂. Have a great weekend !
The roads are so wide in these small towns. And they look well maintained. Also the bird near the end and you asked if it was a road runner, looked to be a killdee. They will flutter and act injured to draw you away from their nest.
Hi Joe from a very blustery 20C south London, UK - yep I'd say South Dakota is the "bread basket" for that part of the USA judging by all the grain silo's!
Great tour. Those of us who live in highly populated areas have no knowledge of how people in rural and farming communities live. If these towns were in Utah, near a national park, there would be ten hotels and 20 restaurants.
just found your channel. this was fantastic. super small towns, 300 people. dang, i would love a town like that. QUIET, PEACEFUL, i wonder if you could buy one of those abandoned homes for a lot less and fix it up. on Soc. Sec. i couldn't afford 79K. but i really enjoyed the tour.
I’m sure you could get one of those abandoned homes from the local government for the price of Back taxes. I’m sure they’d love for someone to fix them up
You were tempting fate stopping on those live railroad tracks ;-) When they are shiny, it's a good indication that they are still in use. Somehow, I think you could see, for miles, that it was all clear ;-)
We have had a really cool June and first part of July. I didn't turn on my A/C until mid-June, but the heat finally arrived this week. The great thing about No. Colorado is that it can get hot, but it does not stay hot all summer, like in the South. The nights are great, almost always falling in the 50s.
Also, that little bird is a Kildeer. I grew up close to that area and they were all over. They run fast on the ground and always chattering Kill-deer. That's how they got their name. Very noisy. A very smart bird and if their nest is threatened, they will put on the broken wing act to lure the predators away. And will fluff themselves up to look larger to a predator.
What is happening to these towns is that the kids graduate high school and then almost all move to Sioux Falls. That's why their population drops and the median age goes up.
Highmore, SD 680 population 59f in July yea I wanna move there now. I hate the town I’ve lived in for the last 35 years. It has grown so much. Dozed thousands of acres for new houses and BMW Manufacturing Plant(s) 2 now, went from a 2 lane road to 4 lanes. Just miss the quietness and the slow pace it used to be.
Did someone comment on Onida SD. Pronounced with long I not Oneda. You said the bird was a road runner. It was a Killldeer bird. SD does not have Road Runners. Nice videos. I grew up on a small farm near Dante SD, population about 100.
The Great Depression must have had a big impact in that area as most peak populations were in 1930. My Dad’s uncle became the Lutheran pastor in Colome, SD in 1929 and reported through his letters home of the economic despair there.
@@minime8048court houses are the main building in most of these small towns. It makes sense that the main government building would be one of the first things built in the downtown.
I used to work for the Dakota-Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, and ran trains between Huron and Pierre. We ran through Highmore and Blunt, and would make a side trip to the Onida grain elevators to pick-up or deliver cars. We very rarely stopped at any of these towns, except for maybe a work train. Had to stop at Highmore one winter after I hit a road grader at a crossing--he didn't see us and didn't hear me laying on the horn. Bent to grader into a U, but the operator was OK.
Really relaxing! My busy life kept me from roaming so its great for you to show me round . Each place has its individual service points, school town hall , fire dept, I hope the post offices do not close, here in NZ that killed off small towns! Loved the lonely railway crossing shot! Thanks again
Maybe .. them house`s in small towns in Nz will cost you over $500 k (if you can find one ) those US towns are what $61 K- 130.. do not be fooled by the illusion that the usa presents .. it will cost you more trouble , then what its worth been there done that
@@minime8048 What illusion? That you can move to the middle of nowhere for a pittance? Same in Canada. Kiwis should be able to move there. Surely there is some lonely spot in Australia you can get for a song. Have a big enough country and there is bound to be some property you could afford if you don't mind your own company. :)
I noticed the 2nd town with the birdseed plant loading up the Walmart truck has had a bit of a population bump lately. Mostly kids and adults in their 30’s in town. Probably one or both of most parents work at the plant and most people have kids in their 30’s now. I don’t know how many people a birdseed plant employs or how much it can expand but what causes towns to grow is a good employment base. So there may be hope for this town to rebound somewhat (still only 139 people in town but it’s a start)
They are trying to keep the flies off of the horses. It's a good idea to keep bot flies off or the horses can have bot larvae in their digestive track. The covers on their faces keep face lies off and out of the eyes; they can see through the material. I'm not sure about the leg raps unless it's to protect them from snakes.
I can't help but love seeing a nice, wide, clean and uncluttered street. If you're had to deal with the annoyances of too-narrow city streets, seeing their country cousins is a treat. A person can park, turn around, and navigate their journey without fuss.
