CAMERA  MAMIYA 645 PRO  FILM  KODAK PORTRA 400

Alstown, a ghost town in north-central Washington, is hidden in a rocky gully surrounded by wheat fields on the plateau above. It is accessible by a primitive road of dirt and gravel. It passes the abandoned farmhouse above, crosses Douglas Creek then joins a paved road that climbs back to the plateau. A house across the road might be occupied but I didn't see anyone. The town is named after Al Rogers, a merchant, civil engineer and civic leader. It was established in the early 1900s on a branch line of the Great Northern Railroad, which was abandoned in the early 1950s. A working grain storage facility is located on the edge of town. I reached the windmill by climbing out of the gulch and following the gravel road about two miles. The road links to Highway 2. The abandoned vehicles below are parked near a grain elevator in Withrow.