Ghost Towns

A ghost town is one whose glory days have come and gone. They exist around the world. The American West is littered with them, most of which began life as a mining camp, developed as a town and thrived for a period, and then met their demise as the mines ran dry. Many towns also served as stage or railroad stops only to fade into obscurity as the stages stopped running or the railroads rerouted. While a true ghost town is one that is completely deserted, there are many towns that maintain a minimal population, yet they are mere shadows of their former selves, their best days gone forever. These towns are semi-ghost towns, and for all intents and purposes, you can call them ghost towns. Some ghost towns bear little evidence of their existence, while there are those whose structures are deteriorated with some still standing, and then those that have been restored and are maintained as a tourist attraction.

So really, what is a ghost town? This is a matter of subjectivity -- each of us could have our own perception of what a ghost town is. For me, a ghost town is one that just isn't today what it was many, many years ago; one that has, through the passage of time, experienced a drastic decline in both population and prosperity; and finally, one that has no gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, or banks/ATMs.

Many ghost towns reside in solitude and in picturesque settings. They are a part of our past, and they are a part of who we are. Post your ghost town images here -- mountains in the background are highly encouraged!

Images

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