I moved out of Pierre 2yrs ago because of how small, secluded, and cold it is (fellow Texan here, too)… I live in Florida now, and my Floridian boyfriend and I really enjoyed this portion of your trip! Your videos did a great job portraying life there. P.S. - oh-nEYE-duh 😉
I'd hardly call any of these towns, "thriving." No one is out and about, I don't see people walking their dogs, or pushing a stroller, jogging, walking with a neighbor, hanging out at a coffeehouse or diner (there aren't any, apparently!), or enjoying a park. The vast majority of small businesses are closed. I don't see a library, or community center, or any cultural centers, including a movie theater or playhouse or art/artisan gallery. I guess the residents stay home, go to work, and/or drive miles to shop, go for medical care, or find anything to do outside of their homes. I didn't even see anyone working in their yard. They may make some money, but what do they do with it? Btw, my mother grew up in Morristown, SD during the depression. From the stories she told me, they had more going on and things to do in the worst years of those bad economic times than these small towns have today.
@@GoGreen1977 I was thinking that myself. I seriously wonder what the local people to do make a living, especially as all the average salary figures he quoted were high at 55k-60k. Farming can't pay that well, surely?
@@GoGreen1977 Hopefully, our small towns stay small and peaceful, we have many transplants from our wonderful big cities, and some of those are not good. There's plenty to do in a small rural area, big city people seldom understand.
I am a life-long SD resident and had a service job in the past that brought me to basically 90% of all towns across the State. It's interesting to see other's opinions about some of these places in the comments. Sorry see you passed through Blunt. That had to have been a bit depressing. If I remember right, Agar, Blunt, and Onida are all the same school district. They call it ABO. It's the kind of towns that when you pull into them you see an old painted sign that says something like "Men's Track Champions 1982" or whatever. There's not a whole heck of a lot going on in those places that get under 2,000 people. I love the videos from your trip. Thanks for sharing them.
Yep,the weather has been a roller coaster of 86f in June, down to 48f just last night! And around the mid 70's! 40 yrs ago,it was warm in thunder bay ontario in the middle of the day,but you needed a jacket before 11,and after :2:30! In the 60s down in souther on
I grew up in Eureka SD about 100 miles north of these towns. Different part of the state but the atmosphere is similar. Brings back memories. Nice video.
I love it when u talk to the animals. It’s very sweet and funny at the same time. By the way I live in a small town in north Georgia but it’s a healthy little town and will be around for many many years.
I was in an unincorporated town in South Dakota on 212. Near the Minnesota border. And the main road was a gravel road !! Maybe 500 people in it. I'd love to live there. Hardly any expenses for unnecessary sidewalks and stuff.
Really love these videos of the small rural towns best of all. You do a great job on the big cities. But I’m a rural guy. LoL I live about 10 miles from my little town and that’s close enough. I have a private road around a mile long and no neighbors. Just me and my dog living on top of the mountain we own. Best of luck to ya Joe and Nick. Keep making these videos I’ll keep watching. Thanks
I lived in SD for 6 years in Rapid City and my folks eventually moved to a very small town near ND. I went to visit once and wanted to go to a gas station/convenient store so I called them to see how late they were open before I drive 30 minutes. The guy asked "Who is this?" Really weirded me out...I hung up. I went to the 'Grocery Store' to look for some beer and was gawked at by the locals who eventually told me I had to go across the street to the bar to buy a 6 pack. So I did that, and was rudely stared at by an old couple the entire time sitting at a table. If your not in one of the 2 cities, its a strange scary place that kinda creeped me out, the people weirded me out and I felt like I was trespassing. Idk what the deal is there...
What do you expect when you walk into the bar naked and order bud light .. or a man dressed as a women (which is quite common today ) what did you say your name was again .. Dylan Mulvaney ?
I think those abandoned homes there are old folks that passed away and either no family or family didn't want to deal with it. I remember seeing that growing up in the early 80s visiting my grandma who lived in a small town.
All extant railroad towns where grain and the harvest are king. Government always builds great monuments to itself. Excellent video, enjoyed it much. Thanks Joe and Nic!
I wonder what the internet access is for these isolated towns. Your videos are always interesting, no matter what town or city you are visiting. I have also wondered, as has Mr. Scorebord below, why there are virtually no people visible outside. This is something I have noticed for a while.
I've passed through a few isolated towns in my state that don't even have cell phone service. Everyone in the towns still have landlines. They get television with big antennas or subscribe to satellite and probably everyone is in their houses watching television.
Gov. Janklow in the 1990s made it a priority to get computers in all the schools in South Dakota. He was a visionary from Chicago, loved and hated. Since then, not much progress in getting computer access to poor families, as vividly evidenced in the pandemic, trying to keep school going by zoom. It is really expensive to just get internet, let alone internet and tv. Sunday morning is for church or sleeping in. Sunday noon is for gathering and eating. Sunday afternoon is for socializing.
Drove through Oneida on July 6 and spent the night in Gettysburg just north of there at a free city park campground with hot showers Wonderful small town America, got to watch 3 little league games at the park.
My dad told me that in the area he grew up the farmers had 40 acres to farm and his family was as large as he could make it. Kids were expected to help on the farm.
@@dagwood1327 And now 40 acres would be uneconomic. Average farm size is now 445 acres. Depending on what you are doing, 500 acres can be one person. You may need to get in seasonal work, for example for harvest.
