– Photo credit: Scott Lockwood

Ardmore isn’t your typical South Dakota ghost town. 

Unlike most ghost towns, which tend to have been abandoned anywhere from the late 1800’s to the turn of the 20 th century, Ardmore still had a small population as late as 1980 when the U.S Census last gathered data on it.

This gives it a uniquely eerie atmosphere. Cars, trucks, and trailers sit abandoned among buildings in various states of disrepair. Even the town water tower is still intact and standing.

Founded in 1889 to serve as a water stop for the New Burlington Railroad’s steam trains, Ardmore itself ironically found itself faced with water shortages and drought.

“That was really the problem with the town,” said Scott Lockwood, author of Ardmore, South Dakota, a Pictorial History “They never had a reliable source of water.”

What water it did have was highly alkaline, making it useless for farming and unsafe to drink.

Because of this, the federal government attempted to use it as an experimental site for dry farming. The farming efforts were never particularly successful, but they did give Ardmore national attention for a time.

On July 16, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge visited the town to see the farming efforts, an event that attracted a crowd of over 8000 people to the small town that never had a resident population of more than around 260.

This building, in which Calvin Coolidge once had dinner, was moved from Ardmore to Rapid City, where it is now occupied. Photo credit: Scott Lockwood

The water did find a use in industrial production. A water-softener plant in the town utilized South Dakota Bentonite to produce a product called “Refinite from Ardmorite” from 1908 to 1942.

At its peak, the Refinite plant employed around 20 full-time workers

Despite this, the town never faced a sharp decline, only a steady stream of people gradually leaving for more economically viable locations. 

Now, many of the houses are filled with scattered pieces of crumbling walls, furniture, and personal items.

But Ardmore isn’t completely empty. Owners of some of the more intact buildings use them as hunting lodges for friends and family. In recent years, a few have even moved back into the town. 

The old Catholic rectory building is being gradually restored by a new owner – Photo credit: Scott Lockwood

Additionally, according to Lockwood, former residents of the town still meet every two years at the town’s fire house to reminisce and share memories of when the town was still alive. The last meeting was on September 3, 2022.

– Photo credit : Scott Lockwood

When I traveled through Ardmore in September, there were signs of recent work being done. Some of the abandoned buildings were torn down, and newer fencing marked with “No Trespassing” surrounded several others. At least three houses were seemingly lived in, with newer vehicles in the driveway and the lights on inside.

But most of the town remains abandoned, with around a dozen homes in various states of collapse, and a freshness to the decay that makes you appreciate what the town used to be.

If you are interested in more information about Ardmore or the book Ardmore, South Dakota, a Pictorial History, you can contact Scott Lockwood at b735198@gmail.com.

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