Ghost Towns
















Ghost Towns

Whether or not the ghost town must be completely deserted or may contain a small population is a matter for debate. Ghost towns can include sites in various states of disrepair and abandonment. Some sites no longer have any trace of buildings or civilization and have reverted to empty land. Other sites are unpopulated but still have standing buildings. Still others may support full-time residents, though usually far less than at their historical peak, while others may now be museums or historical sites.

It's interesting to note that Wikipedia separates ghost towns into five distinct categories:
  • Barren Site - site no longer exists
  • Neglected Site - little more than rubble and dilapidated buildings
  • Abandoned Site - buildings remain but no population
  • Semi-abandoned Site - buildings remain but only a few residents
  • Historic Site - abandoned buildings remain but population is smaller than peak years. Site may be a historical site, museum, or tourist attraction

Ghost Towns - Romance of the Old West

For me, it doesn't matter what the definition is. It's the romance of the old west - the history I seek. My fascination with ghost towns began when I first started to drive off the beaten trail. I was sick of the interstate highways so I searched out alternative but safe routes to follow. That decision turned my travels around. I never hesitate to investigate a ghost town.

There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.(Mark Twain)

Ajax, Utah

Ajax is located in Tooele County, Utah about 20 miles north of Vernon on Utah Route 36. Google Map

William Ajax Underground Store

The unique two-story underground building was established in 1870 by William Ajax. Shortly thereafter a post office called "Centre" was added. The building was 80 x 100 feet. In some places the lower floor was 20 feet below ground.



The excavation was done by William Ajax using a shovel and wheelbarrow.

Shoppers were offered a wide variety of merchandise, food, clothing, housewares, hardware, tools and medicines. Goods were arranged in department store style. Patrons came from the mining camps, sheep and cattle ranches and the communities of Rush and Vernon Valley. Meals and lodging for travelers were provided. Their livestock was also cared for in sheds and corrals located west of the present highway.

The coming of the railroad through Rush Valley made supplies and travel more accessible, thus ending much of the need for a store in the area. William Ajax died in 1899. His family operated the store until 1914.

The building was abandoned, and later it was burned. All that remains are the mounds of dirt just east of the historical marker.


Alamo, Nevada

Alamo is a living ghost town in Lincoln County, Nevada about 90 miles north of Las Vegas along U.S. Route 93. Google Map

The area was settled by Mormon pioneers and was officially founded in 1901. The post office was established on May 12, 1905. The community was named either in commemoration of the Battle of the Alamo or Spanish for "cottonwood" in reference to the trees in the vicinity. The fertile valley is ideal for agriculture and farming continues today.

Foremasters Alamo Store 


Alamo banned alcohol sales due to the religious roots and principles of the Mormon settlers. In 2022, the town board proposed allowing alcohol sales in gas stations and supermarkets but continue to restrict bars.

Alamo attracts tourists and truckers traveling from Las Vegas to northern Nevada and Idaho. Attractions include the nearby warm springs, wildlife refuge, Extraterrestrial Highway, and Area 51.



Area 51

After the 1950s, Alamo’s isolation was modified by the establishment of the Nevada Test Site. Some workers at Area 51 made Alamo a base of operations. The community’s proximity to the testing ground became a cause for concern in Alamo after several radioactive clouds drifted over the region following the detonation of atomic devices at the site. Subsequently, the U.S. government compensated some residents when radiation exposure was revealed.


Alder Gulch, Montana

Alder Gulch is located in Madison County, Montana about 7 miles west of Nevada City on hwy 287. Google Map

Alder Gulch 1871



On May 26, 1863 Bill Fairweather and his party discovered gold in southwestern Montana. They were on their way to Yellowstone Country from Bannack but were waylaid by a band of Crow Indians. While hiding from the Indians in a gulch they found gold.  They named the gulch after the alder trees lining the gulch.





Alder Gulch, the site of the largest placer gold strike in world history, is one of the great gold producers of all time. It produced $10,000,000 during the first year.

The first stampede of miners reached Alder Gulch June 6, 1863 and the population swelled to over 10,000 in less than 3 months. The "Fourteen Mile City" ran the length of the gulch, and included the towns of Junction City, Adobe Town, Nevada City, Central City, Virginia City, Bear Town, Highland, Pine Grove, French Town, Hungry Hollow, and Summit. Within a year, the boom town of Virginia City had a population of 10,000. People lived in makeshift tents and shacks and every third construction was a saloon.

Montana Territory was established in May 28th, 1864, and the first territorial capital was Bannack. The discoveries at Alder Gulch drew people away from Bannack, reducing the population. The capital then moved to Virginia City, where it remained until its final move in 1875 to Helena.


Amboy, California

Amboy is located in San Bernardino County, California about 80 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Amboy was first settled in 1858 as a mining site. The town was established in 1883 as the first of a series of alphabetical railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert that provided water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Amboy, California - 1948
Burton Frasher Collection


In 1926, Amboy became a boom town after the opening of U.S. Route 66. In 1938, Roy Crowl opened Roy's Motel and Café, which prospered due to its isolated location on the Route.





By 1940, Amboy's population had increased to 65. Its growth was tied not only to tourists, but also to the Santa Fe Railroad. The town remained busy until the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973.

Amboy was sold in 2000 to investors Walt Wilson and Tim White who mainly used it for photo shots and to host movie companies. After the two lost it in foreclosure, it was repossessed and sold on May 3, 2005 to Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain, who promised to preserve the town and reopen Roy's. On April 28, 2008, Roy's reopened. Albert Okura also has plans to open a café and mini-mart at the same location.


Ash Fork, Arizona

Ash Fork, population 361, is a living ghost town located in Yavapai County, Arizona about 26 miles east of Seligman on I-40 and Route 66. The longest, original, uninterrupted stretch of Route 66 is between Ash Fork and Seligman. Google Map

Ash Fork, AZ - 1940s
Burton Frasher Collection

The community was established in October 1882 as a siding of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, later known as the Santa Fe Railroad. Ash Fork was named by F.W. Smith, General Superintendent of the railroad, in reference to ash trees at the site.


The first official post office was established on April 12, 1883. When the Santa Fe Railroad moved its main line north and away from the town in 1960, Ash Fork lost nearly half its population, as most families employed by the railway were forced to leave the area.

Destruction by Fire, Santa Fe & I-40

What fire and Santa Fe relocation couldn't destroy, I-40 did. In 1883 the entire town of Ash Fork burned to the ground. It was rebuilt on the opposite side of the railroad tracks from its original location, where it remains today. Another large fire, known locally as the "Big Fire", devastated the community on November 20, 1977, destroying most of the downtown businesses. When I-40 bypassed the town soon after, drastically reducing traffic on U.S. Route 66, the local economy never fully recovered. The last major fire occurred on October 7, 1987, destroying nearly all the remaining buildings along the two block business district located on the south side of Route 66.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Ash Fork Maintenance Camp #1 (also known as Ash Fork Camp) Mar 2, 2000
#00000103		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Transportation, Architecture
Perkinsville Bridge Mar 31, 1989
#88001671		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Engineering, Transportation
Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway, Limestone Canyon District Dec 13, 1994
#94000091		 1875-1899
1900-1924		 Transportation, Commerce, Industry, Processing, Extraction

Augusta, Montana

Augusta is living ghost town in Lewis and Clark County located 1.8 miles from Gilman on U.S. Route 287 and approximately 41 miles northwest of Wolf Creek. Google Map

The original townsite was dedicated on May 8, 1893. A fire on April 4, 1901, destroyed part of the town. In 1871, the Augusta township was surveyed, but it wasn’t until 1883 that Phil Mannix built the first post office and store. He was named postmaster in June of 1884.

Augusta 1916

By 1901, Augusta was well established as an agricultural center. Then in April of that year, a disastrous fire broke out and within a short period of time the entire business section burned to the ground.




Between 1914 and the early 1920s, during the height of the homestead era, Augusta reached its population and commercial peak. It became a vital supply center for vast cattle and sheep ranches in Lewis & Clark County. Many historic buildings from the 1890s still stand.

Railroad Rivalry

In 1912, the Great Northern Railway built a line near Augusta, but bypassed the town for the new community of Gilman in 1912. This precipitated a decade-long feud between the two communities. Even though Gilman flourished, Augusta stuck it out and refused to die. By 1923, draught, hard times, and the extension of the railroad to Augusta, caused the Gilman to fade away.

Businesses, including the bank, also relocated to Gilman, precipitating a decade-long feud between the two communities. Even though Gilman flourished, Augusta stuck it out and refused to die. By 1923, draught, hard times, and the extension of the railroad to Augusta, caused the Gilman State Bank to close and the town to fade away.

F.M. Mack General Store

F.M. Mack General Store

Forrest M. Mack and partner Alfred Strode built the F.M. Mack General Store building in 1912 in the now-defunct town of Gilman.




A spur to Augusta was completed in 1922 and the building was moved to Augusta in 1925.

Quinn's Garage

In 1916, blacksmith and mechanic Frank Quinn opened his long-running business. The next year, Quinn built this large building, which encompassed the original blacksmith shop. Like many blacksmiths, Quinn’s business adapted to the era’s rapidly changing technology. While continuing to work as a blacksmith, Quinn expanded his services to meet the needs of local farmers and ranchers, repairing horse-drawn and motorized farm implements as well as automobiles.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
F.M. Mack General Store also known as Augusta Mercantile, The Mack Apr 12, 2021
#100006367		 1912 - Present Architecture, Commerce
Quinn's Garage also known as Kenck Implement Mar 27, 2020
#100005163		 1912 - Present Architecture, Commerce

Austin (Clifton, Austin & Upper Austin), Nevada

Austin is a "living ghost town" and former county seat of, Lander County, Nevada. Austin in on U.S. Route 50, known as the "Loneliest Road in America about 69 miles west of Eureka, Nevada. Google Map

The city of Austin was mapped out in 1862 by David Buell. This was during the American Civil War, and the Union was eager to find new sources of precious metals, especially gold, to support the war effort. Silver was reputedly found when a Pony Express horse kicked over a rock and observers noticed the silver.

Austin, Nevada 1870s


In 1862, it was designated as the county seat of Lander County. By summer 1863, Austin and the surrounding Reese River Mining District had a population of more than 10,000.




In January 1864, a petition was created to combine Clifton, Austin and Upper Austin into the "City of Austin." The Governor signed the bill in February 1864.

The Nevada Central Railroad was built to connect Austin with the transcontinental railroad at Battle Mountain in 1880. However, by that time the silver boom was almost over. The city was disincorporated in 1881. Major silver production ended by 1887.

Gold and silver mining has continued in the area sporadically and at generally low levels of production. High quality turquoise is still mined in the area in small quantities. Several shops manufacture jewelry from local turquoise.

Clifton, Nevada

Clifton is a ghost town located in Lander County, Nevada, just west of Austin. Clifton, named for the nearby cliffs, was established in 1862 when silver ore was found at the mouth of the Pony Canyon.

The Clifton post office was in operation from March 1863 to February 1864. In 1863, Clifton had about 500 inhabitants and many places of business, including a Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Office. In 1863 a graded road to Austin was completed resulting in many of Clifton's residents and businesses moving to Austin. In January 1864, a petition was created to combine Clifton, Austin and Upper Austin into the "City of Austin." The Governor signed the bill in February 1864.

Mules' Relief

In 1880, the Austin City Railway was built. The 2.80 mile narrow gauge railway ran from Clifton to Austin. Previously, Clifton was the terminus of the Nevada Central Railroad and freight was moved via wagon to Austin.


Initially, the railway used 11 mules to pull one car. In 1881, an engine was ordered from Baldwin Locomotive Works and named "Mules' Relief."


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Austin Cemetery Aug 14, 2003
#03000753		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture/Engineering, Art, European, Asian, Funerary, Cemetery
Austin City Hall Aug 14, 2003
#03000754		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Politics, Government, Social, City Hall, Correctional Facility, Meeting Hall
Austin Historic District Nov 23, 1971
#71000489		 1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture, Engineering, Government, Industry, Processing, Extraction, Social, Business, Clubhouse, Courthouse, Extractive Facility, Commerce, Trade, Religion, Religious Structure
Austin Masonic and Odd Fellows Hall Aug 14, 2003
#03000756		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture, Engineering, Entertainment, Recreation, Social History, Commerce, Trade, Social, Business, Meeting Hall
Austin Methodist Church Aug 14, 2003
#03000751		 1850-1874 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Religious Structure, Government, City Hall
Gridley Store Aug 14, 2003
#03000752		 1850-1874 Military, Commerce, Trade, Department Store, Recreation And Culture, Museum
Lander County Courthouse Aug 14, 2003
#03000750		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture, Engineering, Politics, Government, Recreation, Culture, Correctional Facility, Courthouse, Monument, Marker, Commerce, Trade, Organizational
Lander County High School Jul 20, 2000
#00000821		 1950-1974
1925-1949		 Architecture, Engineering, Education, School, Civic,
St. Augustine's Catholic Church Aug 14, 2003
#03000758		 1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Church Related Residence, Church School, Religious Structure
St. George's Episcopal Church Aug 14, 2003
#03000755		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Religious Structure
Stokes Castle Aug 14, 2003
#03000757		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Domestic, Single Dwelling, Recreation, Culture, Monument Marker

Bagdad, San Bernardino County, California

Bagdad is located in San Bernardino County, California about 88 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Bagdad (San Bernardino County) - 1939
Burton Frasher Collection


Bagdad was established in 1883 as part of a series of alphabetical railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.



Bagdad was a thriving town along the National Old Trails Road and the famous Route 66. It had a railway depot, telegraph office, dining hall, hotels, library, post office, restaurant, saloons, school and stores. Bagdad was bypassed by the opening of Interstate 40 to the north in 1973, and lost travelers business and resident population. The last buildings were demolished in 1991. All that remains are some building foundations and the cemetery.


Bagdad, Trinity County, California

Bagdad is located along highway 299 in the Helena Historic District, Trinity County, on the east side of the North Fork of the Trinity River about 14 miles west of Weaverville, California on hwy 299. Google Map

Bagdad (Trinity County), California


Inscription: On this site once stood the town of "Bagdad" Founded in the year of 1850 by pioneers Craven Lee and David Weed. Peak of population five hundred.






Monument erected August 9, 1953 by Native Sons of the Golden West and National Daughters of the Golden West.

Bagdad was the first mining camp in the area - named so because of its exotic nature. Prostitutes who settled there came from various countries. A Bagdad miner described them as "mademoiselles, senoritas, and jungfraus".