It could mean a huge increase in employment due to the amount of cash available to buy things. The east side of South Dakota has very successful farming due to having more precipitation, and many prosperous towns. According to you the place should be practically devoid of people by now but the reverse has happened. The bulk of the state's total population is in the east.
@@653j521 The general trend is fewer and fewer working the land. Highmore, 1950 - 1158 people, down to 682. Harold 1950 - 263 down to 101 Blunt 1950 423 down to 342 Onida 822 down to 666 [Avoid that if you believe in Satan! :-)] I picked one at random in the east, off the main roads. Oldham, 349 down to 121 So is it the roads De Smet 1,180 down to 1056. So there's evidence that it may be easy of transport. But its still down.
Dear Joe and Nicole. I think this is a great road trip you guys are on. I find it strange, as a Dutchman, that you see so few people on the streets in those villages. No one walks, no one cycles. Do the neighbors know each other? Do the residents in a neighborhood know who lives on the next street? I think I know 100, maybe 150 neighbors. We talk to each other on the street, ask how things are going and help each other with odd jobs or lend tools to each other. Questions, questions, questions. Oh, I saw your suitcase lying loose in the backseat. NOT GOOD! Should you ever have to make an emergency stop or have an accident, God forbid, that suitcase will fly. And you never know where to go, but always forward. It becomes a projectile. You and Nicole, stay safe and I look forward to your next video.
I know I'm butting in, and I appreciate Joe filming on Sundays when it is quieter, and he can move around easier. There aren't many people around and he can concentrate on his goal of giving his time to his audience. I know it's not always on Sundays but many times it is.
Sundays in small town America are quiet. If you think anything can happen in a small town that everybody doesn't know about, you don't understand human nature. :) And if you don't think they share and help each other, you don't know what neighbors mean to each other when the the weather hits you hard and the only way you survive is to band together. It normally isn't the Dakota way to get into a neighbor's business as you described, but that in no way means they aren't fully engaged in each other's lives.
Hello, Thanks for showing me around different parts of America, (trivia) - did you know that Australia has the same land size of America, one big island, Take care 😊
Hey !! I,m near Lake Alexandrina. Thing is- in OZ, we dont have 'interesting old towns' much- as our history so young and most houses were built of wattle and daub and went to ruin pretty quick, so I love seeing Joey's drives through USA.
Highmore is the sight when on September 12, 2020 the Attorney General of South Dakota hit a pedestrian late at night on Hwy US14 and didn't stop. He came back the next day. It raised a big stink in the government and he was eventually impeached and barred from holding an office in the future. He was also investigating charges against the Governor (Noem) that she influenced an official in order for her daughter to obtain a building license.
I remember that - he was the Attorney General & he killed a guy in a hit & run. Also was never given a blood alcohol test. Nothing happened until the story went viral & he still refused to resign. Noem is sketchy as well - no accountability in these red state governments. The AG almost got away with murder.
I love your vids. I travel across the US vicariously through your videos. Our nation is vast and unique. Keep us informed of the wonderful treasure our oft to see parts regularly see on a regular basis
Yep,the weather has been a roller coaster of 86f in June, down to 48f just last night! And around the mid 70's! 40 yrs ago,it was warm in thunder bay ontario in the middle of the day,but you needed a jacket before 11,and after :30
You have to remember most of these communities were built around farmers. So large populations did not really exist. Back then they also had big families. Today not so much.
Horses eyes are usually covered with transparent mesh to prevent flies from biting at their eyes. This fly-mask allows the horse to see and hear just fine but prevents flies from gathering on their face and eyes.
Thank you. I didn’t know what this was for, either 😂
I thought it was like why they cover falcon's heads with those little leather helmets, to blind them so they will stay calm and not attempt to fly away. But yeah, flies can be a real problem for horses, so that totally makes sense. Thanks for explaining that!
Then they roll in mud if it's available (further helps keep flies off) and just trash these fly masks.
Thamks for sharing that knowledge with us. I had no idea.
Yep! Horse flies are usually bad in the summer. And those buggers are painful and will draw blood.
Harrold's school consolidated with Highmore many years ago. The big red and brown building is the gym and lunch room. The old brick school building has the bathrooms and cloak rooms all divided by gender, so the girls were to stay on one side of the school and the boys on the other. When I attended school there the classes were mixed but we still hung our coat on opposite sides of the building. The locker rooms were also on opposite sides of the school.
looks like a chicken farm house , where they raise chooks... oops sorry they are chooks
So is the big school still serving the community? Great piece of architecture.
Guess it did not clue in that it was summer so yes it was deserted on a weekday morning.
Born in Sioux Falls in '52, my parents moved the family to rural, southwest Minnesota in '55. Our little town of Dudley, MN no longer exists. It was great growing up in the country, but it all seems so far away now. Wonderful videos, folks...thank you.
"Our little town of Dudley, MN no longer exists."
What happened to it?
