Where Nobody Lives

Presenting a most fantastic find, an old house and outbuildings, long abandoned, lonely and isolated, sitting there in a field with nothing else speaking of human habitation to be seen in any direction. And take in those stunning Alberta Badlands as a backdrop…a more picturesque setting could not be imagined. To get here it’s a good walk in through private property and with permission granted we do just that. It’s well off the beaten path and not visited often like many other abandoned places you might see online and this makes it something extra special. We’re one of a few. Come join us in exploring it. It’s nice.

This here house dates from the 1910s and has been empty nearly as long as it was lived in. Conditions down here on the flats are tough, winter in particular being extra brutal (that wind up the valley) with the family calling it home gone by the late 1950s. The building, now open to the elements and the always troublesome and mess-making pigeons dirtying up the place, well, it seems pretty solid in spite of it all. For now.

The house is rather small. There’s three rooms downstairs, plus a lean-too storage section, and one rather cramped room upstairs. It’s real cozy. The interior is empty…that is unless you count bird poo. It’s not sure if it was ever wired for electricity but it’s clear they never had plumbing. Keeping the building company are a number of collapsed log structures scattered about the property. Old metal, farm implements, hide in the grass.

Access in the old days must have been fun. There’s a most treacherous road leading up to the plains above. It would have been murder at the best of times and down right terrifying come winter. And if it rained access would be impossible – all that slippery gumbo mud. Today a high clearance 4×4 would be needed to drive in. We just walked.

All the while we explored legions of howling coyotes serenaded us. This and the occasional gust of wind was all we heard. Oh, and the click of shutters. We all got lost in the moment.

This crossed our desk some months back, the lyrics to a song that ties in well with what we hoped to convey in this post, a piece about a home, empty and abandoned much as the one seen here. Imagine our surprise when we asked for permission to use it, and got a yes, directly from the singer. This person is known for not granting requests such as this, so colour us amazed. Now there goes our chance at the lottery.

House Where Nobody Lives
By Tom Waits. From the album Mule Variations (c1999)

There’s a house on my block that’s abandoned and cold
The folks moved out of it a long time ago
And they took all their things and they never came back
It looks like it’s haunted with the windows all cracked
Everyone calls it the house
The house where nobody lives

Once it held laughter, once it held dreams
Did they throw it away, did they know what it means?
Did someone’s heart break
Or did someone do somebody wrong?

Well, the paint is all cracked, it was peeled off of the wood
The papers were stacked on the porch where I stood
And the weeds had grown up just as high as the door
There were birds in the chimney and an old chest of drawers
Looks like no one will ever come back
To the house where nobody lives

Oh, and once it held laughter, once it held dreams
Did they throw it away, did they know what it means?
Did someone’s heart break
Or did someone do somebody wrong?

So if you find someone, someone to have, someone to hold
Don’t trade it for silver, oh don’t trade it for gold
Cause I have all of life’s treasures and they’re fine and they’re good
They remind me that houses are just made of wood
What makes a house grand, oh it ain’t the roof or the doors
If there’s love in a house, it’s a palace for sure
But without love it ain’t nothin’ but a house
A house where nobody lives
But without love it ain’t nothin’ but a house
A house where nobody lives

On the same property, and oh so photogenic, a collection of vintage cars and trucks. They’re not really connected to the house, but still are worthy of inclusion in this here article. With the setting sun we were treated to an amazing show up there in the skies. Thank you Mother Nature.

There’s some four or so late 1940s/early 1950s era Fargo Trucks. These are actually rebadged Dodges sold at Plymouth Dealers here in Canada. They were also marketed else where in the world (in fact Fargo’s logo was a globe) but not in the US. Car buffs from down there must scratch their heads on seeing one. What the heck is that? It looks familiar, but what’s a Fargo? Based on our own sightings, these were a pretty popular make for farm use. The Fargo brand was introduced in Canada the mid-1930s and was discontinued in the early 1970s.

A military style Willy’s Jeep languishes in the deep grass. The license plate reads 1954. Over there a rather uncommon find, a 1920s era Nash. Now that’s a cool one! A 1958 Pontiac has a bashed in front.

An early 1950s Ford advertises a then fairly new and cutting edge feature for the era (especially for the make), an automatic transmission. Many cars then still had manuals.

The show of colour continues. Then it hits us…aren’t we blessed? What a special place, a special time and good company.

This outing we joined by two photographers we greatly admire, Coinoath Sarsfeld and Kyla Black (Google them – you won’t regret it). They’re good, I mean mind blowingly good and us hacks really aren’t worthy to carry their camera bags. Still, we’re flattered and thrilled we got an invite. Coinoath would later revisit the house some months later, after dark. Night photography is his game and he plays it well.

More remote abandonment…
Green Door Ranch.
The Howe Place.
The Stone House.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: October, 2017.
Location: Starland County, AB.
Article references and thanks: Brian N, Tom Waits.

Team BIGDoer was on site with permission.

This old house has been abandoned for decades.

There’s a number of collapsed log buildings on the property.

Weather beaten and worn.

Gear at the ready.

The house is about a century old.

So much character in this old wood.

That’s photographer Coinoath Sarsfeld.

Another log structure.

The river runs nearby.

A most picturesque setting.

The late day sun adds a warm glow.

The long trek back…

Looking back – down the trail it’s Connie and Kayla Black.

An ancient Willy’s Jeep.

A 1950s Fargo.

From the 1920s, this old Nash.

It comes with an automatic!

A crunched up ’50s Pontiac.

A circa 1948-1950 Fargo – a Dodge clone.

The licence plate reads 1954.

The sky makes for an amazing backdrop.

The Fargo make was not sold in the US.

And here’s another.