Nebraska is full of ghost towns and places that may as well be considered ghost towns due to their very low populations. Most of them resulted from railroads pulling up stakes and abandoning the area; after that, the towns simply had no income and no means to stay alive. But there are plenty of stories out there, and Antioch's story is a little different than that of most Nebraska ghost towns.
Antioch was once "the potash capital of Nebraska."
Potash refers to a number of potassium-containing salts used to make fertilizers.
The substance was plentiful in the Sandhills thanks to the many alkali lakes in the area.
In the early 20th century, two University of Nebraska chemistry graduates figured out an easy way to separate the potash from the lake water.
By 1916, large-scale potash production started in Antioch, located in Sheridan County.
Suddenly, this little village grew into a boomtown with a population of more than 2,000 people.
After the potash-rich water was pumped from the lakes, it was transported to reduction plants. Five plants operated in Antioch at its high point.
The end of WWI brought about the end of Antioch's potash production.
Foreign potash is cheaper, but during the war the supply of foreign-produced potash had been cut off. When the war ended, so did Antioch's usefulness.
The potash plants quickly closed after the war ended; the final Antioch potash plant shut down in 1921.
Many of the reduction plants, pumping stations, and factories were broken down and sold for scrap.
Others were demolished. Today, only foundations and ruins remain to remind us of the very important role this town once played.
The ruins look like a bit like the set of a sci-fi movie. They are otherworldly - or maybe just post-apocalyptic.
The Antioch potash plant ruins were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It's only unfortunate that the structures weren't recognized for their historical value before they were torn apart.
Oddly, though, the ruins may be just as fascinating as the intact buildings would have been nearly a century later. These ruined structures give the town a distinct character that makes Antioch a fascinating place to explore.
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