@knrdvmmlbkkn • The business that made Dudley a town was the pair of wooden, grain elevators. A new, metal facility was built several miles away in Marshall, MN, and the wooden structures were set ablaze and burned to the ground. The railroad tracks were removed, and the town disappeared. There is a small collection of homes there, but nothing else except memories.
Where is Dudley ? Any abandoned buildings left ?
I was born in Sioux Falls too! Now I'm in Canada.
Horse flys are a big problem for horses up here in the north country. So they cover the eyes and ears to prevent sores from happening.
Then why would you own a horse .. do they not have automobiles and farm machinery up there ?
@@minime8048 to ride. You can have cars and other vehicles and still have horses to ride for entertainment.
But with that there are Amish populations that do not have any motorized vehicles just horse and buggy.
It's interesting to hear the praises and jealousy as Road Trip proceeds through rural SD. I did note that there was at least one comment that the focus he had was escaping the doldrums without losing the ship. It is clear that rural life has some advantages but there is a trade-off that is difficult for non-rurals: the peace and quiet are lovely but the tedium and the lack of stimulation are enervating . There is little to no poverty, everyone is law-abiding and there are no confusing cultural experiments. The sheep like one place, goats the other. Presently, this is the great divide in the US.
A wonderful video, as always. It's so relaxing and interesting, just driving around and taking it all in. I love exploring new places. Thanks so much, Joe and Nic.😊💚
Thank you, CL. :)
Highmore and Blunt, you peaked the interest of Stoners everywhere 😂
We were proudly known as High Morons.
Marijuana used to grow wild by Hyde County railroad tracks - jazz musicians on the trains threw their cannabis seeds out the windows, "it is said..."😂
Cost of renovation would exceed market price of the property. Just the cost of getting the supplies to such a remote location would be substantial.
From Scotland, thanks for showing us these small town America
We appreciate that your videos are so different from those of other chanels. The slow pace makes them both informative and relaxing. Keep it up and don't change anything!
Thank you. :)
When I first got to South Dakota, I figured I had wronged someone in a past-life. Eventually it grew on me and it became home for 8 years. Brutal winters and scorching summers, but there were things to do...with some ingenuity and a bit of travel.
As my dad used to say, the difference between a "dead" town and a "peaceful" one is if you like it or not.
Peaceful compared to Citys who are allowing looting and the destruction of the tax base.
Whew! After watching your video, my blood pressure just dropped 20 points. So beautiful and peaceful. I grew up spending a lot of time in South Dakota with my grandparents and I just loved it. Now I live in Fort Lauderdale and it’s just crazy-town. Roads are always clogged with traffic, high rise apartments on every corner, no green space, and the temperature has been at least 95 degrees every day for the last month…South Dakota is an undiscovered treasure!
I was born in Watertown. I just love South Dakota, but wife doesn't want the winters! It's peaceful. The bad- South Dakotans haven't heard of, "Southern Hospitality".
@@ltcajhWatertown is growing like a weed! Many big city problems. Housing costs are skyrocketing. Not the same town 10 years ago.
That's sad to hear. I have an excellent long-term memory. I was born there in 1960, and we left when I was 11. Life was like the movie, "Sandlot", and Charlie Brown. I've occasionally gone back. It's very sad when I'm there to know my loved ones there are almost all dead or moved away.
@@user-jp7rk1uf2n
@@ltcajhI've been to Watertown. My dad was born on a farm outside of Clear Lake.
Housing is hard to find now.
Almost wish you'd headed east instead of west on 14. You might have ended up in De Smet, which is where Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House on The Prairie fame came of age and spent the first few years of her married life. Most of the town itself is involved with the Little House tourist industry, but there are farms around as well. Its a lovely small town, a tiny bit more lively than most of the towns in SD!
Thank you for driving through the Highmore neighborhoods. My dad grew up there & went to that school. My grandfather had the first car in that town & owned the lumber mill. Was hoping to see their house - I believe it’s still standing. Sad to see it’s a dying town.
Remember Crane'sWelding and Blacksmithing? My aunt and uncle.
My wife and I along with some friends visited South Dakota several weeks ago. It was pretty amazing. We saw the Black Hills, Deadwood, the Badlands and visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial. It was an amazing trip
The Rapid City area is awesome! 👍
Onida has a long I sound. Gotta put your Scandinavian on! Lol!
Many of these young families in these communities would have lived on rural farmsteads years ago, For schooling, it's easier for dad to commute to the farm than for children to spend hours per day going back and forth. Thanks for covering my hometown of Highmore, I'm class of 1975,
I grew up in the 50’s and there is not much that attracts me to today’s popular culture, but I just love RUclips! What a great resource whether you want to play a musical instrument, learn a language, bake an apple pie, fix the carburetor on a 53 Studebaker or take a stroll through South Dakota just before bedtime.
Rural SD is about what I expected. I liked the beautiful courthouses. There were some beautiful homes sprinkled into these towns. The school with the separate entrances reminded me of my grammar school, Sacred Heart, in Chicago in the 1970’s. Heaven forbid we see a Hardy Prep boy! 😂. Have a great weekend !