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Helena Historic District (also known as Helena Townsite) May 24, 1984
#840001219		 1850-1874 Agriculture-Subsistence, Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Funerary, Agricultural Outbuildings, Processing, Restaurant, Single Dwelling

Ballarat, California

Ballarat is located in Inyo County, California about 50 miles from Ridgecrest – north on hwy 178 (Trona Wildrose Road) then east on Ballarat Road for 3 1/2 miles. Google Map



Quite a bit remains of the town's buildings. As of 2009 there were two full time residents, two dogs, and a general store. Ballarat served nearby mining camps from 1897 to 1917. They produced nearly a million in gold.



The jail and a few adobe ruins remain. Seldom Seen Slim, it's last resident, was buried in Boothill in 1968.

Ballarat had a school but no church. Post Office Spring 1/4 mi south is where the Brier Party, some Jay Hawkers and other 49ers came in their escape from Death Valley in Jan 1850.


Bannack, Montana

Bannack is a State Park in Beaverhead County, Montana about 25 miles from Dillon – south on I-15, west on hwy 278, then south on Bannack Bench Road. Bannack is managed by the B.L.M. Google Map

Bannack, Montana - 1900


Bannack was founded in 1862 when John White discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek. As news of the gold strike spread many prospectors and businessmen rushed to Bannack hoping to strike it rich.




Bannack was the first Territorial Capital of Montana in 1864 and the first County Seat of Beaverhead County from 1864-1881. The Capital moved on to Virginia City.

In 1863 gold had been discovered near Virginia City and at that time many prospectors left Bannack in hopes of finding the mother lode in Virginia City. However, some people stayed in Bannack and explored the use of further mining techniques. From the late 1860's to the 1930's, Bannack continued as a mining town with a fluctuating population. By the 1950's gold workings had dwindled and most folks had moved on. At that point the State of Montana declared Bannack a State Park.



The 3 R's - 1872

Bannack was very family orientated. There were strict rules for the teachers. Men could go courting one day a week. Women were fired if they got married or engaged improper conduct. Teachers were not allowed to smoke, drink, visit pool halls, or get shaved at a barber shop.




Bannack Historic Lodge No. 3-7-77

The Grand Lodge of Montana chartered Bannack Historic Lodge (3-7-77) on June 23, 2000 as the first Historic Lodge within the jurisdiction. The purpose of Bannack Historic Lodge No. 3-7-77 is to reserve the history of Freemasonry in Montana and the Masonic Lodge building in Bannack.

Bannack Masonic Lodge & School


Bannack Masonic Lodge Hall

The old Masonic Lodge Hall in Bannack, Montana stands as a memorial to all Masons past, present and future.




According to Montana Masonic tradition, when you talk of Montana Vigilantes, formed December 22, 1863, this is where it took place, although some non-Masonic historians dispute the level of Masonic involvement.

Undisputed though, is that Sheriff Henry Plummer was hanged in Bannack without legal system trial by the controversial Montana Vigilantes on January 10, 1864.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Bannack Historic District Oct 15, 1966
#66000426		 1900-1924
1850-1874		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Business, Extractive Facility, Hotel, Single Dwelling

Bayhorse, Idaho

Bayhorse is a State Park in Custer County, Idaho about 14 miles from Challis – south on hwy 93, south on hwy 75, then west on Bayhorse Creek Road. Google Map

Bayhorse, Idaho - 1884


Bayhorse was founded in 1877. While searching for gold, silver was discovered in the area and a mine was started. The mine's peak years were the 1880s and 1890s.



With a population of about 300, Bayhorse had several saloons, boarding houses, assay offices, post office, and two timber mills. Operations continued until 1915 when the mine shut down and the town was abandoned.

The town property was purchased by the State of Idaho in 2006 and opened to the public in 2009 as part of the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Bayhorse Mar 15, 1976
#76000671		 1875-1899 Domestic, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Energy Facility, Hotel

Bearmouth, Montana

Bearmouth is located in Granite County, Montana about 41 miles east of Missoula just off of I-90 at Bear Gulch Road. Google Map

Northern Pacific Railway Wreck
Bearmouth, Montana - March 5, 1905

Bearmouth was not a mining camp. It was a trading post for the placer mining camps of Beartown, Garnet and Coloma, located in the hills north of Bearmouth. Enormously rich ores from these towns came into Bearmouth to be shipped to smelters.



When the gold towns died, Bearmouth followed suit.

A pioneer family named Lannen operated the gold exchange and ferry boat across the Clark Fork River. The town was also a main stop for stagecoaches. It had a beautiful two-storied, balconied inn for travelers to spend the night as well as a large livery stable, both of which still stand.

Coloma/Bearmouth Stage Coach

The 12-mile trip from the mining town of Coloma to Garnet and on to Bearmouth took the better part of a day. The Silver State newspaper (Deer Lodge) hailed its completion in February, 1896, as the "cannon ball road from Coloma to Bearmouth."


Beartown, Montana

Beartown is located in Granite County, Montana about 44 miles east of Missoula on hwy 200 and at mile maker 22 south on Garnet Range Road/Bear Gulch Road. Bear Gulch Road can also be reached from I-90 about 41 miles east of Missoula. Google Map

Beartown, MT 1880-1890

Beartown is one of the chain of gold towns along Bear Gulch Road. The road still travels through where Beartown used to be but all that remains is a crumbling foundation which lies on private property.




Gold was discovered in October 1865 and Beartown was built almost overnight. Thousands lived in the camp in its heyday. By 1868 Beartown had several stores, saloons, gambling houses, a blacksmith shop and other businesses typical of mining camps. A school was built in 1881. At one time it was runner up to be the State Capital. By 1898 it was deserted.

There is a steep cliff here where local folklore say a Chinese prospector buried a fortune in a five pound baking powder can. Hundreds have sought it, but it has never been found.

Beartown Roughs

"Combine 17 saloons with a brewery. Sprinkle in a fair share of gold fever and you have the ingredients for a wild town. A group of partying miners called the "Beartown Roughs" kicked up their heels on the weekends after a hard week muscling rocks on their claims. In contrast to Garnet where family living was common in the late 1890s, this early mining community fit the classic image of the Wild West."


Bear Valley (Mariposa County) California

Bear Valley, population 125, (formerly Haydenville, Biddle's Camp, Biddleville, Simpsonville, and Johnsonville) is a living ghost town located in Mariposa County located 10.5 miles south-southeast of Coulterville. Google Map

Oso House 1860

Frémont built an elegant hotel, Oso House. Frémont lived and worked in the city, and his large home was nicknamed the Little White House, coincidentally built two years after he was the first Republican Party candidate for US President. The home burned in 1866.


At its peak, Bear Valley had a population of 3,000. During 1850-60 when Frémont's Pine Tree and Josephine Mines were producing. Bear Valley was designated California Historical Landmark #331.


Beatty, Nevada

Beatty is an living ghost town in Nye County, Nevada on U.S. Route 95 about 32 miles north of Death Valley National Park. Google Map

Beatty is named after "Old Man" Murray Beatty, a Civil War veteran and miner who bought a ranch along the Amargosa River just north of the future community and became its first postmaster in 1905.

Montgomery Hotel 1905


The community was laid out in 1904 or 1905 after Ernest Alexander "Bob" Montgomery decided to build the Montgomery Hotel in Beatty.




During Beatty's first year, wagons pulled by teams of horses or mules hauled freight between the Bullfrog district and the nearest railroad, in Las Vegas. Three railroads came to Beatty - the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad in October 1906, the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad April 1907, and the Tonopah and Tidewater in October 1907.

Beatty's population grew slowly in the first half of the 20th century. The first reliable electric company in the community began supplying electricity in about 1940. Phone service arrived during World War II, and the town installed a community-wide sewer system in the 1970s. When a new mine opened west of Beatty in 1988, the population briefly surged. Since the mine's closing in 1998, the population has fallen again. The population was 880 in the 2020 Census.


Blue Diamond, Nevada

Blue Diamond, population 290, is a living ghost town located in Clark County, Nevada about 15 miles west of Las Vegas. Google Map

Blue Diamond was originally a stop on the Old Spanish Trail for traders from Santa Fe, N.M., to California between 1830 and 1848. The trail was then used as a wagon road for the Mormons until 1905.

Blue Diamond Employee Housing 1930s

The village, originally known as Cottonwood Springs, changed its name when the Blue Diamond Company took ownership of the Gypsum mine and built corporate housing for the workers in the early '20s.


The Blue Diamond School opened in 1929. The village included a small frame schoolhouse, a post office, library, community center, swimming pool and a village market that became the community gathering place.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Old Spanish Trail
Nevada Boundary Increases		 Oct 6, 1988
#08000229
Aug 22, 2001
#01000863		 1825-1849
1850-1874
1875-1899
1900-1924		 Transportation - Trade Route

Bodie, California

Bodie is a State Park located in Mono County, California about 20 miles from Bridgeport – south on hwy 395 and east on hwy 270 (Bodie Road). Google Map

Freight Team 1880


Gold was discovered in 1859 by W.S. Bodey after whom the town was named. Once the most thriving metropolis of the Mono Country, Bodie’s mines produced gold valued at more than 100 million dollars.





Tough as nails, the “Bad Man from Bodie” still carries his guns and his Bowie knife down through the pages of Western history.

Hardships Endured

The weather was particularly harsh in Bodie. It snowed as much as twenty feet deep. Winds whipped unheeded on the treeless slopes to a hundred miles an hour. Temperatures went down 40°F below zero. Many died of exposure and disease.

Bodie is owned by the State of California. Bodie is kept in a state of "arrested decay" meaning it won't deteriorate any further. The State of California took over the town in 1962 to make it a State Historic Park ensuring that the town is property maintained without destroying or changing anything. With many of the buildings left, it is one of the best preserved ghost towns in the country.

Bodie was a Bad Town

It was rich. It was remote. It had the reputation of being one of the most furious, vehement, violent and lawless towns in all the Mother Lode. Law and order took a back seat to whatever was the inspiration of the moment including putting a bullet into someone as the only way to settle an argument.

On September 5, 1880, the daily Bodie Standard reported three shootings and two stage holdups. The town had 30 gold mines, 65 saloons, numerous brothels, gambling halls, and opium dens. Every other building on the mile long main street was a saloon. Three breweries worked day and night and whiskey was brought into town in 100 gallon barrel.

Bodie & Benton Railway 1889

Bodie & Benton Railway

The Bodie & Benton Railway was a 3 foot narrow gauge common carrier railroad from the Mono Mills to a terminus in Bodie. The 32 mile line was completed and operational on November 14, 1881.



The Bodie Curse

Legends about Bodie abound, including the Bodie Curse. The curse is supposedly perpetuated by the town ghosts who guard against thieves and protect its treasures. According to legend, if visitors take anything – even a pebble, they will be cursed with bad luck. Misfortune and tragedy are heaped upon the victim until the stolen item is returned.

According to Park Rangers, many who have taken things eventually return them, to rid themselves of this curse. They receive souvenirs sent in unmarked boxes all the time. Most are accompanied with notes from people stating they hope their luck will change. Skeptics state that this legend is kept alive in order to protect the town from pillagers. Either way this curse does help to preserve Bodie.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Bodie Historic District Oct 15,1966
#66000213		 1875-1899
1850-1874
 Commerce-Trade, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Business, Domestic, Extractive Facility, Single Dwelling


Bonnie Springs, Nevada

Bonnie Springs is located in Clark County, Nevada about 29 miles west of Las Vegas. Google Map

It was first constructed in 1843, as a stopover for wagon trains going to California down the Old Spanish Trail. In 1846, General Fremont on his way to California stopped at Bonnie Springs Ranch to gear up for his trip through Death Valley.

Old Nevada - Bonnie Springs

The ranch was originally purchased by Bonnie McGaugh, daughter of western film actor Wilbur McGaugh, in 1952 and in its early years featured horseback riding and a restaurant.



The Old Nevada mining town opened in 1974, carefully modeled to replicate an 1889s mining town. A miniature steam train was added along with a shootout show, followed by a hanging.

Today, Bonnie Springs Ranch is a western-themed tourist attraction including horseback riding, a zoo, an old western town, a miniature train, a 46-room motel, and a restaurant.


Update - February, 2020

Bonnie Springs closed on March 17, 2019. The ranch endured long lines during its final two days, with wait times up to 40 minutes to enter. The sale was finalized on April 2, 2019, at a cost of $25 million. By that time, the ranch's animals had been relocated to other zoos and habitats. A live auction of various Bonnie Springs memorabilia took place at the ranch's outdoor arena area later that month, followed by online auctions.

Twenty residential parcels went on sale in February 2020, when it was announced that the new project would be named The Ranch at Red Rock. The residential lots ranged from 2 to 4 acres each, with prices from $3 million to $6.5 million.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Old Spanish Trail
Nevada Boundary Increases - August 22, 2001 & March 21, 2008		 Oct 6, 1988
#08000229
Aug 22, 2001
#01000863

 1825-1849
1850-1874
1875-1899
1900-1924		 Transportation - Trade Route

Bristol Wells, Nevada

Bristol Wells is in Lincoln County, Nevada about 23 miles from Pioche – north on hwy 93 then west on the Bristol Wells Road. Google Map

The first mining claims were staked in 1870. In 1890 the population of Bristol Wells was about 400. It had a post office from 1878 - 1887. Activity declined after 1893. All that remains are two buildings, a windmill, and the three charcoal ovens. This site was totally unprotected when we were there but surprisingly in very good condition.

Bristol Wells Charcoal Ovens (2008)


Charcoal Ovens

The charcoal ovens were used to convert local wood into charcoal for use by the mining industry.






After the silver veins ran out and the smelters shut down, they served as shelters for prospectors and stockmen. Rumor has it that local stagecoach bandits also hid in the ovens.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Bristol Wells Town Site (also known as Bristol City) Oct 15,1966
#72000765		 1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Extractive Facility, Hotel, Manufacturing Facility, Business, Single Dwelling

Cadiz, California

Cadiz, established in 1883 is located in San Bernardino County about 85 miles west of Needles, California. Google Map

Cadiz 1948 - Burton Frasher Collection

Cadiz was the third in a string of alphabetically named railroad stations (Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz) that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.




During the very early days of steam locomotives, water stops were necessary every 7–10 miles depending on the terrain and the train's load. Cadiz existed to supply water to the trains. Years later, Cadiz served travelers on Route 66 with a gas station, cafe, ice house and some tourist cabins.


Calico, California

Calico is now an amusement ghost town located in the Calico Mountains in San Bernardino County 7 miles from Daggett – north on Ghost Town Road. Google Map

Calico was founded in 1881 as a silver mining town, and today has been converted into a county park. Walter Knott (of Knott's Berry Farm fame) purchased Calico in the 1950s and architecturally restored all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880's.

Calico 1931 - Burton Frasher Collection



Calico was proclaimed California's Silver Rush Ghost Town in 2005 by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.




