Bartlett… Almost Gone
Ramsey County
Inhabited as of 8/11
Bartlett is about as close as you can get to ghost town without actually being totally abandoned… perhaps one occupied property and the remains of several crumbling homes. The former town site is quickly getting overrun by nature, the roads are shaded even on a bright day like this one… untrimmed branches reach into the road to greet us as we enter.
It’s hard to imagine Bartlett as it was in 1940, when the reported population was 78.
US Census Data for Bartlett
Total Population by Place
1910 – 120
1920 – 98
1930 – 67
1940 – 78
1950 – 51
1960 – 39
1970 – 19
1980 – Delisted
When you’re the only resident left in town, you can rename the streets with a paint brush.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp
Copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
My favorite picture is the last – look at the detail! And, the curtains are still in tact. This is so neat. Thanks, guys.
-MM
So much history of ND is being lost with the abandoning of all these towns. Maybe one day they will be revived! Thanks for the pictures.
revived by who?
Hey, my motorcycle mechanic lives there. I wouldn’t call it dead yet, there’s still 2 people there.
My mom went to grade school in Bartlett and the family farm was right across Highway 2 from the Bartlett sign. When I was in grade school my mom drove school bus for Lakota and we would pick up a couple of kids that lived in Bartlett. Wayne Hooey and his wife are now the only residents. The town was built because of the railroad and when one of the railroad officials came through he said the town was actually supposed be further down and shortly after that the entire town burned to the ground so then they moved the town to the correct spot and rebuilt.
I rode that bus back in the day and lived NW of Bartlett
Great shot of the door.
Are any of these houses liveable or are they all literally falling to pieces?
Cool old trailer!
So what was Hooey Ave. called originally? I do have a picture of the Hooey Ave. sign somewhere but the presence of a couple dogs dissuaded me from investigating more closely.
I knew the Hooeys. I was in school with their son, Cole, when I went to school in Lakota from ’97 to ’03. As far as I knew, they were the only ones living there the whole time.
I just love your site.