The roads are so wide in these small towns. And they look well maintained. Also the bird near the end and you asked if it was a road runner, looked to be a killdee. They will flutter and act injured to draw you away from their nest.
killdeer
roads are wide so the semi-trailers can line up for the elevator and other traffic can still go down the road
Hi Joe from a very blustery 20C south London, UK - yep I'd say South Dakota is the "bread basket" for that part of the USA judging by all the grain silo's!
Absolutely.
And why their income is so high.
South Dakota is on the western edge of the corn (and soybeans) belt.
I love your videos! It’s so good to see the other side of America
Thank you!!
Very interesting, greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪 💚☘💚☘
OZ/ Hope you are all hitting that LIKE button!! Thanks Joey and Nicole for another great drive. Cheers from Sth Australia.
And another from NSW, Australia. Great video.
15°C is a typical winters day for Adelaide, South Australia & sunny 🌞
Wow...good ole Florida in the 90s
Great tour. Those of us who live in highly populated areas have no knowledge of how people in rural and farming communities live. If these towns were in Utah, near a national park, there would be ten hotels and 20 restaurants.
just found your channel. this was fantastic. super small towns, 300 people. dang, i would love a town like that. QUIET, PEACEFUL, i wonder if you could buy one of those abandoned homes for a lot less and fix it up. on Soc. Sec. i couldn't afford 79K. but i really enjoyed the tour.
I’m sure you could get one of those abandoned homes from the local government for the price of Back taxes. I’m sure they’d love for someone to fix them up
You were tempting fate stopping on those live railroad tracks ;-) When they are shiny, it's a good indication that they are still in use. Somehow, I think you could see, for miles, that it was all clear ;-)
He stopped before the tracks not on them, you can see when he drove over
Trains in South Dakota are not known for their speed. You can literally see those grain trains coming for days.
We have had a really cool June and first part of July. I didn't turn on my A/C until mid-June, but the heat finally arrived this week. The great thing about No. Colorado is that it can get hot, but it does not stay hot all summer, like in the South. The nights are great, almost always falling in the 50s.
yup
Remember getting temperatures in the 90s and in the 30s within one weekend in Westminster..... was rather surprised by the change...
Also, that little bird is a Kildeer. I grew up close to that area and they were all over. They run fast on the ground and always chattering Kill-deer. That's how they got their name. Very noisy. A very smart bird and if their nest is threatened, they will put on the broken wing act to lure the predators away. And will fluff themselves up to look larger to a predator.
What is happening to these towns is that the kids graduate high school and then almost all move to Sioux Falls. That's why their population drops and the median age goes up.
Highmore, SD 680 population 59f in July yea I wanna move there now. I hate the town I’ve lived in for the last 35 years. It has grown so much. Dozed thousands of acres for new houses and BMW Manufacturing Plant(s) 2 now, went from a 2 lane road to 4 lanes. Just miss the quietness and the slow pace it used to be.
FYI, 59F in July is way below normal.
19 million abandoned properties in the United States of America. Nobody even knows who owns most of them.
Did someone comment on Onida SD. Pronounced with long I not Oneda. You said the bird was a road runner. It was a Killldeer bird. SD does not have Road Runners. Nice videos. I grew up on a small farm near Dante SD, population about 100.
i'm surprised google doesnt set you up with the street view car and get you to do that haha
The Great Depression must have had a big impact in that area as most peak populations were in 1930. My Dad’s uncle became the Lutheran pastor in Colome, SD in 1929 and reported through his letters home of the economic despair there.
Yet they built massive Roman style courthouse`s in the middle of nowhere in 1912 and at what cost ? 😋
@@minime8048 when they had the money to do so.
@@minime8048court houses are the main building in most of these small towns. It makes sense that the main government building would be one of the first things built in the downtown.
I love the emptiness of the prairies.
I used to work for the Dakota-Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, and ran trains between Huron and Pierre. We ran through Highmore and Blunt, and would make a side trip to the Onida grain elevators to pick-up or deliver cars. We very rarely stopped at any of these towns, except for maybe a work train. Had to stop at Highmore one winter after I hit a road grader at a crossing--he didn't see us and didn't hear me laying on the horn. Bent to grader into a U, but the operator was OK.
All the towns were clean! Thanks for the statistics.
Really relaxing! My busy life kept me from roaming so its great for you to show me round . Each place has its individual service points, school town hall , fire dept, I hope the post offices do not close, here in NZ that killed off small towns! Loved the lonely railway crossing shot! Thanks again
Maybe .. them house`s in small towns in Nz will cost you over $500 k (if you can find one ) those US towns are what $61 K- 130.. do not be fooled by the illusion that the usa presents .. it will cost you more trouble , then what its worth been there done that
Thank you, Richard!
@@minime8048 What illusion? That you can move to the middle of nowhere for a pittance? Same in Canada. Kiwis should be able to move there. Surely there is some lonely spot in Australia you can get for a song. Have a big enough country and there is bound to be some property you could afford if you don't mind your own company. :)
@@653j521 AUSTRALIA is not NZ....
not unless you are talking geology...