Calico Lives Again (Walter Knott)

Under the auspices of Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA Buildings shall be rebuilt on their original sites. Walter Knott is dedicating Calico Ghost Town to the memory of the heroic silver miners who lived and toiled here. The preservation of this singular California heritage is also dedicated to you, the visitor, as a constant source of learning and enjoyment. Please respect this historic property.


Chambless, California

Chambless is located in San Bernardino County, California about 69 miles west of Needles and 10 miles east of Amboy on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Chambless 1928 - Burton Frasher Collection

Chambless was established as part of a series of alphabetical railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert that provided water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.




Eventuslly, it became a popular motorist and tourist stop for Route 66 travelers but has essentially disappeared since the opening of I-40 in 1973. A

Road Runner's Retreat 2012


Road Runner's Retreat

Also located in Chambless was the 'Road Runner Cafe' with its large and tall sign, which finally closed its doors in the 1970s.



Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant opened in the early 1960s and served classic road food. The business prospered until the unforgettable day in 1972 when I-40 opened.

Duke Dotson Jr. remembers, “One day we had brisk business and the diner was full. The next day it was like someone shut off the tap of a water faucet. There were no more travelers on the road. Overnight we were put out of business.”

In July 2020, a fire broke out inside the Road Runner’s Retreat diner building. While firefighters were able to save the diner, all the contents inside were destroyed.


Chesaw, Washington

Chesaw is a living ghost town located in Okanogan County, Washington about 20 miles from Oroville – east on the Chesaw Road. Google Map

Chesaw, Washington 1899
Okanogan County Historical Society

Chesaw was named for the Chinese settler Chee Saw, who arrived in the mid-1890s and married a Native American woman. The town sprang up and thrived during a brief gold rush from 1896 to 1900.



Word of the gold spread, but since the area was in the Colville Indian Reservation, no prospecting was allowed. In 1896, with morals adjusted to fit the pocketbook, the white man opened half of the reservation to mineral claims. Promptly, most of the good pastures and fields were taken by whites as placer claims.

Boom to Bust

Chesaw's boom town days included two hotels, a large three story livery barn, a black smith shop, two department stores, one hardware store, a barber shop, post office, an assay office, three saloons, a bank, and three grocery stores. A school was built in 1906. By 1910 there were forty buildings and about 250 inhabitants. By 1914 mining had played out. The school was torn down in 1943. Fire raced through the town in 1950 and again in 1959.

4th of July Rodeo

The Chesaw 4th of July Rodeo has been held annually since 1942. In addition to the Rodeo it include a Parade and family games like the egg toss, the cross country saw contest, nail driving for speed, and three-legged race.

Chesaw Today

Two buildings on main street are still functioning businesses - the Chesaw Store and the Chesaw Tavern. A few scattered cabins and rodeo grounds remain.


Chinese Camp, California

Chinese Camp is located in Tuolumne County, California about 10 miles south of Sonora, California on the Golden Chain Highway 49. Google Map

Chinese Camp is the remnant of a notable California Gold Rush mining town. Chinese laborers arriving in California in 1849 were driven from neighboring Camp Salvado and resettled here, and the area started to become known as Chinese Camp. At one point the town was home to an estimated 5,000 Chinese.

Chinese Camp 1930


The post office was established on April 18, 1854. The St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, built in 1855, was restored in 1949. Chinese Camp was headquarters for stagelines in early 1850s and for several California Chinese mining companies.



Chinese Camp is best known for its Tong Wars especially the one that occurred on September 26, 1856. It pitted about 900 members of the Yan-Woo Tong against roughly 1200 members of the Sam Yaps Tong.


Update - September 2, 2025

Lightning-sparked wildfires destroyed historic Chinese Camp. A wave of lightning strikes ignited dozens of wildfires across Tuolumne and Calaveras counties this week, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the historic town of Chinese Camp.

Most of Chinese Camp, including the historic Post Office, was destroyed by the wildfire. The church, school, and the store are the only historic buildings that survived the fire.

Chloride, Arizona

Chloride is a living ghost town located in Mohave County, Arizona about 23 miles from Kingman – north on hwy 93 and east on hwy 125. Google Map

Chloride 1900

Chloride is a onetime silver mining camp and is considered the oldest continuously inhabited mining town in the state. In 2020, the population was 229.




Chloride is a strange little town - not really a ghost town but not really a thriving community. There is still a post office in Chloride but not much else.

The yards were all well kept but decorated in a strange way with antiques - some sparsely, some completely covering the yard, and some arranged in such a way as to create something else. Interesting. A nice looking cafe named Yesterdays was just off main street.

Prospectors first located mineral resources in the area in the 1840s, including silver, gold, lead, zinc, and turquoise. Chloride was founded about 1863, but mining was not widespread until the 1870s after a treaty was signed with the Hualapai Indians.


Circle City, Washington

Circle City is in Okanogan County, Washington on 9 mile road between Sidley and the Chesaw Road Junction. Google Map

Circle City
University of Washington Libraries


Circle City was a railroad logging camp purchased from James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway by Weyerhaeuser Timber Company on January 3, 1900.







Circle City had a section house, unsuccessful water tank, depot with a few grocery items, and a school. The railroad line was completed by 1907, with an average of two and one half percent grade. Here westbound trains had to stop to cool their brakes.

In 1906, 40 acres were set aside for a townsite. A one-room schoolhouse and quarters for a teacher were built. The railroad maintained a crew bunkhouse and quarters for the section foreman's families. Trains stopped here 20-30 minutes to cool the brakes after a steep decline from the Town of Molson. some said "you could see the red glow of the brakes on the passenger trains from Oroville". The 28 miles trip to Oroville took about 1 1/2 hours and cost .99 cents. About 1932 everything was abandoned, leaving only memories. (Molson Museum)


Cisco, Utah

Cisco is located in Grand County, Utah about 46 miles north of Moab on hwy 6 near the junction of hwy 128 and I-70. Google Map

Cisco Post Office




In the 1880s Cisco served as a saloon and water-refilling station for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Stores, hotels and restaurants sprang up to accommodate crews and travelers. The town site contains many relics of a typical old west railroad town. Unfortunately for history and railroad buffs, the ghost town's easy access and proximity to the freeway have lured vandals. The relics are heavily damaged.




The town's demise started with the demise of the steam locomotive and was sealed when Interstate 70 by-passed Cisco altogether. Cisco was a filming location for the Movies Vanishing Point (1971), Thelma and Louise (1991), and Don't Come Knocking (2005).


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Robidoux Inscription July 23, 1982
#82004124		 1825-1849 Exploration-Settlement, Commerce, Landscape

Coloma (Marshall Gold Discovery Site), California

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is in the Town of Coloma, El Dorado County, California. It is about 8 miles from Placerville, California – north on hwy 49 (Golden Chain Highway). Google Map

Coloma, California 1958


Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park includes much of the historic town of Coloma, California, which is now considered a ghost town.



State Route 153 extends only 0.5 miles from the junction of Cold Springs Road and SR 49 to the monument marking the grave of James W. Marshall, whose discovery of gold along the American River on January 24, 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush.

Sutter's Mill 1850

Sutter's Mill

Sutter's Mill sawmill, located at the bank of the American River, was owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter. It was here that the carpenter James W. Marshall, while working on the construction of the mill, found several nuggets of gold that would trigger the gold rush.

Mormon Cabin

The Morman members of the sawmill crew built a cabin near the mill during the winter of 1847. Earlier they had shared a cabin with the Wimmer family, but they became discontented with Mrs. Wimmer, the camp cook. They decided to build their own cabin and cook for themselves.

El Dorado Jail

Coloma's first jail was made of logs and was located around the corner on High Street. The second jail, built in 1855, quickly proved to be too small, and this stone-block prison was erected. It was used from 1857 until 1862. The metal cell that stands nearby came from the county courthouse in Placerville.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Coloma (also known as Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park) Oct 15, 1966
#66000207		 1925-1949 Domestic, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Camp, Extractive Facility

Coloma, Montana

Coloma is located in the Garnet Range in Missoula County, Montana about 38 miles from Missoula – east on hwy 200 then at mile marker 22 south on Garnet Range Road. Google Map

Records of the period indicate high gold mining activity from 1896 onwards. Mining records are missing, however it was estimated $200,000 to $250,000 in gold was extracted. In 1916 there was some activity, mills were installed. The survey team found that the mines were unprofitable. Additional prospecting activity occurred between 1932 and 1950.

Mystery Camp of Garnet Range

(1893-1915) The history of Coloma is very mysterious. It is still very difficult to find any information about Coloma. Nearby residents claim they know nothing of the site, and refuse to answer any questions. Speculation has developed two conclusions: either the failures are so embarrassing no one wants to remember, or there are still discoveries to be found that no one wishes to expose.

Coloma 2012

At its height Coloma boasted the Chamberlain boarding house, the Mammoth Company store, a school, livery stable, Moss family mercantile, and Mammoth Mill complex. Coloma’s post office was decommissioned in 1903 and the last major effort at the Mammoth was in 1906.



Coloma/Bearmouth Stage Coach

The 12-mile trip from the mining town of Coloma to Garnet and on to Bearmouth took the better part of a day. The Silver State newspaper (Deer Lodge) hailed its completion in February, 1896, as the "cannon ball road from Coloma to Bearmouth."


Cool, California

Cool, formerly known as Cave Valley, is a living ghost town in El Dorado County, California, Sierra Nevada foothills about 40 miles from Sacramento and 10 miles north of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Google Mapa

Penobscot Ranch Stage Stop


Cool's history dates back to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, when it was part of a thriving region of mining towns. Penobscot Public House, established in 1850, was a way station and stage coach stop during the days of the Gold Rush.



The Penobscot Ranch still exists today. The first post office was established in 1885. The town was originally known as "Cave Valley" due to nearby limestone caves but was renamed "Cool" in the 1880s, reportedly after a Methodist preacher named Aaron Cool.

While mining declined over time, Cool remained a quiet rural community. Today, it is known for its scenic location near the American River Canyon and serves as a gateway to outdoor activities, including hiking and horseback riding on the Western States Trail. The community retains a rustic charm and a strong connection to its Gold Rush heritage.


Cool Springs, Arizona

Cool Springs is in Mohave County, Arizona about 20 miles west of Kingman on Historic Route 66. Google Map

Cool Springs camp and service station, established in the mid-1920's, was an important stop for motorists traveling Arizona's Route 66. Remarkably, it has survived nearly a 100 years of fire, bombs, destruction and ruin.
In the 1930’s, James Walker built 8 cabins, improved the station, and ran a restaurant. The hey-day of Route 66 was the hey-day of Cool Springs.

Cool Springs 1940
Burton Frasher Collection


In the early 1950s Route 66 was re-aligned to avoid the steep mountain grades of Sitgreaves Pass. The completion of I-40 dealt the final blow. Cool Springs' days were numbered.




In the mid-1960's, a fire burned Cool Springs to the ground. Nothing remained but fragments of the stone foundations and the original stone pillars. Cool Springs was just a forgotten memory, a crumbling stone relic along a forgotten road, home to lizards, tarantulas, and tumbleweeds.

Then in 1991 Cool Springs sprung to life again when Hollywood used it as a location for their movie "Universal Soldier". Cool Springs was rebuilt around the old pillars and remaining stone foundation. At the end of filming, though, the buildings were blown to smithereens. Cool Springs became ruins once more.

In 1997 Ned Leuchtner passed through the area and found the ruins of Cool Springs. He couldn't’ resist the forgotten relic and purchased it in 2001. Cool Springs was rebuilt again. On December 7th, 2004 the power was hooked up marking the first time that the lights had been on since 1966. Cool Springs is now open for business, a refreshing stop along America's Mother Road.


Coulterville, California

Coulterville, population 200, (formerly, Maxwell's Creek) is a mining town located on Maxwell Creek in Mariposa County 20 miles northwest of Mariposa. Coulterville had a population of 115 at the 2020 census. Google Map

Coulterville 1948
Burton Frasher Collection


Coulterville was settled in 1850 by George W. Coulter, for whom it is also named. For a time Coulter lived in a tent flying the American flag, prompting local Mexicans to call the place Banderita (Spanish for "small flag").




The Maxwell's Creek post office opened in 1852 and changed its name to Coulterville in 1853.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Coulterville Main Street Historic District Mar 12, 1982
#82002205		 1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Architecture, Transportation, Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Department Store, Hotel, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling, Warehouse

Craig. Montana

Craig is a living ghost town in Lewis and Clark County along Interstate 15 on the west side of the Missouri River, 43 miles north of Helena and 47 miles southwest of Great Falls. Google Map

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed near the present-day townsite of Craig in July 1805 during their journey up the Missouri River.

Craig, Montana

Craig received its name from homesteaders Warren and Eliza Craig, who staked out a claim and in 1886 built a log cabin on the current townsite. Two years later, a post office was established.




The town prospered when the Montana Central Railway built a line through the area and established a station in Craig in 1887.

Hauser Dam Catastrophe 1908

On April 14, 1908, at about 2:30 pm, Hauser Dam failed after water pressure undermined the masonry footings and a 300-foot wide section of the dam tore loose.

Hauser Dam Failure


The catastrophic failure caused a 25-foot wall of Missouri River water to flood the town. Remarkably no lives were lost.





Danby, California

Danby is located in San Bernardino County, California about 58 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Danby was established as part of a series of alphabetically named railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. A post office was established in 1893, but it closed in 1913 when mining declined.

Danby Lake

Danby also served as a processing point for salt from the Danby Dry Lake, a salt flat 30 miles south. This salt was hauled by burros to the Danby station for transport to nearby mines.

Danby - Route 66

Route 66

Situate along the National Old Trails Road and the famous Route 66, it later became a motorist stop.





Danby was bypassed by the opening of Interstate 40 to the north in 1973, and lost travelers business and resident population.

World War II Camp Danby

On September 17, 1943, the Department of Interior issued a use permit, in lieu of a formal directive, that transferred 316.79 acres to the War Department. Camp Danby was used as a campsite for the Army during General Patton's desert training program. A campsite and railway siding was constructed on site but they are no longer located there.


Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is a city in South Dakota and county seat of Lawrence County. It is south of I-15 at the junction of hwy's 85, 14 and 385. Google Map

Deadwood 1877



In 1874, Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Hills and announced the discovery of gold on French Creek near present-day Custer, South Dakota.



Deadwood Freight Office 1877



Custer's announcement triggered the Black Hills Gold Rush — one of the last great gold rushes in the country. Deadwood quickly reached a population of around 5,000.





Treaty of Laramie

The illegal settlement of Deadwood, named for the dead trees found in it's gulch, began in the 1870s on the territory granted to American Indians in the 1868 Treaty of Laramie. The treaty guaranteed ownership of the Black Hills to the Lakota people. Ongoing disputes over the Hills have reached the United States Supreme Court on several occasions.

