Turon, KS

Turon, KS.  Population 387.  Another town in decline, it lost 11% of its population since 2000.

Turon, USA.  Not to be confused, I suppose, with the one in Spain.

This decaying house sits at the edge of town.  I imagine a time when older folks sat on the porch watching the cars heading to Cunningham.

The labelscar says that this mansardic monstrosity was once Citizens Bank of Kansas.  Perhaps the vaguely Moorish-style rehab was a nod towards the other Turon?  (The one in Spain?)  Or was it another tragic 70s thing?

Downtown Turon, looking north.

Many of the structures I photograph are nondescript and boring, but I've found that most are on borrowed time and will likely be gone the next time I pay a visit.  Case in point-- on either side of this building once were others that have been razed over the years giving the downtown the "missing teeth" character so prevalent in small towns these days.

The local watering hole.

Older gas station.

These days its almost unimaginable to think that small towns could have once supported a small TV/stereo shop like this one.  I remember these places fondly-- the interior was likely dark (all the better to test out one of the Zenith televisions in the small gallery) and there was probably a long glass display case filled with Sony Walkmans and hand-held televisions.  I wonder when this place closed for good.  It may not have been too long ago as there is still a phone number listed on the internet, but to my dismay it was out of service.   

As in most small towns, the Senior Center is likely to be the only building still in good repair and used regularly.  That may be simply due to the fact that nearly 50% of this town's residents are 45 years of age or older.  

Each of these buildings once housed some essential business.

I seem to recall a time when virtually every metal post was painted in a candy-cane striped fashion.  What used to be on this lot?  A car dealer?  A drive-in burger and milkshake joint?

Why?  Is the building unsafe?

In 1998 I captured some 35 mm photos of this old gas station.  There were still pumps out front back then.  Hard to see but above the door in the center is a sign that reads "SERVICE".  Once upon a time a passing motorist could have replaced his tires (from the metal rack parked on edge of the concrete apron on the right) and had his oil changed in addition to a fill-up.  Now you're on your own until you get to a larger town.

I'm not sure what this smokestack was used for.  There might have been a building in that fenced off area.

A potentially abandoned home.  Back in the early part of the last decade I remember seeing a house for sale in Turon for only $20,000.  With a declining population I can't imagine things having improved much for the local real estate market.

The stories that tree could tell!