I noticed the 2nd town with the birdseed plant loading up the Walmart truck has had a bit of a population bump lately. Mostly kids and adults in their 30’s in town. Probably one or both of most parents work at the plant and most people have kids in their 30’s now. I don’t know how many people a birdseed plant employs or how much it can expand but what causes towns to grow is a good employment base. So there may be hope for this town to rebound somewhat (still only 139 people in town but it’s a start)
Pretty soon they'll be getting it from China lmao 🤣 🤣🤣
They are trying to keep the flies off of the horses. It's a good idea to keep bot flies off or the horses can have bot larvae in their digestive track. The covers on their faces keep face lies off and out of the eyes; they can see through the material. I'm not sure about the leg raps unless it's to protect them from snakes.
Showing any train tracks in the area is good for determining the variety and volume of possible commercial activity.
I can't help but love seeing a nice, wide, clean and uncluttered street. If you're had to deal with the annoyances of too-narrow city streets, seeing their country cousins is a treat. A person can park, turn around, and navigate their journey without fuss.
I think it’s too much street. It’s just macadam for miles and miles.
I moved out of Pierre 2yrs ago because of how small, secluded, and cold it is (fellow Texan here, too)… I live in Florida now, and my Floridian boyfriend and I really enjoyed this portion of your trip! Your videos did a great job portraying life there. P.S. - oh-nEYE-duh 😉
Thanks! :)
Nice to see some small towns actually starting to thrive again. I love these way ouy places, our country isn't big enough to have any.
I'd hardly call any of these towns, "thriving." No one is out and about, I don't see people walking their dogs, or pushing a stroller, jogging, walking with a neighbor, hanging out at a coffeehouse or diner (there aren't any, apparently!), or enjoying a park. The vast majority of small businesses are closed. I don't see a library, or community center, or any cultural centers, including a movie theater or playhouse or art/artisan gallery. I guess the residents stay home, go to work, and/or drive miles to shop, go for medical care, or find anything to do outside of their homes. I didn't even see anyone working in their yard. They may make some money, but what do they do with it?
Btw, my mother grew up in Morristown, SD during the depression. From the stories she told me, they had more going on and things to do in the worst years of those bad economic times than these small towns have today.
small towns are the future
@@GoGreen1977 I was thinking that myself. I seriously wonder what the local people to do make a living, especially as all the average salary figures he quoted were high at 55k-60k. Farming can't pay that well, surely?
@@GoGreen1977 Hopefully, our small towns stay small and peaceful, we have many transplants from our wonderful big cities, and some of those are not good. There's plenty to do in a small rural area, big city people seldom understand.
@@GoGreen1977 as in the dictionary definition .
They cover horses eyes so theydon't know theyre stuck in south dakota.😅
I've been binge watching your videos this afternoon and evening, thank you for taking me along to so many interesting places 😊
I am a life-long SD resident and had a service job in the past that brought me to basically 90% of all towns across the State. It's interesting to see other's opinions about some of these places in the comments. Sorry see you passed through Blunt. That had to have been a bit depressing. If I remember right, Agar, Blunt, and Onida are all the same school district. They call it ABO. It's the kind of towns that when you pull into them you see an old painted sign that says something like "Men's Track Champions 1982" or whatever. There's not a whole heck of a lot going on in those places that get under 2,000 people. I love the videos from your trip. Thanks for sharing them.
Yep,the weather has been a roller coaster of 86f in June, down to 48f just last night! And around the mid 70's!
40 yrs ago,it was warm in thunder bay ontario in the middle of the day,but you needed a jacket before 11,and after :2:30!
In the 60s down in souther on
I'm being taken back by nature too.
Me as well. :)
I grew up in Eureka SD about 100 miles north of these towns. Different part of the state but the atmosphere is similar. Brings back memories. Nice video.
I love it when u talk to the animals. It’s very sweet and funny at the same time. By the way I live in a small town in north Georgia but it’s a healthy little town and will be around for many many years.
It reminds me of seeing Dr. Doolittle when I was a small boy.
Saturdays are always looked forward to because of your videos!!! Thank you for letting us travel with you!
I was in an unincorporated town in South Dakota on 212. Near the Minnesota border. And the main road was a gravel road !! Maybe 500 people in it. I'd love to live there. Hardly any expenses for unnecessary sidewalks and stuff.
Gravel roads aren't cheap to maintain.
Sounds like Revillo.
Revilp is the one with there post office in a trailer I think. I've visited there too.
Yes. Darn big fingers.
Really love these videos of the small rural towns best of all. You do a great job on the big cities. But I’m a rural guy. LoL I live about 10 miles from my little town and that’s close enough. I have a private road around a mile long and no neighbors. Just me and my dog living on top of the mountain we own. Best of luck to ya Joe and Nick. Keep making these videos I’ll keep watching. Thanks
Awesome! :)
What are the property taxes.