"The site of a rich gold strike in 1875, Deadwood retains its mining town atmosphere. Many original buildings remain. While Deadwood is one of the most highly publicized mining towns of the trans-Mississippi West, much of its fame rests on the famous or infamous characters that passed through."

Gamblers, Gunslingers & Prostitutes

Deadwood played by it's own rules attracting outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers along with the gold seekers. Demand for women was high, and the business of prostitution proved to have a good market. Madam Dora DuFran would eventually become the most profitable brothel owner in Deadwood, closely followed by Madam Mollie Johnson.

Wild Bill Hickok

Wild Bill Hickok
(May 27, 1837 - August 2, 1876)

Wild Bill is probably the most famous Deadwood resident, even though he was only in town a few short weeks. James Butler Hickok, a well-known gambler and gunslinger, arrived in Deadwood in July of 1876, along with Colorado Charlie Utter and Calamity Jane.





Jack McCall shot Wild Bill from behind on August 2, 1876 while he played poker in the Nuttal & Mann's Saloon. Wild Bill was holding a pair of aces and eights. That series of cards became known to poker players all around the world as the "Dead Man's Hand".

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane
(May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903)

Martha Jane Canary made a name for herself in Deadwood and is buried next to Hickok in Mount Moriah Cemetery. She was an American frontierswoman, professional scout and indian fighter. She was illiterate and quite notably rarely bathed.

Calamity Jane came from a very hardscrabble life, unacquainted with bourgeois notions of decorum. She was afflicted with alcoholism and wanderlust but, as someone remembered - her vices were the wide-open sins of a wide-open country.

Mount Moriah Cemetery

Mount Moriah Cemetery is the burial place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane and other notable figures of the Wild West. In the early years of Deadwood, there were two graveyards – the Ingelside Cemetery, which was part of the way up Mount Moriah, and the Catholic Cemetery. Prospectors, miners, settlers, prostitutes and children were buried within the Ingelside Cemetery, alongside Wild Bill Hickok and Preacher Smith.

Wild Bill Hickock's Grave



In the 1880s it was determined that the land where Ingelside Cemetery was located could be better used for housing. Most of the bodies there, including Wild Bill Hickok, were moved up the mountain to Mount Moriah and re-interred.




National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Deadwood Historic District (also known as Deadwood) Oct 15, 1966
#66000716		 1925-1949
1900-1824
1875-1899		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Education, Government, Industry Processing-Extraction, Recreation and Culture, Transportation, Customhouse, Library, Specialty Store
Mount Theodore Roosevelt Monument Dec 22, 2005
#05001457		 1900-1924 Recreation and Culture, Monument-Marker
Tomahawk Lake Country Club (also known as Tomahawk Country Club Oct 26, 2005
#05001911		 1925-1949 Recreation and Culture, Sport Facility

Drytown, California

Drytown is the oldest community in Amador County, and the first in which gold was discovered. It took its name from Dry Creek, which runs dry during the summer. However, it was certainly not "dry", as stories tell of there being up to 26 saloons, of which just one remains, The Drytown Club.

Drytown 1860s

The Post Office opened in 1852 and closed in April, 2009. Population peeked at 10,000 before the gold started to peter out by 1857. A fire destroyed most of the town that year and most of its inhabitants packed up and moved to more successful mines elsewhere in the county.

The town was only saved by the construction of State Route 49, which went through it, in 1920.


Ed's Camp, Arizona

Ed's Camp is in Mohave County, Arizona about 21 miles west of Kingman and 7 miles east of Oatman on Historic Route 66. Google Map

Ed's Camp, Arizona

Ed's Camp was established around 1920, by Ed Edgerton. Ed originally came to the area as a miner in 1917 and it didn't take him long to realize that the real gold could be found servicing the Route 66 traveler.





He established his camp around 1919 and business was so good he never got around to building a proper building, he just threw up a roof to provide some measure of protection from the hot desert sun and Ed's Camp was born. Today the camp is deserted.

Auto Camps

The first campgrounds for automobile tourists were constructed in the late 1910s. Before that, tourists who couldn't afford to stay in a hotel either slept in their cars or pitched their tents in fields alongside the road. Auto camps predated motels by a few years, established in the 1920s as primitive municipal camp sites where travelers pitched their own tents. Auto tourists adapted their cars by adding beds, makeshift kitchens and roof decks.

The next step up was the cabin camp, a primitive but permanent group of structures. As demand increased, for-profit commercial camps gradually displaced public camp grounds. During the Great Depression, landholders facing onto highways built cabins to convert unprofitable land to income.


Elkhorn, Montana

Elkhorn is a living ghost town and State Park in the Elkhorn Mountains, Jefferson County, Montana about 18 miles from Boulder – east on hwy 89 then north on Elkhorn Road. Google Map

Elkhorn, Montana 1908

Lodes of silver, were initially discovered in the Elkhorn mountains by Peter Wys, a Swiss immigrant. Six years later, Anton Holter, a pioneer capitalist from Helena, Montana, began developing the mine.


Over $14 million in silver was carried from the mine. In 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act passed, creating a high demand for Elkhorn's silver.

Fraternity Hall 1963



Fraternity Hall

In May, 1893 the Fraternity Hall was constructed for social gatherings, and still remains as one of the most well-preserved buildings in Elkhorn. Lodge meetings were held upstairs, while dances, concerts, traveling theatrical troupes, and public meetings were held on the first floor.







During this peak period, Elkhorn boasted 2,500 inhabitants, a school, hotel, church, stores, saloons, and brothels. Unlike most mining towns, Elkhorn was populated mostly by married European immigrants. A diphtheria epidemic also struck Elkhorn in the winter of 1888-1889, resulting in many deaths, particularly of children.

In the years following, the silver boom and Elkhorn's prosperity began to lessen as the desire for silver decreased. Railroad service to Elkhorn was halted and only a fraction of the original inhabitants remained. Today, one acre of Elkhorn is protected as a Montana state park, surrounded by private land along with some homes and cabins still in use.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Fraternity Hall Apr 3, 1975
#75001084		 1875-1899 Social, Clubhouse, Architecture


Ely, Nevada

Ely is a living ghost town (population approximately 4,000), the largest city and county seat in White Pine County, Nevada. It is about 153 miles west of Delta, Utah – on hwy 50. Google Map

Ely Mercantile 1906


Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. It's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906.




Ely suffered through the boom-and-bust cycles so common in the mining towns of the West.

Ely is now a tourism center, and is home of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. Nearby are Great Basin National Park, Cave Lake State Park, and Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park. The railroad museum features the Ghost Train of Old Ely, a working steam-engine passenger train that travels the historic tracks from Ely to the Robinson mining district.

Hotel Nevada - 1946

Hotel Nevada

Built in 1929, this six-story hotel remains in its original glory, with modern amenities added. The hotel was originally founded during the Prohibition era in 1929 and was deemed the tallest building in the state in the 1940s.

Today, the historic hotel and gambling hall features 67 updated rooms and suites, the only 24-hour restaurant in Ely, a full service bar, event facilities with full catering services, and a selection of popular slot games.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Capital Theater Aug 5, 1993
#93000692		 1900-1924 Entertainment, Recreation, Architecture
Central Theater Aug 5, 1993
#93000691		 1925-1949 Entertainment, Recreation, Architecture
City Hall & Fire Station Feb 5, 2018
#100002071		 1928-1967 Politics, Government, Architecture
Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Depot Apr 12, 1984
#84002082		 1900-1925 Industry, Commerce, Transportation, Architecture
Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Yards and Shops
 July 29. 1993
#93000693		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Industry, Commerce, Transportation, Architecture
L.D.S. Stake Tabernacle July 29. 1993
#93000685		 1925-1949 Architecture, Engineering Event
US Post Office Oct 7, 2005
#05001122		 1925-1949 Politics, Government, Architecture
White Pine County Courthouse Sept 11, 1986
#86001958		 1900-1924 Architecture

Essex, California

Essex is located in San Bernardino County, California about 47 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Essex was one of a string of alphabetically named railroad stations (Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner, Goffs) that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Wayside Camp, Cafe and Store - Essex 1932
Burton Frasher Collection

Essex, a former oasis and auto camp along historic Route 66 in California, was allegedly founded when a motorist suffered a flat tire only to discover there were no garages for miles.




Essex was notable along Route 66 for providing free water to travelers, thanks to a well installed by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Once a bustling roadside hub, Essex is on the verge of joining the list of ghost towns displaced by the creation of Interstate 40. Essex Elementary School founded in 1937 is currently closed. The Post Office remains open.

Camp Essex

Camp Essex was a subcamp of the US Army's Desert Training Center in San Bernardino County, located near Historic Route 66 and the Santa Fe Railway. The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young. This is where General George S. Patton's 3rd Armored Division was stationed. The site of Camp Essex is located near the Fenner Rest Area on Interstate 40 and Route 66, 32 miles west of Needles. Camp Essex was a temporary camp for incoming and outgoing troops.

There was an air strip near Camp Essex to support training activities. The runway was two 4,500 feet long runs made of steel landing mats with 6 parking pads at each end of the runway. The runway ran north-south, parallel to the old U.S. Route 66.


Eureka Mine, Death Valley, California

Eureka Mine is in Death Valley National Park. From hwy 190 turn south on Emigrant Canyon Road about 12 miles then east on Aguereberry Point Road. Google Map

Eureka Mine is only a couple of miles up a dirt road - one very dusty dirt road! There isn't too much to see, but still worth the side trip.

Eureka Mine - Historical Marker Database

Pete Aguereberry, one of the original strike finders, spent 40 years working his claims in the Eureka gold mine. A tent city grew to support a population of 300. Today nothing remains of the town but Pete’s home and the mine.




Eureka, Nevada

Eureka is a "living ghost town" and county seat of Eureka County, Nevada. Eureka in on U.S. Route 50, known as the "Loneliest Road in America about 77 miles west of Ely, Nevada. Google Map

With a population of 414 as of the 2020 United States census, it is the second-largest community in Eureka County.

The town was first settled in 1864 by a group of silver prospectors from nearby Austin. The city rapidly grew throughout the 1870s and became the county seat in 1873. The Eureka Post Office opened in January 1870. In July, the Eureka Sentinel began publication. By 1875, Eureka had become a major hub for stagecoaches to many other mining towns in rural, Northeastern Nevada.

Eureka 1880s

In 1878, the town's population had reached 9,000 (the second largest in Nevada at the time), and there were many casinos, saloons, and other businesses. However, production began to slow in 1880, and the population significantly dropped.



In the mines, water was discovered so expensive pumps were required to continue mining activities. Silver prices dropped in 1890 and the smelters for ores closed.

The town was serviced by the narrow gauge Eureka and Palisade Railroad from 1873 to 1938.

Many historical buildings remain including the Eureka Opera House (built in 1880 and restored in 1993), Raine’s Market and Wildlife Museum (built 1887), the Jackson House Hotel (built 1877), and the Eureka Sentinel Museum (housed in the 1879 Eureka Sentinel Newspaper Building).

Eureka Opera house



Eureka Opera House

Eureka Opera House was built in 1880. It has remained an important center of town activities. The structure was fully restored in 1993. The opera house is the centerpiece of the historic downtown district in Eureka.







National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Eureka Historic District Apr 13, 1973
#73001078		 1850-1874 Architecture/Engineering, Art, European, Asian, Funerary, Cemetery

Fairbank, Arizona

Fairbank is located in Cochise County, Arizona in a lush valley on the San Pedro River. It is about 8 miles from Tombstone – north on hwy 80 and west on hwy 82. Google Map

Fairbank, Arizona - 1890



Fairbank, founded in the 1880s, was originally called Junction City, Kendall, and then Fairbank after Chicago investor Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank.



During Fairbank's short heyday the town was home to a post office, established on May 13th, 1883, mills, several rail lines, a school and a hotel. By 1970 almost nothing was left at Fairbank.

On February 15, 1900, Fairbank was the scene of a gunfight between lawman Jeff Davis Milton and members of the Burt Alvord gang, resulting in gang member "Three Fingered Jack" Dunlop being killed, and both Milton and gang member Bravo Juan Yaos being wounded, and the gangs attempt at a train robbery being thwarted.

The last few residents were evicted when the buildings were declared unsafe. An effort to preserve the remains of Fairbank has been only partially successful. Some buildings remain at the site, but several are in extremely poor condition. In 1986 The largest remaining structure, a hotel, collapsed in 2004.

Bureau of Land Management

In 1986, the former Mexican Land Grant was acquired by the Bureau of Land Management and the town was incorporated into the San Pedro Riparian NCA. The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (NCA) contains nearly 57,000 acres of public land in Cochise County, Arizona, between the international border and St. David, Arizona.

What remains of the town of Fairbank is now open to the public. In March 2007, the BLM restoration of the schoolhouse was completed, and the structure was opened to the public as a museum and information center for Fairbank.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Quiburi, also known as Santa Cruz de Terrenate, Santa Ana del Quiburi, San Pablo de Q Apr 7, 1971
#71000110		 1499-1000AD
1749-1500AD
1750-1799		 Defense, Domestic Fortification, Village Site

Faust Pony Express Station, Utah

Faust is located in Tooele County, Utah about about 30 miles south of Tooele and 5 miles north of Vernon on Utah Route 36 at the crossing with Pony Express Trail Road. Google Map

Faust Station Historical Marker

Faust Station was operated by Henry J. Faust who was a native of Germany. He went to California from Missouri with the 1849 Gold Rush returning to Utah in 1851. In 1860 he accepted a position as a station manager and part-time rider with the Pony Express.




He and his wife survived a narrow escape with Indians while living at Faust. In 1870 Henry packed up and moved to Salt Lake City where he engaged in the livery stable business.

Pony Express National Historic Trail

On August 3, 1992, George H. W. Bush signed legislation authorizing the Pony Express to be added to the National Trails System. The Pony Express National Historic Trail is administered by the National Park Service. Featured on the Pony Express National Historic Trail’s official trail logo is a rider on horseback, with the iconic mochila placed over the saddle.


Fenner, California

Fenner is located in San Bernardino County, California about 40 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Fenner, California 1920s

Fenner was established in 1883 as part of a series of railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.




Situate along the National Old Trails Road and the famous Route 66, it later became a motorist stop.

Fenner was bypassed by the opening of I-40 in 1973 but it's proximity at the Junction of I-40 and National Trail Highway saved Fenner from total destruction. Today Fenner, though not a thriving town, is a refreshing gas station, truck stop, and oasis for travelers along I-40.


Fort Apache, Arizona

Apache Historic District is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Navajo County four miles south of Whiteriver, Arizona, off Arizona 73. Google Map

Constructed between 1874 and 1932, the Fort Apache Historic District encompasses the original site of the Fort Apache military post.

