CARDIN

NAME: Cardin
COUNTY: Ottawa
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 3
CLIMATE: Hot summer, cold winter
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime 		COMMENTS: Located 1 mile southwest of Picher. Cardin, OK is entirely depopulated and abandoned since 2008. Because they were a much smaller town, they were the first of the Tar Creek Superfund Area towns to completely agree to a buyout and relocation. 
REMAINS: Post office and few houses.
Cardin was first established under the name of Tar River. The post office named was changed to Cardin, named after the townsite owner W. Oscar Cardin, on January 28, 1920. Cardin, like nearby Picher, was a thriving mining community, but once the mining shut down, Cardin seriously declined. Today there are a few inhabited homes, the post office is still active and a few businesses remain. The Picher-Cardin area is also the site of Tar Creek, a contaminated creek that runs through the town. Over a period of more than 50 years, Tar Creek has become polluted with lead and zinc deposits from the nearby mines, and is considered one of the most polluted areas in the whole United States. Submitted by: Steven McGinty


Old photo from Cardin's mining days. (Nothing in this picture remains today.)
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Old grocery store photo. (Note the original name of Tar River.)
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Cardin water tower.
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Dilapidated houses in Cardin.
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Abandoned tire garage.
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Few businesses are left in Cardin.
Courtesy Steven McGinty


The Picher-Cardin area is surrounded by chat piles.
Courtesy Steven McGinty


Remains of a bridge. The orange water is from polluted Tar Creek.
Courtesy Steven McGinty

 

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