It is interesting how these small towns in the US have such epic government buildings.
When were they built? When the town had a large population would be my guess.
that's tartarians buildings.
Perhaps it was a symbol of "importance" to the residents.
@@PlayThroughTheGame exactly right! Those buildings that "took cues from Ancient Rome" were not built by Americans with horse and buggies!
Just like in South America every small town has a gigantic ornate church.
I lived in SD for 6 years in Rapid City and my folks eventually moved to a very small town near ND. I went to visit once and wanted to go to a gas station/convenient store so I called them to see how late they were open before I drive 30 minutes. The guy asked "Who is this?" Really weirded me out...I hung up. I went to the 'Grocery Store' to look for some beer and was gawked at by the locals who eventually told me I had to go across the street to the bar to buy a 6 pack. So I did that, and was rudely stared at by an old couple the entire time sitting at a table. If your not in one of the 2 cities, its a strange scary place that kinda creeped me out, the people weirded me out and I felt like I was trespassing. Idk what the deal is there...
It sounds like you have security issues.
What do you expect when you walk into the bar naked and order bud light .. or a man dressed as a women (which is quite common today ) what did you say your name was again .. Dylan Mulvaney ?
Someone once asked former Governor Bill Janklow what South Dakota’s biggest export was. He answered “our young people”.
Sad but true.
13:40 Checkout the old Civil Defense air raid siren at the FD!
This CA boy lived in SD back in 2005. Tongue-in-cheek, I pegged SD as, “98% white, 88% blond, and 28% Buick.” NICE people though.
i love your videos so much well done joe and Nic thanks for sharing
Thank you! :)
Blunt is only 21 miles from the state capital. Hence the young population? It seems well kept.
Looking forward to this. Thank you Spoda!!!
Awesome, Olin!
Since the real start of the Interstate Highway System in 1956, towns not close to it have been dying off slowly but surely.
Excellent video. Nice to see what remote parts of the country are like. Thanks.
I think those abandoned homes there are old folks that passed away and either no family or family didn't want to deal with it. I remember seeing that growing up in the early 80s visiting my grandma who lived in a small town.
That School would need a few more entrances these days…nice tour💞🐴🐴…some beautiful buildings..safe travels.✨
LOL, some people would be that delusional.
57 varieties.
I identify as a toaster! 😛
Enjoying the trip to places we’ve never been to. Thanks for letting us come along! 🥤🚙
The owners of those massive farm operations in those small towns distort the median household income information.
As well as both people working with at least one having to commute 60-150 or more miles a day.
All extant railroad towns where grain and the harvest are king. Government always builds great monuments to itself. Excellent video, enjoyed it much. Thanks Joe and Nic!
Yea, they should have the court house in a mobile home.😂
@@jimchari3697 Be about right.
the people are the government, and was a time were proud of it
@robertelder164 some of us still are. We don't buy into a conspiracy behind every corner.
@robertelder164 In theory anyway, certainly not in reality. The key word is "was".
Beautiful view at 8:19 ! 😃😍 Excited to see you guys headed towards Minnesota. Shout-out from Bemidji MN!
We almost went to Bemidji. We will in the next visit coming up later this year. :)
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip awesome!! 😃
I loved the slow pan right and then left when crossing the railroad tracks. Safety first!
Really enjoyed this❤
I wonder what the internet access is for these isolated towns. Your videos are always interesting, no matter what town or city you are visiting. I have also wondered, as has Mr. Scorebord below, why there are virtually no people visible outside. This is something I have noticed for a while.
I've passed through a few isolated towns in my state that don't even have cell phone service. Everyone in the towns still have landlines. They get television with big antennas or subscribe to satellite and probably everyone is in their houses watching television.
@@scottlarson1548good information
Gov. Janklow in the 1990s made it a priority to get computers in all the schools in South Dakota. He was a visionary from Chicago, loved and hated. Since then, not much progress in getting computer access to poor families, as vividly evidenced in the pandemic, trying to keep school going by zoom. It is really expensive to just get internet, let alone internet and tv. Sunday morning is for church or sleeping in. Sunday noon is for gathering and eating. Sunday afternoon is for socializing.
We usually pay more per month than a big city , probably for all the miles of wires they have to lay.
@@653j521Midco seems to be advancing the spread of fiber through South Dakota
Drove through Oneida on July 6 and spent the night in Gettysburg just north of there at a free city park campground with hot showers Wonderful small town America, got to watch 3 little league games at the park.
Interesting that the huge increase in efficiency in farming, means a huge reduction in population.
The worse things get in the US with the current administration, we NEED FARMING just like we need TRUCKERS
My dad told me that in the area he grew up the farmers had 40 acres to farm and his family was as large as he could make it. Kids were expected to help on the farm.
@@dagwood1327 And now 40 acres would be uneconomic. Average farm size is now 445 acres. Depending on what you are doing, 500 acres can be one person. You may need to get in seasonal work, for example for harvest.