Adjutant’s Office and Telegraph Office

Fort Apache was a major outpost during the Apache wars (1861-1886) and remained a military post until 1922. In 1923 the fort became the site of the Theodore Roosevelt Indian School.


The district contains over 30 structures, ranging from a reconstruction of an early log building to original two-story dormitories. Also included are a headquarters building, sleeping quarters, corrals, storehouses, a guardhouse, a magazine, stables, an old military cemetery and prehistoric ruins.

The area is still being used as a central community hub with school and post office. Twenty seven historic buildings make up the core of the 288 acre site.

Theodore Roosevelt Indian School

The federal government has designated the Theodore Roosevelt School in Fort Apache, Arizona, as a national historic landmark. The school represents a shady chapter of American history between the U.S. government and Indian tribes.

Theodore Roosevelt Indian School


The Theodore Roosevelt School was one of 14 U.S. Army forts redeveloped as a boarding school that sought to assimilate American Indians. Many experiences included trauma and abuse.


Less than a century ago, teachers used severe methods to essentially erase Native language and culture from Indian children.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Fort Apache Historic District Oct 14, 1976
#76000377		 1875-1899
1925-1949
1975-2000		 Defense, Domestic, Education, Heath Care, Hospital, Military, School

Fort Steele, B.C.

Fort Steele is a Heritage Town located located in the East Kootenay Region of British Columbia about 11 miles north east of Cranbrook on hwy 95. Google Map

A heritage site is a location designated by the governing body of a township, county, province, state or country as important to the cultural heritage of a community.

Fort Steele, B.C.


Fort Steele was never a real fort. It was a gold rush boom town founded in 1864 by John Galbraith. The town was originally called "Galbraith's Ferry",  named after the ferry over the Kootenay River.


The town was renamed Fort Steele in 1888, after legendary Canadian lawman Superintendent Sam Steele of the North-West Mounted Police solved a dispute between a settler who had unjustly accused one of the local First Nations men with murder. Both the town and the First Nations people were so grateful that they renamed the town Fort Steele.

The Canadian Pacific Railway bypassed Fort Steele in favour of Cranbrook. Fort Steele's population dropped quickly as residents moved to Cranbrook. The site slowly started to decay. In 1967, Fort Steele was designated a historic site and restoration began. In 1969 Fort Steele opened to the public as Fort Steele Heritage Town.


Fountain Springs, California

Fountain Springs was established in Tulare County before 1855, at the junction of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road and the road to the Kern River gold mines. Google Map

Butterfield Overland Stage

From 1858 to 1861, Fountain Springs was a station on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. The site of the settlement was on the Springville Stage Route. Fountain Springs is California Historical Landmark No. 648.




Butterfield Overland Mail was a stagecoach service operating from 1858 to 1861. It carried passengers and U.S. Mail from Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco. The routes met at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and then continued through Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, and California ending in San Francisco.


Freeman Junction, California

Freeman Junction is a ghost town in Kern County, California, at the junction of California Routes 14 and 178. Google Map

In 1834 explorer Joseph R. Walker passed this junction of Indian trails after crossing the Sierra Nevada via Walker Pass. In the winter of 1849–50, forty-niner parties, en route to the California gold fields, passed through here after escaping from Death Valley.


In 1873 or early 1874, Freeman S. Raymond, an original forty-niner, bought or built a stagecoach station here, at the junction of the Walker Pass road (the route of modern California 178) and the road to Los Angeles (now replaced by California State Route 14).


Both roads carried traffic to and from the mines then in the area. The Walker Pass road led to the Kern River mines, while the Los Angeles road continued further north and east to the mines at Cerro Gordo, the Panamints, and later Darwin and Bodie, California.

By June 1976 the town had died and the remains of the town have been removed by passersby.


Frisco, Utah

Frisco is in Beaver County, Utah about 45 miles from Beaver – west on hwy 21. Google Map

S.N. Slaughter General Store

Frisco developed as the post office and commercial center for the San Francisco Mining District, and was the terminus of the Utah Southern Railroad extension from Milford. The Horn Silver mine was discovered in 1875, and had produced $20,267,078.00 worth of ore by 1910.


By 1885 over $60,000,000.00 worth of zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold had been transported from Frisco from the many mines in the area. With 23 saloons, Frisco was known as the wildest town (of course - they all are) in the Great Basin. Killings were common. Drinking water had to be freighted in.

Frisco's fortunes changed suddenly on February 13, 1885, when the Horn Silver Mine caved in completely. It was an unconventional mine, an open pit 900 feet deep braced with timbers, and could have collapsed at any time. In 1905 a Latter Day Saint ward was organized, but in 1911 with the closing of many of the mines, so many church members had left that the ward was discontinued.

Frisco Charcoal Kilns

The Frisco Charcoal Kilns are remnants of silver mining in the Utah ghost town of Frisco. They remain as a visual documentation of the state's mining history

Frisco Charcoal Kilns


Smelting is the process of extracting metal from ore. Charcoal-fueled smelting in both pits and kilns had been used in Utah since at least 1872. Overall, there were 36 beehive-shaped smelting kilns operating in the district.




The five granite beehive-shaped charcoal smelting kilns that have survived in Frisco were created between 1877 and 1880 for $500-$1000 apiece. Each kiln varies in size anywhere from 16 to 32 feet in diameter.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Frisco Charcoal Kilns Mar 9, 1982
#82004793		 1875-1899
 Industry-Processing-Extraction, Manufacturing Facility

Fruita, Utah

Fruita is in Capital Reef National Park in Wayne County, Utah about 11 miles from Torrey – east on hwy 24. Google Map

Fruita was abandoned in 1955 when the National Park Service purchased the town to be included in Capitol Reef National Park.

Fruita, Utah - 1935


Today, Fruita is a semi-preserved and well-managed historic district, maintained by the National Park Service.  The historic district contains cabins, barns, the one-room schoolhouse and, the orchards.


Fruita Petroglyphs


Petroglyphs

Very impressive petroglyph figures can be seen along a sheer cliff that parallels Hwy 24. The figures cover several rock panels and the diversity of images is astonishing. 



A parking turnout, boardwalks, and viewing platforms have been established to make it easy for visitors to see the figures.

Fruita One Room Schoolhouse

Fruita Schoolhouse

The one-room schoolhouse was built in 1896 and renovated in 1966 by the National Park Service. The students were instructed mainly in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The room was also used for social functions and religious services.


On the Edge of Lawfulness

Of all the places in Utah for Mormons to create a community, Fruita might be one of the most difficult. Fronted by thousands of miles of desert, along a wild river prone to serious flooding, and in an area so remote that paved roads did not arrive until the 1960s, it is perhaps of little wonder Fruita, for most of its life, was home to no more than eight to 10 families.

Fruita operated on the fringe of Mormon social culture. Fruita never had a church, and moonshining was not uncommon.

Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch 1900


Polygamists running from federal agents often found shelter in the nearby maze of canyons and were aided by sympathetic locals. Butch Cassidy had maintained a hideout nearby as well.





Though it never comprised more than 300 acres, Fruita, originally called Junction, became an important settlement due to its relatively long growing season and abundant water. Settlers arrived in Fruita and planted thousands of trees bearing apples, apricots, peaches, pears, plums as well as walnuts and almonds.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Fruita Rural Historic District (also known as Junction) Mar 25, 1997
#97000246		 1875-1899
1900-1924
1925-1949		 Agriculture-Subsistence, Domestic, Government, Agricultural Fields, Government Office, Horticulture Facility, Processing, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
Fruita Schoolhouse Feb 23, 1972
#72000098		 1875-1899
1900-1924
1925-1949		 Educations, School
Oyler Mine Sep 14, 1999
#9900192		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
 Industry-Processing-Extraction, Extractive Facility
Pioneer Register Sep 13, 1999
#99001097		 1850-1874
1875-1899
1900-1924
1925-1949		 Exploration, Settlement, Social History, Communications


Garnet, Montana

Garnet is located in Granite County, Montana about 41 miles from Missoula – east on hwy 200 and at the 22 mile marker south on Garnet Range Road. Garnet can also be reached from I-90 – 10 miles north on Bear Gulch Road. Google Map

Garnet MT 1898

Garnet is one of the state's best preserved ghost towns. The town sits at an elevation of about 6,000 feet in the Front Range, but sheltered in a forest. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Garnet Preservation Association.



Garnet was named for the semi-precious ruby-colored stone, the first item to be mined there, although gold quickly followed. It wasn't until an abundance of gold was discovered at the Nancy Hanks Mine in 1898 that Garnet became a boomtown with a population of nearly 1,000 people.

Garnet Miners

Garnet supported numerous saloons, but its family emphasis tempered usual mining camp vices. Hotels typically ranged from 1-3 dollars, and the poor miners who could not afford that price could sleep on the floor in the attic without any windows for a quarter.


It is suspected that Garnet even had a brothel, but prices and the exact whereabouts are uncertain. In 1912 nearly half the town burned down and was never rebuilt.

Garnet had everything - hotels, saloons, stores, a school, a Chinese laundry and barbershops. 

Kelly's Saloon

The first owner of Kelly's Saloon was Robert Moore and it was called the "Bob Moore Saloon." L.P. Kelly purchased the saloon on October 21, 1898. Part interest in the business was sold to Thomas Fraser and it became known as the "Kelly and Fraser Saloon." Fraser's interest sold a few more times but Kelly continued to operate the saloon. Kelly's Saloon was one of 13 bars in Garnet during the boom period.

Davey's Store

Frank A. Davey's Store was one of the earliest in Garnet, built about 1898. Through boom and bust, Frank A. Davey steadfastly believed in Garnet’s future. As owner of the general store, hotel, and the stage line, Davey was Garnet’s most prominent resident. His death in 1947 and the sale of his holdings in 1948 marked the beginning of Garnet as a ghost town. By 1950 the town was deserted.

Wells Hotel

The J. K. Wells Hotel was erected in the winter of 1897 and was the most impressive building in Garnet. Mrs. Wells designed it after one she owned in Beartown. With its elaborate woodwork, beautifully carved doors and stained glass windows, it was equal to the luxurious buildings in Helena. To the left was the ladies parlor, on the right stood the hotel office, and moving forward the guest would enter the grand dining room. Such events as the Grande Masquerade, the Hard Times Ball, and the St. Patrick's Day Calico Ball were held in this room.

Sand Park Cemetery

This is a small cemetery is located on the border between Missoula and Granite Counties. Sand Park Cemetery dates to 1896 when miners from Coloma, one-half mile north, and Garnet, 4 miles east, were buried at this location. The principal occupation period of these two communities was 1895 - 1910.

Who was Frank Hamilton

Who was Frank Hamilton?

"Frank Hamilton died last Tuesday and was buried in the Coloma Cemetery on Thursday, under the auspices of the Garnet Miners Union.




Deceased was about 35 years of age, but nothing is known of his antecedents, further than that. He was born in Colorado, presumably at Canon City." Drummond Call, Friday, October 6, 1905

Coloma/Bearmouth Stage Coach



Coloma/Bearmouth Stage Coach

The 12-mile trip from the mining town of Coloma to Garnet and on to Bearmouth took the better part of a day. The Silver State newspaper (Deer Lodge) hailed its completion in February, 1896, as the "cannon ball road from Coloma to Bearmouth."








National Register of Historic Places

Efforts to place Garnet on the National Register date back to 1987 when a draft nomination was submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office by BLM. That draft was returned with a request for revisions and additional information and documentation. Over the years, the nomination was worked on sporadically until finally after "a long and twisting road" it was registered.

National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Garnet Historical District Aug 12, 2010
#10000547		 1875-1899
1900-1924
1925-1949		 Exploration/Settlement, Industry, Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Engineering, Historic - Non-Aboriginal


Gilman, Montana

Gilman is living ghost town in Lewis and Clark County located 1.8 miles from Augusta on U.S. Route 287 and approximately 41 miles northwest of Wolf Creek. Google Map

Gilman, Montana, was a short-lived but historically significant turn-of-the-century town near Augusta, centered around the F.M. Mack General Store, a key community hub built in 1912 that was later moved to Augusta. While mining was crucial in Montana's history, Gilman's distinct legacy involves the general store, symbolizing early western commerce, rather than major mining.

The Great Northern Railway founded Gilman, Montana, to be a center for homesteaders who had moved to central Montana to farm. The town reached its peak in a few years with a population of about 1400. In 1913, the town petitioned Lewis & Clark County for a school district, and operated School District No. 31 beginning that year. There were 58 children in attendance in 1916.

Difficult agricultural and economic conditions in the early 1920s meant that the town did not prosper. By the mid-1920s, the town ceased to exist as its occupants moved away, taking most of the buildings to nearby Augusta, Montana.

Augusta and Gilman

In 1912, the Great Northern Railway announced plans to build a branch line westward from Great Falls into this area. Instead of extending the line to Augusta, the railroad established a station and community near here and named it Gilman. Many people abandoned Augusta and moved to Gilman.

Businesses, including the bank, also relocated to Gilman, precipitating a decade-long feud between the two communities. Even though Gilman flourished, Augusta stuck it out and refused to die. By 1923, draught, hard times, and the extension of the railroad to Augusta, caused the Gilman State Bank to close and the town to fade away.

F.M. Mack General Store


F.M. Mack General Store

Forrest M. Mack and partner Alfred Strode built the F.M. Mack General Store building in 1912 in the now-defunct town of Gilman.



That year, the Great Northern Railway had founded Gilman as the western terminus of a branch line from Great Falls, bypassing Augusta. A spur to Augusta was completed in 1922. The building was moved to Augusta in 1925.

Many buildings in Gilman were physically relocated to Augusta. All that remains of Gilman are concrete sidewalks and the bank building which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Gilman State Bank

Gilman State Bank

Gilman State Bank was founded in 1910 in Gilman, Montana when the Great Northern Railway founded Gilman to be a center for homesteaders who had moved to central Montana to farm.


However, difficult conditions in the early 1920s meant that the bank did not prosper. It had made agricultural loans to farmers who could not repay them. In 1923 the bank  closed its doors and went into receivership. Soon after, the town ceased to exist as its occupants moved away, taking most of the buildings to Augusta.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Gilman State Bank Dec 1, 1983
#83003993		 1900-1924 Architecture, Engineering, Commerce, Trade, Financial Institution
F.M. Mack General Store also known as Augusta Mercantile, The Mack Apr 12, 2021
#100006367		 1912 - Present Architecture, Commerce


Goffs, California

Goffs is located in San Bernardino County, California about 30 miles west of Needles on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Goffs, established in 1893, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Gofffs was established as part of a series of alphabetically named railroad stations (Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner, and Goffs) that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.



