May 2013 finds us in Milton, Cavalier County, North Dakota USA. Milton ND is listed by some sources as a 'partial ghost' town, it used to have 800 inhabitants, it now has less than 100, and most businesses have closed as has the High School. This is mainly due to rural depopulation, farms out here are huge in size and are totally mechanized employing very few people.
Whilst passing through I was able to access the former Milton High School. I don't have much history to tell, the first Milton High School graduated it's first class in 1914, the original School building burned on April 19, 1919
and a new brick school was built which opened in 1920. It appears to have closed a few years ago and what few local children remain are bussed to nearby Osnabrock about 8 miles distant. This was a very swift visit and I am posting the photos exactly as they were taken.
An impressive brick building which seems to be in good condition:
High School:
The first classroom, in good condition, love the way the blackboard has been cleaned and the cloth still sits there, I can imagine the teacher at the end of the last day cleaning this:
Signs of weather damage starting to set in here, I think this was an assembly hall with a stage area. Love the solitary composite desk. Water is leaking into the classroom and the wooden floor is starting to 'curl':
This is the opposite end of the assembly hall, appeared to be a library or social area which could be partitioned off. This was the worst damaged area of this abandoned school with clear water entry and damage through the ceiling panels and the flooring is in much worse condition. I did try walking over here but it was very 'springy' beneath my feet so I gave that up very quickly!
A closer view of the partitioned room, looks to be a large electric typewriter on the bookshelves...
Another classroom in very good condition with a selection of school desks:
Another classroom in good condition:
Fourteen desks, class sizes clearly not an issue here:
And the last photo, this must have been the sciences lab, some damage from a fallen ceiling:
It seems that no-one owns or cares for this former school, the water damage is restricted to one corner of the building, there is little sign of vandalism, yet if it is left as now it will surely become derelict.
Whilst passing through I was able to access the former Milton High School. I don't have much history to tell, the first Milton High School graduated it's first class in 1914, the original School building burned on April 19, 1919
and a new brick school was built which opened in 1920. It appears to have closed a few years ago and what few local children remain are bussed to nearby Osnabrock about 8 miles distant. This was a very swift visit and I am posting the photos exactly as they were taken.
An impressive brick building which seems to be in good condition:
High School:
The first classroom, in good condition, love the way the blackboard has been cleaned and the cloth still sits there, I can imagine the teacher at the end of the last day cleaning this:
Signs of weather damage starting to set in here, I think this was an assembly hall with a stage area. Love the solitary composite desk. Water is leaking into the classroom and the wooden floor is starting to 'curl':
This is the opposite end of the assembly hall, appeared to be a library or social area which could be partitioned off. This was the worst damaged area of this abandoned school with clear water entry and damage through the ceiling panels and the flooring is in much worse condition. I did try walking over here but it was very 'springy' beneath my feet so I gave that up very quickly!
A closer view of the partitioned room, looks to be a large electric typewriter on the bookshelves...
Another classroom in very good condition with a selection of school desks:
Another classroom in good condition:
Fourteen desks, class sizes clearly not an issue here:
And the last photo, this must have been the sciences lab, some damage from a fallen ceiling:
It seems that no-one owns or cares for this former school, the water damage is restricted to one corner of the building, there is little sign of vandalism, yet if it is left as now it will surely become derelict.