It could mean a huge increase in employment due to the amount of cash available to buy things. The east side of South Dakota has very successful farming due to having more precipitation, and many prosperous towns. According to you the place should be practically devoid of people by now but the reverse has happened. The bulk of the state's total population is in the east.
@@653j521 The general trend is fewer and fewer working the land.
Highmore, 1950 - 1158 people, down to 682.
Harold 1950 - 263 down to 101
Blunt 1950 423 down to 342
Onida 822 down to 666 [Avoid that if you believe in Satan! :-)]
I picked one at random in the east, off the main roads.
Oldham, 349 down to 121
So is it the roads
De Smet 1,180 down to 1056.
So there's evidence that it may be easy of transport. But its still down.
South Dakota is beautiful.Thank you for sharing.
Dear Joe and Nicole. I think this is a great road trip you guys are on. I find it strange, as a Dutchman, that you see so few people on the streets in those villages. No one walks, no one cycles. Do the neighbors know each other? Do the residents in a neighborhood know who lives on the next street? I think I know 100, maybe 150 neighbors. We talk to each other on the street, ask how things are going and help each other with odd jobs or lend tools to each other. Questions, questions, questions. Oh, I saw your suitcase lying loose in the backseat. NOT GOOD! Should you ever have to make an emergency stop or have an accident, God forbid, that suitcase will fly. And you never know where to go, but always forward. It becomes a projectile. You and Nicole, stay safe and I look forward to your next video.
I know I'm butting in, and I appreciate Joe filming on Sundays when it is quieter, and he can move around easier. There aren't many people around and he can concentrate on his goal of giving his time to his audience. I know it's not always on Sundays but many times it is.
Wat u zegt, is niet representatief voor NL.
No one on the road, in their yards, etc is typical for the US. Here in WA State it is the same. Europe is just the opposite....👍
@@barbarayork3675 I noticed a lot of houses did not have a fence between them and neighbours.
Sundays in small town America are quiet. If you think anything can happen in a small town that everybody doesn't know about, you don't understand human nature. :) And if you don't think they share and help each other, you don't know what neighbors mean to each other when the the weather hits you hard and the only way you survive is to band together. It normally isn't the Dakota way to get into a neighbor's business as you described, but that in no way means they aren't fully engaged in each other's lives.
Hello, Thanks for showing me around different parts of America, (trivia) - did you know that Australia has the same land size of America, one big island, Take care 😊
Hey !! I,m near Lake Alexandrina. Thing is- in OZ, we dont have 'interesting old towns' much- as our history so young and most houses were built of wattle and daub and went to ruin pretty quick, so I love seeing Joey's drives through USA.
@@cherienafo7676 - so you live here or there?
I really enjoy your channel. I get to see places I will never get to see. I like when you say the names of the churches when you pass by.
Be grateful for the coolth. It gets HOT! My brother has a home in Geddes, population about 200. Nobody wants to live in SD.
Great stuff. I love your videos, they are so interesting.
Love your videos, keep them coming
Thank you!
Thank you for your content. Very informative 👍
I love it here, very peaceful
Look at that prairie at the train tracks.. beautiful
Highmore is the sight when on September 12, 2020 the Attorney General of South Dakota hit a pedestrian late at night on Hwy US14 and didn't stop. He came back the next day. It raised a big stink in the government and he was eventually impeached and barred from holding an office in the future. He was also investigating charges against the Governor (Noem) that she influenced an official in order for her daughter to obtain a building license.
And no jail time like you and i would get 😋
I remember reading about that on Reddit. It seemed pretty sus. Hopefully justice will be served.
It probably didn't help that the person died.
Kinda like former Governor Janklow, this state has had it's share of corrupt politicians...
I remember that - he was the Attorney General & he killed a guy in a hit & run. Also was never given a blood alcohol test. Nothing happened until the story went viral & he still refused to resign. Noem is sketchy as well - no accountability in these red state governments. The AG almost got away with murder.
Excellent!! I love your videos, Buddy!!
Thanks!
Good job ! Thanks.
Great video. Love your channel.
Thank you! :)
O Nye Da. (SD native here. Great video BTW.)
Love the videos so cool always wanted to do this myself
I think the rundown places give a town more character.
I agree. There's nothing more boring looking that modern, new suburbia.
I love your vids. I travel across the US vicariously through your videos.
Our nation is vast and unique. Keep us informed of the wonderful treasure our oft to see parts regularly see on a regular basis
Thank you! Will do!
Yep,the weather has been a roller coaster of 86f in June, down to 48f just last night! And around the mid 70's!
40 yrs ago,it was warm in thunder bay ontario in the middle of the day,but you needed a jacket before 11,and after :30
Just left SD Saturday, Hill City, now in CO and back to TX mid week. SD was great
The famous Children's Entertainment Icon from the 1960s, Soupy Sales' was born in Highmore, SD.
And look how he turned out
The land in those towns looks so nice and green !
classic farm town, greenhouses on main st. another great pick.
You have to remember most of these communities were built around farmers. So large populations did not really exist. Back then they also had big families. Today not so much.