Goffs was a stop on famous U.S. Route 66 until 1931 when a more direct road opened between Needles and Essex. Goffs was also home to workers of the nearby Santa Fe Railroad.


Goffs Schoolhouse 1914



Goffs Schoolhouse

The first school in Goffs opened its doors for the fall term in 1911. A new school, featuring a distinctive mission style, was designed and constructed in 1914.



The new school house served as a community center as well as a school until the spring of 1937. It reverted to private ownership in 1938.

Camp Goffs 1943





WWII Army Camp at Goffs

The U. S. Army maintained a camp at Goffs 1942-1944. Goffs was an important railhead, supply point, hospital, and for three months in 1942 Headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division. It was part of the 12 million acre Desert Training Center/California-Arizona Maneuver Area established to train the armored forces of General George Patton.





National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Goffs Schoolhouse Oct 11, 2001
#01001102		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Education, Military, Social History

Goldfield, Arizona

Goldfield is a preserved and re-created ghost town located in Pinal County, Arizona about 5 miles east of Apache Junction on Apache Trail Historic Road Hwy 88 Arizona. The Apache Trail was was an old stagecoach route that shuttled in supplies for Roosevelt Dam’s construction in the early 1900s. Google Map

Superstition Mountains

Situated atop a small hill between the Superstition Mountains and the Goldfield Mountains, the settlement of Goldfield got its start in 1892 when very rich, high grade gold ore was found in the area.


 A town soon sprang up and on October 7, 1893 it received its first official post office.

The strike, coupled with the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, which had been circulating for years, led plenty of new miners to the area and in no time, the town boasted three saloons, a boarding house, a general store, brewery, blacksmith shop, butcher shop, and a school. For five years the town boomed.

Mammoth Saloon

Today, Goldfield's authentic looking street is filled with authentic looking buildings include numerous shops, a brothel, bakery, leather works, jail, livery and saloon.






Goldfield, Nevada

Goldfield is a living ghost town and the county seat in Esmeralda County, Nevada – on hwy 95 about 27 miles south of Tonopah, 190 miles north of Las Vegas, and 240 miles south of Carson City. Google Map

Goldfield, Nevada 1903



Goldfield was a boomtown in the first decade of the 20th century due to the discovery of gold. For several years it was the largest town in Nevada reaching a peak population of about 20,000 people in 1907.



Between 1903 and 1940, Goldfield's mines produced more than $86 million. Gold exploration still continues in and around the town today.




Virgil Walter Earp
(July 18, 1843 - October 19, 1905)

One of Goldfield's famous former residents is Virgil Earp. Virgil was hired as a deputy sheriff in Goldfield on January 26, 1905. He died of pneumonia in October 1905. Contrary to modern belief, Wyatt Earp did not live in Goldfield. His only connection was to visit his brother Virgil.




The largest mining company left town in 1919. In 1923 a fire destroyed most of the town's flammable buildings. The old hotel and high school survived the fire. By the 1910 census, Goldfield's population had declined to 4,838 and in 1950 it had a population of 275. While a small permanent population remains in Goldfield, it is largely a ghost town.

Goldfield Hotel - 1934
Burton Frasher Collection


Goldfield Hotel

The town's four-story Goldfield Hotel opened in 1908 at a cost of $450,000. The rooms were outfitted with pile carpets.





The lobby boasted mahogany, leather, crystal chandeliers, and gilded columns. It also featured an elevator. The hotel ceased operations in 1946 but the abandoned building remains intact.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Goldfield Historic District Jun 14, 1982
#82003213		 1900-1924 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Government, Courthouse, Professional, Single Dwelling

Goldroad, Arizona

Goldroad is located in Mohave County about 3 miles east of Oatman, Arizona on Route 66. Google Map

Gold Road Mine was discovered in 1899 by prospector Jose Jerez. He was looking for his burro when he stumbled over a chunk of quartz that contained gold. With the help of his friend Henry Lovin of Kingman, Jose dug a 15-foot deep shaft, and the Gold Road Mine was born. Gold Road Mine has been in production off and on ever since.

Goldroad, Arizona 1906

The mine has gone through the hands of a number of different owners. Gold Road Mining and Exploration Company sold the mine to United States Smelting Refining and Mining Co. in 1911. Goldroad turned into a "company town".


One of the original owners, Henry Lovin, stayed in the are and founded the Goldroad Club and a general merchandise and freighting company. Goldroad's post office was established April 15, 1902 and discontinued October 15, 1942. At one time there were over 400 people living at Goldroad. Today, there are only foundations.


Grand Gulf, Mississippi

Grand Gulf is located in Claiborne County about 5 miles northwest of of Port Gibson on Grand Gulch Road. Google Map

Grand Gulf grew as a trading center between the cotton fields of the South and textile mills of the North. The community of Grand Gulf was incorporated in 1833. By 1854, Grand Gulf was home to almost 1,000 citizens.

It had two churches, a town hall, a hospital, theater, cotton press, saw mill, grist mill, several schools, two large hotels, and two weekly newspapers. By reason of its location on the Mississippi River, it was a commercial point of great importance. The town was twice destroyed by fire and twice rebuilt."

After the Civil War, Grand Gulf's population continued to decline. The Mississippi River slowly shifted westward and the town soon became landlocked. By 1900, Grand Gulf had a population of 150. By 1937 it was "not much more than a name.

Battle of Grand Gulf - 1863

Grand Gulf Military State Park

Grand Gulf Military State Park is located in the unincorporated area that is now the ghost town of Grand Gulf.



The Battle of Grand Gulf

The Battle of Grand Gulf was fought on April 29, 1863, during the American Civil War. In the Vicksburg Campaign of Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Union Naval Forces under Rear Admiral David D. Porter led seven ironclads in an attack on the Confederate fortifications and batteries at Grand Gulf, down river from Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Although the Confederates withstood the Union bombardment and prevented infantry from landing against their fortification, the defeat was only a minor setback to Grant's plan to cross the Mississippi River and advance against Vicksburg.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (also known as Confederate Memorial Chapel Nov 23, 1987
#73002241		 1850-1874 Religion, Religious Structure
Grand Gulf Military State Park Apr 11, 1972
#72000689		 1850-1874 Military, Social, Clubhouse, Park

Grasmere, Idaho

Grasmere is in Owyhee County along Hwy 51 and is still marked on the map. It actually has an airport - but no residents. There is even a sign that says "Entering Grasmere". Google Map

"Grasmere used to be the only gas station and cafe on the road between Bruneau and Owyhee, NV. A couple of years ago, however, the owners, deciding it was unprofitable to maintain their desert oasis, decided to place the town up for sale. As of Feb. 2005 it remains closed and is rapidly disintegrating into the desert. It remains for sale, but with no buyers in sight, I imagine it will soon be completely gone." Tina DuBois

Grasmere, Idaho 2014


The area is now occupied by a remote US Air Force station manned by active duty airmen from the nearby Mountain Home Air Force Base and Idaho Air National Guard airmen from Gowen Field in Boise.





Hackberry, Arizona

Hackberry is a living ghost town located in Mohave County, Arizona 28 miles east of Kingman on old Route 66. Google Map

It has a post office which serves 68 residential mailboxes. A former mining town, the name "Hackberry" was from the pellets or mattings that gathered on the cattle's long hair, probably caused from burrs picked up from bushes in the area. Silver mining developed the town, but when the ore began to yield less Hackberry became a ghost town.

Hackberry, AZ
Various service stations in Hackberry served Route 66 travelers but all were shut down after Interstate 40 in bypassed the town leaving Hackberry stranded sixteen miles from the new highway. Hackberry Road would not even be given an off-ramp.


Hackberry almost became a ghost town again, but members of the Grigg family have lived there since the 1890s and continue to live there. Six generations of the Grigg family are buried in the Hackberry cemetery.

In 1992, itinerant artist Bob Waldmire re-opened the Hackberry General Store as a Route 66 tourism information post and souvenir shop on the former Northside Grocery site.

Waldmire sold the store to John and Kerry Pritchard in 1998.The store remains in operation with a collection of vintage cars from the heyday of U.S. Route 66 in Arizona.


Hedley, British Columbia

Hedley, named after Robert R. Hedley, the manager of the Hall Smelter in Nelson, is located at the foot of Nickel Plate Mountain in the Similkameen about 29 km north of Keremeos, British Columbia, on hwy 3. Google Map

Gold was first discovered in the Nickel Plate Mountain area in 1897. The town was named after Robert R. Hedley, a manager of a smelter in Nelson.

Hedley BC 1900s


At its peak in the early 1900s, Hedley was a bustling hub with a population of over 1,000 people and several hotels, processing millions of ounces of gold from mines like the Nickel Plate Mine and the Mascot Mine.




Hedley Mascot Mine

The Hedley Mascot Mine operated between 1936 and 1949 and was one of the most unusual mining operations in the world, being built entirely on the side of a mountain, 5,000 feet above the town of Hedley.

Hedley Mine


In the 1990s, the British Columbia government was going to burn the site down because it posed a safety risk, but the Minister of Tourism at the time intervened.





In 1995, steps were taken to preserve the site as a Provincial Heritage resource. The buildings were stabilized and rehabilitated over an eight-year period, and, in 2004, the site was open for tours.


Hite City, Utah

Hite City is located "under" Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, Garfield County, Utah on hwy 95 about 59 miles south of Hanksville. Google Map

Lewis Cass Hite, born March 3, l845 in Marion, Illinois, had been prospecting in the Navajo Mountain country. He arrived in Glen Canyon in September, 1883. He was a former member of Quantrill's Civil War guerrillas, and was considered an outlaw. Navajo Chief Hoskininni led Cass to the gold in the sands and gravel along the Colorado River. His discovery set off the Glen Canyon gold rush.

Hite Ferry - 1946

Hite Crossing

Hite Crossing, located near the mouth of the Dirty Devil River, was an early Colorado River outpost anciently used by the Indians as a Colorado River crossing.




The early whites called this Colorado River crossing the Dandy Crossing because it was relatively easy to get across.

In 1881-83 a small settlement was established, centered around the ferry, and Hite's name became attached to it. Hite opened a small store and post office. Miners provided much of the business for Hite. After World War II, the population swelled to more than 200. The ferry was discontinued June 5th, 1964 when the Glen Canyon Dam was built and Lake Powell swallowed up Hite.


Ilasco Ghost Town, Missouri

Ilasco is located in Ralls County about 4 miles southeast of Hannibal on Highway 79. Google Map

Ilasco was created in 1903. Large numbers of Romanian, Slovak, Italian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Polish Croatian and other immigrants joined native-born residents drawn here by jobs at the Atlas Portland Cement Plant. Ilasco through its churches, schools, folklore, languages, fraternal societies, cuisines and daily life, left a rich working-class cultural heritage that made it unique in Missouri.

Ilasco, Missouri 1910

The community's name is an acronym for some of the cement manufacturing ingredients (Iron, Lime, Aluminum, Silica, Calcium and Oxygen). Ilasco was converted into a company town in 1921 and dissolved in 1963.


By 1909 there were 3000 residents and 8 saloons which led to heavy drinking, disagreement, violence and fights. Of necessity, a escape proof cement jail was built.

The only things remaining in the townsite are two active churches (Methodist and Catholic), the non-operating grocery store and the old cement jail. The Methodist Church had beautiful stained glass windows.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Ilasco Historic District June 7, 2016
#16000343		 1900-1924
 Pauley Jail Building Company, Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Co.

Jacksonville, California

Jacksonville, California, was a historic mining town in Tuolumne County approximately 4 miles from Chinese Camp. The Town is now completely submerged under the Don Pedro Reservoir formed in 1924. Google Map

Jacksonville, CA 1855

Founded by Julian Smart in 1849 and named for Colonel A.M. Jackson, it quickly became was a bustling center for miners working the Tuolumne River. The town was a center for both placer and lode mining, with the district having rich deposits.

In 1852 a US post office opened with a population of 252. The largest mine in the region was the Eagle-Shawmut mine.

The site of Jacksonville, California was listed as a California Historical Landmark No. 419 on February 28, 1949.



Jerome, Arizona

Jerome is a living ghost town in the Black Hills of Yavapai County, Arizona on hwy 89A - about 9 miles west of Cottonwood and 35 miles east of Prescott. Google Map

A mining town named Jerome was established on the side of Cleopatra Hill in 1883. It was named for Eugene Murray Jerome, a New York investor who owned the mineral rights and financed mining there. Jerome was incorporated as a town on March 8, 1889. The town housed the workers in the nearby United Verde Mine, which was to produce over 1 billion dollars in copper, gold and silver over the next 70 years.

Jerome, Arizona 1915


This little town is unique in the fact it precariously sits on the side of the mountain and the streets are on different levels all the way up. The road curves and winds for miles and then back down to the desert floor again.



The streets are extremely narrow and the doors to shops and homes are basically at the edge of the streets. The view is spectacular.

Supported in its heyday by rich copper mines, it now has art galleries, coffee houses, restaurants, a state park and local museum devoted to mining history. In the 1920's Jerome was home to more than 10,000 people. As of the 2020 census, its population was 464.

Brothel - Jerome, Arizona 1898




A Wild West Town

Jerome became a notorious "wild west" town, a hotbed of prostitution, gambling, and vice. On February 5, 1903, the New York Sun proclaimed Jerome to be "the wickedest town in the West". (Funny that every town seems to claim this - I guess because they all were!!)




When you think about it though, where would the romance be if they claimed that their town was completely law abiding, everyone was totally moral, and their one and only claim to fame was being the most boring town in the old west!!



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Jerome Historic District
 Nov 13, 1966
#66000196		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Domestic, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Extractive Facility, Institutional Housing
Mingus Lookout Complex
 Jan 28, 1988
#87002490		 1925-1949 Conservation, Politics, Government, Architectural

Laurin, Montana

Laurin is a living Ghost Town located in Madison County, Montana about 9 miles west of Virginia City on hwy 287. Google Map

Laurin, Montana

Laurin (previously known as Cicero) was established in July of 1863 by John Baptiste Laurin, who operated a trading store and had acquired much of the surrounding agricultural land.




He and his wife operated the mercantile and ranched in the area for almost four decades. Laurin was a busy and prosperous community. The town included several stores, a post office, churches, a milliner shop, hotel, livery stable, saloon, dance hall, and an ice cream parlor. Laurin was a large trade center for miners and fur trappers in the immediate vicinity and it was home to a railroad station on the Northern Pacific line between Sheridan and Alder.

Today, Laurin still boasts several historic buildings including the old schoolhouse, which is now a private residence, the old Morse Bros. Mercantile, and the 1901 St. Mary Assumption Church.

