This Is What Collapse Looks Like.

killJOY · Fission Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 2478 Location: ^NNE^

What follows is a photo essay about a town in its death throes.

(I've posted large photos because the details are important.

........................Center the bottom scroll bar before viewing.)........................

This is our little town of Standish, Maine. Peak oil is killing it.

Here is a closeup of the red dot, the area in question, Standish Corner:

Standish Corner is a mere doormat, a traffic shithole.

People just drive through here on their way to Portland in the morning.

For the last three years or so, since gasoline prices have been rising, Standish has been dying.

All of the following buildings are within a stone's throw of each other on Standish Corner.

I will post some "before" pictures to demonstrate graphically how the last 100 hundred years of petroleum "civilization,"
coupled with the economic depression barreling down on us, has destroyed our little New England town.

First, one of the only remaining historical buildings on the Corner,
the Thomson House, restored but uninhabited:

Across the street lies a building that burned two years ago, was "restored," and is now for lease.
To the right is a bar that townies have always called "The Dump on the Hump." (Standish Corner lies on the top of a hill.)
It has been closed for over a year:

Now, here's what "the Dump on the Hump" looked like circa 1880:

The Old Coat Factory, Standish, which made uniforms during the Civil War. It burned. (This is a stereopticon.)

Across the street is the Mobil station, closed for a year now.(Dig the forlorn flowers in tubs.)

And here's the Mobil station, circa 1880:

The "square" here has been replaced by that pond of asphalt above.

Now, on the other corner, is the old Higgins place--unsold, abandoned, collapsed:

Here's the Higgins place and the adjacent Texaco, abandoned for three years:

Here's what the site looked like about 1900. (180 degree opposite viewpoint:
the Texaco is in the field to the right of the house below. You can just see Higgins' house, far left.
The house here was demolished to make room for the station.)

Another view of the spot the Texaco occupies, different angle,
before the porch was added to the house (stereopticon):

All four corners of Standish is for sale or rent.

My view is that it always will be.

Two miles away lies our farm. The way life should be.

Things are collapsing all around us.

Some things you'll need:

A good partner:

...a good garden...

...and a faithful set of teats.

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1971

Awesome post.

Thanks.
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Massive Human Dieoff must occur as a result of Peak Oil. Many more than half will die. It will occur everywhere, including where you live. If you fail to recognize this, then your odds of living move toward the "going to die" group.

cipi604

Lol killJOY, I don't know if this is funny or not... but for me is funny what's happening and that they are clueless why.Clueless 100%

Zeeea · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 22, 2008 Posts: 354

good story, quite sad from what your perspective shows maybe, but you are equipped, you have the area to yourselves now and at least thats one less petrol station ...id be happy with that!

GASMON · Last edited by GASMON on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

Interesting thread.

The village of Standish is 2 miles away from where I live. Thats Standish, Wigan, Lancashire UK, named after the ancient landowners, the Standish family, of Captain Myles Standish fame.

Captain Myles Standish (c. 1584 – October 3, 1656), (sometimes spelled Miles Standish) was an English born military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth colony. Arriving on the Mayflower, he worked on colonial defense. On February 17, 1621, he was appointed the first commander of Plymouth colony. Later, he served as Plymouth's representative in England, and served as assistant governor and as the colony's treasurer. He was also one of the founders of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts (named after his ancestral seat at Duxbury Woods, Chorley) in 1632.

The photo shows the parish church in Standish village centre - still there, though the rest of the village has changed beyond all recognition.

Many houses built in last 15 years, 2500+, all executive type (McMansions you call them), all car dependant, no public transport save a couple of buses every hour. It hasn't collapsed yet, though UK dormitory villages like this will no doubt suffer, as your Standish is suffering, for the same reasons too, in the near future.

Gasmon
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Constantus excrementia et level variatum

Were allways in the sh|t, its only the depth that varies

biofuel13

Great post. I have seen the same progression in my old home town over the past few decades.

Cynus · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 13, 2004 Posts: 594

Awesome post. I love all the beautiful elm trees in the old pictures which were probably all wiped out by Dutch Elm disease in the 1970s.
There are more and more places in America that are worse off due to all the "progress" of the last century. Almost everybody is just dumbfounded, how could everything we've been told about how much better things are today be a lie? Since we're always told that things are always getting better, no one looks for the forces that are obviously making things worse for large swaths of the country.
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One of these now am I too, a fugitive from the gods and a wanderer, at the mercy of raging Strife.
--Empedocles

http://apoxonbothyourhouses.blogspot.com

killJOY · Fission Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 2478 Location: ^NNE^

GASMON

Interesting link re UK Standish & History

http://www.standish.org.uk/

Look at the 360 deg. photos from the church spire, New houses in every direction, - loosing value fast.

Gasmon
_________________
Constantus excrementia et level variatum

Were allways in the sh|t, its only the depth that varies

oneplain1 · Tar Sands Joined: Nov 18, 2007 Posts: 54

Thanks for the post, I'm sitting here killing time watching my hay get rained on, the wonderful pictures are inspiring (old ones). Thanks to you and the like minded, Standish will be going thru another transformation. Is that an Aryshire I spy coming out of your barn?
I milk my girls with a delaval milker with a little amish built vacuum setup. Speaking of which....they are waiting.

midnight-gamer

I remember seeing the entire east side of Millinocket, Maine... for sale on ebay! This was a few years ago. I wonder if there was a buyer?

Ludi

Sorry about your little town, Killjoy. The old pics are lovely.

Our little towns died out a long time ago, when the cotton boom collapsed and the railroad was scrapped. Fortunately those near here have escaped most uglification.
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No original ideas are contained in this post.

killJOY · Fission Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 2478 Location: ^NNE^

oneplain1 · Tar Sands Joined: Nov 18, 2007 Posts: 54

very nice indeed.....love the bell!

Jack · Dark Lord Joined: Aug 11, 2004 Posts: 5086

Nice post, Killjoy.
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Dieoff. Fun to watch. Better with hot buttered popcorn! new_popcornsmiley