Montana Vigilantes

Laurin is most known for Hangman's Tree, the place where two Road Agents, Erastus "Red” Yager and George Brown, were the first to be hanged on January 4, 1864 by the Montana Vigilantes formed December 22, 1863. The Vigilantes hung Sheriff Henry Plummer in Bannack on January 10th, 1864. Estimates vary, but it is believed that possibly 35 people were killed due to the actions of the Montana Vigilantes.

Robber's Roost

Robber's Roost is located about 3 miles north of Laurin. Pete Daly built this two storey stagecoach station in 1866-67. Often a place of festivity, the Ranch served as a gathering place for the community while also providing an important travel link were travelers could get a meal, a bed for the night, and stagecoach operators exchanged tired horses for fresh ones.

Robber's Roost


Pete Daly sold the property in the 1890's. There is no real evidence the alleged Road Agents used the stage stop as a base for their illegal operations.




National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Robbers Roost (also known as Daly's Place) Jan 1, 1976
#76001124		 1850-1874 Domestic, Transportation, Hotel, Road-Related
Saint Mary of the Assumption Church Oct 24, 1985
#85003380 		1875-1899 Religion, Religious Structure

Lincoln, New Mexico

Lincoln is located in Lincoln County, about 57 miles west of Roswell, New Mexico on hwy 380. Google Map

Lincoln Courthouse

Originally called Las Placitas del Rio Bonito by the Spanish families who settled it in the 1850s, the name was changed to Lincoln when Lincoln County was created in January 16, 1869. The town had a population of about 800 in 1888.



Lincoln County War

Outlaws, lawmen, indians, Mexicans, settlers, gunfighters, organized crime, cattle ranchers and corrupt politicians all called Lincoln home. Lincoln and it's mixture of feuding inhabitants sparked the Lincoln County War of 1876-1879.

Billy the Kid




The town is notable for its famous residents, Billy the Kid, William Brady, Pat Garret and John Chisum, who participated in the Lincoln County War, and as the site where Billy the Kid made his most famous escape in April 1881 killing two deputies in the process. On July 14, 1881, he was tracked again by Pat Garrett to Fort Sumner, New Mexico where he was shot and killed by Garrett.








National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Lincoln Historic District Oct 15, 1966
#66000477		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
 Commerce-Trade, Defense, Domestic, Government, Battle Site, Business, City Hall, Single Dwelling

Ludlow, California

The original Ludlow is located in San Bernardino County, California about 109 miles west of Needles and 51 miles east of Barstow on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

T&T Shop Area - August 1909
Engine shop with T&T #5, #6, #7 and #8
Train Life

Ludlow's first life started in 1883 as a water stop for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The water was hauled from Newberry Springs in tank cars. Ore was found in the nearby hills, leading to a boom.




From 1906 to 1940 Ludlow was the southern railhead for the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. By 1940 mining had ceased and the entire rail line was out of service. On July 18, 1942 scrapping began at Beatty and terminated a year later at Ludlow. The town was left to die.

Ludlow Main Street 1927

Ludlow's second life came from the tourist traffic on Route 66. Ludlow was a welcome break from the intense Mojave Desert heat. Weary travelers could stop for gas or repairs, a bite to eat and lots to drink.



When I-40 was built, business dwindled and the residents departed. The town was again left to die. Empty buildings still stand beside old Route 66.

Ludlow's third life is a new Ludlow built in the 1970s just to the north at the off-ramps of I-40. With a current population of about 10 residents, Ludlow, complete with two gas stations, tire and repair shop, small motel, restaurant and fast-food café, continues it's long tradition of providing services to desert travelers.


Lund, Nevada

Lund is living ghost town in White Pine County about 207 miles north of Las Vegas on State Route 318. Google Map

Lund, named for Anthon H. Lund, was settled in 1898 on land that the United States government had given The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in lieu of land that had been confiscated under the Edmunds–Tucker Act. The first settlers were Mormons, and the LDS Church still has a ward in Lund. The population of Lund as of 2020 was 211.

The first church was built in 1903. In 1908, a more substantial 30 by 50 foot cement block church was built. The Mormon Church would become the driving force behind Lund and nearby Preston. An old bunkhouse was converted into Lund's first schoolhouse. Stores catering to local ranches opened, the most successful of them being the Lund Mercantile Company. In 1915 the Lund School District was bonded and a new concrete school constructed which was in turn replaced in 1931 by a new high school. Buildings from Lund's early years still remain.

Joseph Smith Leavitt - Circa 1902

Joseph Smith Leavitt

Photograph of Joseph Smith Leavitt and family, Lund, White Pine County, Nevada. The family is gathered in front of a tent, with wagons behind them, and in the distance, a house or a station.


Joseph Smith Leavitt (1860-1936) was born in Santa Clara, Washington County, Utah, and died in Mesquite, Clark County, Nevada . He was an early Mormon pioneer of the region.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Lund Grade School Dec 7, 2018
#100003200		 1915-1968 Education, School

Marysville, Montana

Marysville is a living ghost town in Lewis and Clark County, Montana about about 22 miles west of Helena on Birdseye Road off hwy 12. Google Map

City Meat Market 1889

In 1870 the mining town of Marysville developed around nearby Drumlummon Mine developed by a determined miner named Tommy Cruise. Christened Marysville after pioneer woman Mary Ralston, it claimed a population of nearly 4,000 people. Population is 2020 was 82.

Marysville Brewery

There were grocery stores, hotels, mercantiles, restaurants, churches, a variety of fraternal societies, an orchestra, two newspapers, a substantial schoolhouse, and two railroads. Also (as would be expected) Marysville had a brewery and 27 saloons.


The brick building, housing Masonic Lodge, Ottawa #51 and Mountain Star #130, was contracted in 1898 and is presently maintained by the Lodge. The rock-fronted structure, built in 1895, housed the J.A. Shaffer Mercantile. What remains of the wood structure was the Lush Confectionery Store.

Methodist Episcopal Church

Marysville’s Methodist Episcopal Church

Marysville’s Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1886 by its congregation on land purchased from Thomas Cruse. The church’s modest clapboard-sided frame and bell tower were erected during a period of heady growth.

Abandoned in 1939, the church was near the point of collapse when it was bought in 1967 by John and Margaret Hollow of Helena.





In the years since, the family has lovingly restored the church and many of its furnishings to their original simple grace. John's grandparents were married in the church in 1887.

Drumlummon Mine

By 1895, a severe national depression and the mining company's legal woes drifted Marysville into a slow decline. The lower levels of the Drumlummon were allowed to flood when the mine was closed in 1904 during litigation.



A fire devastated the commercial district in 1910 and the Northern Pacific Railway abandoned its line to Marysville in 1925.

History Repeats Itself

In 2010 there were new discoveries at Drumlummon Mine. Sentiment in the town was mixed regarding possible resumption of extensive mining operations. However, it was reported on April 24, 2013 that the historic mine would once again be closing on June 28, 2013.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Methodist-Episcopal Church of Marysville Jan 5, 1984
#8402489		 1875-1899 Religion, Religious Structure

Michel, British Columbia

Michel, established in 1899, is in Michel Creek Valley about 4.5 km east of Sparwood, British Columbia, on hwy 3. Google Map

Michel, and two other coal mining communities, Nathal and Middleton, separated by less than a kilometer from each other, have totally vanished. For more than seven decades the dirty, grimy, coal dust choked communities were the heart of coal mining in British Columbia's Crowsnest Pass.


Michel was established after the Crow’s Nest Coal Company opened a mine site in 1899. The town, which had almost 500 residents by 1901, was considered the commercial and social centre in the valley boasting a hospital and hotel.


With the growing success at the Michel mines, the town’s population mushroomed to 1,200 by 1907.

In 1964 the Provincial Government decided that the nearly deserted coal-blackened towns were an eyesore, and embarked on a massive restoration of the Valley. So began the relocation of residents to Sparwood, 4.5 km away. By 1971, buildings were empty, the bulldozers moved in, and all that remained of these three towns were the collieries and distinctive salmon-coloured Michel Hotel.

Michel Hotel 1940s


In September, 1997, the colliery buildings which had sat empty for more than two decades were bulldozed. The Michel Hotel didn't prosper and in time became derelict and unsafe.


Finally in June, 2011 the Michel Hotel was demolished taking with it the only remaining evidence of Michel. History was destroyed and Mother Nature has moved in to reclaim the Michel Creek Valley.


Molson, Washington

Molson is located in Okanogan County, Washington about 15 miles from Oroville– east on Chesaw Road and north on the Molson Road. Google Map

The site has been put under the protection of the Molson County Historical Society. Restorations actually began in the 1960's. The school was ready for the public by 1982 and Old Molson was ready by 1986.

Old Molson, Washington - 1906
Old Molson

Old Molson was founded in 1900 by promoter George B. Meacham, and investor John W. Molson (of the Molson beer brewing family) as a mining and townsite venture. Population peaked at 700. She was a lively Mining Camp until a farmer claimed the whole town was part of his homestead. J.H. McDonald filed for a homestead including much of the town of Molson. In 1909 McDonald enforced his homestead by publishing a notice that everyone on the property was required to depart.

New Molson

While the dispute raged, disgusted citizens founded New Molson half-a-mile north. People, businesses, the post office - everything moved to New Molson. It's railroad station, elevation 3708 feet, was the highest in the State. The original Molson faded away, but it's memories linger in the weather-worn buildings.

In it's heyday, Molson had a newspaper, general stores, movie theaters, an attorney, doctor, cafes, saloons and hotels. There were Woodmen, Grange, IOOF and Masonic Lodges as well as five churches and high school. By 1901, as the mining was failing, the population fell to 13 people. When news of a railroad being built in Molson arrived in 1905, the population rose again.

The Molson post office was established July 14, 1900, with Walter F. Schuyler as first postmaster. The post office was discontinued August 11, 1967. The school had about 120 pupils in the 1950s. It finally closed in 1962.


Murray, Idaho

Murray is an unincorporated community located in Shoshone County, Idaho approximately twenty miles north of Wallace along Dobson Pass Road. Google Map

In 1882, Spokane, Washington, had a population of just 800, and A.J. Prichard discovered gold on Prichard Creek. Word of this gold strike on a tributary of the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River spread like wildfire, and by 1885 more than 10,000 people had traveled to the gold fields in hopes of cashing in on the gold rush.

Murray Hotel 1885

Murray established itself as the central city of what was the last great mining stampede in the Lower 48, and became the Cradle City of the Coeur d'Alene Mining District.




The area right in town, lately especially behind Kris Krisofferson’s Tavern, in the surface soil, you can find nuggets to 10 ounces. Along Prichard Creek and Eagle Creek, there was some very rich placer grounds of the 1880’s, revived in the 1930’s and intermittently worked today. The South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, had many rich lead silver lode mines, with a peak production in 1911. All streams in the area produce gold.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
John C. Freehan House Aug 27, 1980
#80001334		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Domestic, Single Dwelling
Murray Courthouse Nov 14, 1978
#78001098		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Government, Courthouse
Murray Masonic Hall May 19, 1987
#87000774		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Social, Meeting Hall

Nevada City, Montana

Nevada City is in Madison County, Montana about 72 miles from Butte – south on hwy 41 and south on hwy 287. Nevada City is 1 1/2 miles from its sister city, Virginia City. Google Map



Nevada City was incorporated on February 9, 1865 and, at its peak, boasted dozens of stores, a miners' store, brewery, blacksmith, butcher, livery stable and Masonic Hall. Cabins extended back six blocks, but by 1876 only a few residents remained.


Gold dredging devoured most of the original landmarks leaving piles of tailings as big as barns. By 1920, the highway had cut the town in half.

Fourteen-Mile-City

Small settlements were so numerous and so scattered that contemporaries called the Alder Gulch area Fourteen-Mile-City. It ran the length of the gulch, and included the towns of Adobetown, Bear Town, Central City, Highland, Hungry Hollow, Junction City, Nevada City, Pine Grove French Town, Summit, and Virginia City. Nevada City and Virginia City were the main centers of commerce.

Cowrey Dredge 1900

Gold Dredges

Large gravel piles are the tailing of gold dredging operations that occurred over a 20 year period beginning in 1899. Monster dredge boats literally churned the gulch inside-out.



The tailings created huge piles of gravel where only a tangle scrub brush and stunted trees could grow. It was the final chapter in the history of placer mining in Alder Gulch.

Saved from Destruction

Nevada City was saved from total and absolute destruction through the shear determination of residents Cora and Alfred Finney who refused to sell their property. It is to their credit that the buildings on their side of the highway were were not demolished. The Finney homestead is a tribute to Nevada City's longtime caretakers who, in refusing to surrender their home, saved half the town.

Haven for Endangered Structures

Charles and Sue Bovey collected old buildings. With their acquisition of Nevada City in 1959, it became a haven for endangered structures. Over the years 14 original Nevada City structures were preserved. Today, more than 108 buildings line the streets. The outdoor historical museum includes:

Nevada City Buildings Buildings Moved to Nevada City
  • Fenner Barn
  • The Jail
  • Finney House
  • Star Bakery
  • Byam Home
  • Barbershop from Elkhorn
  • Sullivan's Saddlery from Fort Benton
  • Nevada City Hotel from Twin Bridges
  • Post Office from Iron Rod
  • Linderman Store from Sheridan

The Mysterious 3-7-77

The mysterious numbers 3-7-77, often posted on doors were used for years as a symbol of banishment in Montana. Although there are several theories, no one really knows what the numbers mean. What is certain though, is that once launched, the numbers took on a life of their own. People who had the mysterious set of numbers 3-7-77 painted on their tent or cabin knew that they had better leave the area or be on the receiving end of vigilante justice.

Over time, the numbers have lost much of their sting, but it is hard to imagine any Montanan not feeling a shiver of apprehension if he found the numbers 3-7-77 chalked on his front door or sidewalk one morning. In 1974 the mayor of Virginia City abruptly resigned after someone sent him a card marked with the numbers during a political protest.

Today the infamous symbol of the Montana Vigilantes, 3-7-77, still a complete and utter mystery to everyone, and still having the same authoritative effect, appears on the shoulder patch and car door insignia of the Montana Highway Patrol.


Vigilante Trail

The road through the valley that connected Virginia City and Bannack was the haunt of prospectors, road agents and vigilantes after gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863. The road eventually became know as the Vigilante Trail.


The Montana Vigilantes, formed December 22, 1863, became an equally admired and condemned group in Montana history. During the first five weeks of 1864, while the rest of the nation was preoccupied by the Civil War, the Vigilantes were busy creating a legend whose impact can still be felt today. A small corps of armed horsemen swept through the mining camps of the Rocky Mountain foothills in southwest Montana and hanged twenty-one troublemakers, including the rogue Bannack Sheriff, Henry Plummer.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Finney House Mar 1, 2002
#02000104		 1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Domestic, Single Dwelling
Dr. Don L. Byam House (also known as Fenner House) Mar 1, 2002
#02000103		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899
1850-1874		 Domestic, Single Dwelling

Oatman, Arizona

Oatman is a living ghost town in Mohave County, Arizona – on Historic Route 66 about 29 miles west of Kingman and 33 miles east of Needles, California . Google Map

Oatman 1900s

Oatman is truly a fascinating place basically out in the middle of nowhere. It is authentic old western town with burros roaming the streets and gunfights staged on weekends.




Oatman Burros

The burros are quite tame and can be hand fed. Oatman's burros are the descendants of the burros brought by the miners in the late 1800's. When the miners no longer needed them, they were turned loose.

Although there are many herds of "wild burros" in the mountains, each morning one particular herd continues to come into town as it has done for over a hundred years. They wander the streets, fascinate the tourists, and eat. Hay pellets are for sale at many of the shops. Shortly before sunset they wander back to the hills for the night. The BLM protects and controls the burros of Oatman under The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971.

Oatman began over 100 years ago as a mining tent camp. In 1915, two miners struck a $10 million gold find, and within a year, the town's population grew to more than 3,500. It was named in honor of Olive Oatman, who was kidnapped as a young girl by Mojave Indians and later rescued in 1857 near the current site of the town. Oatman was served by a narrow gauge rail line between 1903 and 1905 that ran 17 miles to the Colorado river near Needles, California.

Boom-Bust-Boom

Both the population and mining booms were short-lived. In 1921, a fire burned down many of the smaller shacks in town, and three years later, the main mining company shut down operations for good. Oatman survived by catering to travelers on Route 66, but in the 1960s, when Route 66 became what is now Interstate 40, Oatman almost died. With the revival of Route 66, Oatman once again is a very popular tourist stop. Today, 135 people call Oatman home.

Wild West Shootouts

The Oatman Ghost Rider Gunfighters, Oatman's oldest Gunfighter organization take to the streets daily for a wild west shootout. These Ghost Rider desperado's have been entertaining crowds young and old for over 20 years in Oatman, Arizona. Shotgun Weddings and Tour Bus Hold Ups are also available by the Oatman Ghost Rider Gunfighters.

Hotel Durlin

Oatman Hotel (Hotel Durlin)

The Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mojave County and has housed many miners, movie stars, politicians and scoundrels.

The town was used as the location for several movies such as How The West Was Won, Foxfire and Edge of Eternity. Probably the Hotel's most famous claim to fame is that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, after their marriage in Kingman on March 29, 1939, honeymooned at the Oatman Hotel. Their honeymoon suite is still one of the major attractions at the Hotel. Gable returned there often to play poker with the local miners and enjoy the solitude of the desert.

Claim to Fame Under Dispute

The claim that Clark and Carole stayed at the Oatman hotel is under a heated dispute. Apparently Clark reported that they were married at 3:30 pm and drove straight home. The St Petersburg Times reported that they did the trip in one day.

Personally, I wouldn't think there was enough time to drive from Los Angeles to Kingman, get married, and drive back to Los Angeles in one day. Along treacherous Route 66 and driving a 1939 (or older) car, I doubt the 600 mile trip was possible. They had to stay somewhere. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter to me. Myths and folklore always abound in the old west. This one is good for Oatman and "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn".


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Durlin Hotel (also known as Oatman Hotel) Aug 25, 1983
#83002988		 1900-1924
 Domestic, Hotel
Oatman Drug Company Building Apr 6, 2006
#05001064		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
 Commerce-Trade, Health Care, Business, Restaurant, Department Store, Financial Institution, Medical Business Office, Professional

Old Station, California

Old Station - population 51, is a living ghost town about 13 miles north of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Google Map

Old Station 1942


Old Station was once a stagecoach stop on the trail from Sacramento to Yreka in 1857. It was also a temporary military post while soldiers patrolled the stage road.





Old Station also sits on an alternate route of the historic Nobles Immigrant Trail to California that was used by gold seekers around 1852.

The Hat Creek Station was established here in 1856 and operated by the California Stage Co. on the eastern branch of the California-Oregon Trail and the Nobles Trail. The intrusion of the whites through Indian lands led to many conflicts. On August 15, 1859, the station was attacked and burned, and both the proprietor John Callahan and the cook were killed.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Nobles Emigrant Trail Oct 3, 1975
#76000222		 1850-1874
1825-1840		 Commerce, Transportation, Communications

Old Tuscon (Old Tucson Studios), Arizona

Old Tucson (also known as Old Tucson Studios) is a movie studio and theme park in Pima County approximately 12 miles west of Tucson, Arizona at the junction of W Gates Pass Road and S Kinney Road. Google Map

Old Tucson was originally built in 1939 by Columbia Pictures as a replica of 1860s’ era Tucson for the movie Arizona (1940). Workers built more than 50 buildings in 40 days. Many of those structures are still standing.

Arizona - The Movie 1940

Arizona is a 1940 American Western film directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Jean Arthur and a young William Holden in an early leading role. The film is known for its strong female lead character and authentic on-location filming in the Arizona desert, for which a permanent set, now known as Old Tucson Studios, was built.

Jean Arthur and Porter Hall in Arizona (1940)


Set during the American Civil War era in the Arizona Territory, the story follows Phoebe Titus, a tough and independent pioneer woman who runs a freight business and dreams of owning a large cattle ranch.





She meets and falls for Peter Muncie, a wanderer headed for California. Ultimately, Peter returns, helps Phoebe fight off her rivals, and the couple gets married.

Walter Brennan and John Wayne
Rio Bravo 1958


It has been used for the filming location of many movies and television westerns since then including Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Rio Bravo (1959), El Dorado (1966), and Little House on the Prairie TV series.



Old Tucson was opened to the public in 1960 as a theme park with historical tours offered about the movies filmed there, along with live cast entertainment featuring stunt shows, shootouts, can-can shows as well as themed events. It is still a popular filming location used by Hollywood.

1995 Fire

On April 24, 1995, a fire destroyed much of Old Tucson Studios. Buildings, costumes, and memorabilia were lost in the blaze. Among the memorabilia destroyed was the wardrobe from Little House on the Prairie. Also lost in the blaze was the only copy of a short film about the history of Old Tucson Studios.

Closure and Re-Opening

On September 8, 2020, as a direct result of the COVID 19-Pabdenucm Old Tucson closed indefinitely, with its future to be determined by Pima County. On April 5, 2022, Pima County selected American Heritage Railways as the new operators of Old Tucson. The historic movie location and theme park reopened on October 6, 2022, with the popular "Nightfall at Old Tucson" event followed by a new Christmas-themed event called "Yuletide at Old Tucson" on November 25, 2022.


Peach Springs, Arizona

Peach Springs is located 50 miles east of Kingman on the Route 66. Google Map

Peach Springs is on the Hualapai Reservation and serves as the administrative headquarters of the Hualapai (People of the Tall Pine). When I-40 opened, Peach Springs survived as the administrative base of the Hualapai tribe but suffered irreparable economic damage.

John Osterman Gas Station

The John Osterman Shell Station, built by a Swedish immigrant in 1929, closed soon after the turn of the millennium. In 2007, the Hualapai Tribe received a $28,000 federal matching grant to rehabilitate the building.

John Osterman Gas Station


The John Osterman Gas Station was one of several privately-owned and operated businesses in the town of Peach Springs during the 1920's through the 1950's.




The building, constructed by Osterman in 1923 was a vernacular design of poured concrete block and built in the tradition of the "House with Bays" form. It featured an office resembling a small house and a series of attached garage bays. The design, in addition to allowing the sale of gasoline and other automotive products, is indicative of the large amount of repair work undertook over the years.

Peach Spring Trading Post

The Historic Peach Springs Trading Post, in downtown Peach Springs circa 1932, was an important commercial enterprise for Peach Springs citizens and travelers on Route 66, which was 'the' major transportation corridor for the region at that time.

In 1978, Downtown Peach Springs businesses suffered major economic impacts because of the I-40 Freeway which by-passed the town. After the I-40 completion, the Trading Post served many uses for various tribal offices. Today it is the offices for Hualapai Game & Fish and Tribal Forestry.

Peach Springs Trading Post

The building, which had an attached garage, was built by Ancel Taylor in 1928. It served as a trading goods store and was one of the Hualapai Tribe's first economic ventures in the 1950's.




The Swastika and the Navajo

For the Navajo, the swastika, called the "whirling log" (tsil\;no\'oli\'), is a sacred symbol with deep spiritual meaning, not a symbol of hate. It represents the whirling log of a sacred legend, signifying concepts like life, humanity, the four seasons, the four directions, and healing rituals. However, the symbol's use became complicated after the Nazi party appropriated it, leading many Navajo to formally stop using it in 1940 to avoid confusion with Nazism.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
John Osterman Gas Station Mar 15, 2012
#09000543		 1825-1949
1950-1974		 Commerce/Trade, Specialty Store
Peach Springs Trading Post Boundary Increase - 2009 Nov 21, 2003
#03001196		 1950-1974
1925-1949		 Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Government, Department Store, Post Office, Single Dwelling

Pioche, Nevada

Pioche is living ghost town and the county seat of Lincoln County, in eastern Nevada approximately 180 miles northeast of Las Vegas on U.S. Route 93. Google Map

In 1864, Native American Paiute led a missionary, William Hamblin, to silver deposits in the vicinity of Pioche. San Francisco financier Francois L.A. Pioche purchased claims in 1868 and formed the Meadow Valley Mining Company. The mining camp, called "Pioche's City" later became simply Pioche.

Pioche 1885


In the early 1870's Pioche was one of the largest mining towns in southeastern Nevada with a population of 10,000 people by 1871. Guns were the only law.





Nearly 60 percent of the homicides reported in Nevada during 1871-72 took place around Pioche making Bodie, Tombstone, and other better known towns pale in comparison. It has been reported that seventy-five men were buried in the cemetery before anyone in Pioche had time to die a natural death.

Million Dollar Courthouse


Million Dollar Courthouse - 1872 Lincoln County Courthouse

The town's notoriety extended to its government, notably the "Million Dollar Courthouse," whose final cost, due to political corruption and interest, ballooned from an $88,000 estimate to nearly $1 million and took 65 years to be fully paid off.





One of the worst fires in the West took place in Pioche in 1871. It began in a restaurant during a celebration commemorating Mexican independence and quickly spread. When it reached a stone fireproof structure where 300 barrels of blasting powder were stored, the subsequent explosion shot nearly 400 feet into the air, blowing a 1,000-pound door clear out of town. The explosion, debris and fire killed thirteen people, injured forty-seven, and left the entire population homeless.

The fortunes of Pioche diminished in the 1880's due to the shutdown of the mines. An economic boom occurred during World War II when Pioche was the second largest lead and zinc producer in the nation. Present day Pioche has little mining activity. It is the county seat and the main focus is now government.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
1938 Lincoln County Courthouse July 25, 2002
#02000820		 1925-1949 Architecture, Engineering, Courthouse, Government
1872 Lincoln County Courthouse, also known as the Pioche Courthouse Million Dollar Courthouse Feb 23, 1978
#78001724		 1850-1874 Architecture, Engineering, Courthouse, Government
Brown's Hall-Thompson's Opera House also known as Gem Theater Aug 16, 1984
#84002074		 1850-1874 Architecture, Engineering, Entertainment,  Recreation, Culture, Theater
Pioche Firehouse Feb 5, 2018
#100002070		 1928-1954 Politics, Government

Pony, Montana

Pony is a living ghost town located in Madison County, Montana on the eastern edge of the Tobacco Root Mountains about 32 miles north of Ennis on hwy 287 then west of Pony Road. Google Map

Pack Train c1890

Pony, named for Tecumseh "Pony" Smith who arrived in 1869, was part of the Montana gold rush era and like many other gold rush towns grew up and died almost overnight. Population peaked at 5,000 but when new gold strikes were reported in other locations, Pony emptied out.



By 1878 the population had dwindled to a few hundred.

Pony had two blacksmith shops, three hotels, saloons, livery stables, churches, a rooming house, post office, creamery, two Chinese laundries, restaurants, school, newspaper, stores, hat and tailor shops, movies house and an electric power plant. Pony's claim to fame is that it had electricity before New York City.

Arrival of the Railroad c1890


In 1920, a tragic fire swept through the main part of town destroying the livery stable and many other buildings. The Morris State Bank and the Masonic Building survived. A number of historic buildings from Pony's boom era remain in the old town today.



National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Pony Historic District Aug 4, 1987
#87001264		 1900-1924
1875-1899		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Department Store, Financial Institution, Hotel, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling, Specialty Store
Powder House Aug 3, 1987
#87001266		 1900-1924
1875-1899		 Industry, Processing, Extraction, Extractive Facility
Strawberry Mine Historic District Aug 4, 1987
#87001265		 1900-1924 Industry, Processing, Extraction, Extractive Facility

Posey, California

Posey, population 23, is a living ghost town located in Tulare County 21 miles east-southeast of Ducor. Google Map

Posey was established in the late 1800s as a logging and farming town. Its history is tied to the region's agricultural and timber industries, with residents primarily working in those sectors. Today, Posey is known for its proximity to the Sequoia National Forest, making it a destination for outdoor activities. Posey post office opened in 1915.


Rhyolite, Nevada

Rhyolite is in the Bullfrog Hills, Nye County, Nevada about 6 miles from Beatty- west on hwy 374, then west on Rhyolite Road. Rhyolite is about 38 miles north east of the Visitors Center in Death Valley National Park. Google Map

Rhyolite 1907


Rhyolite was founded by Shorty Harris and Ed Cross in 1904. They found quartz all over a hill, and described it as "just full of free gold".




Rhyolite was called the "Queen City of Death Valley" and certainly Rhyolite was the most ambitious and permanent of the boomtowns in Death Valley's mining era. Harris & Cross named the mine "Bullfrog". An estimated 10,000 people lived in Rhyolite between 1905 and 1909. Today, Rhyolite is maintained and protected by the Bureau of Land Management.

Boom Town

The town immediately boomed with buildings springing up everywhere. The Cook Bank was 3 stories tall and cost $90,000 to build. A stock exchange and board of trade were formed. There were hotels, 50 saloons, a jail, a red light district, stores, school, swimming pool, ice plant, two electric plants, foundries, machine shops, police & fire, railway depot, and a hospital.

1907 Financial Panic

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the financial panic of 1907* took its toll on the town and businesses started to shut down. Production began to slow down by 1908. The town struggled to stay alive hoping for a new boom that never came. By 1910 only an estimated 675 people remained in Rhyolite. The mine and mill were closed in 1911. By 1919, the post office had closed and the town was abandoned. The population had shrunk to fourteen by 1920 and the last resident died in 1924.

* The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis in the United States. The stock market fell nearly 50% from its peak in 1906, the economy was in recession, and there were numerous runs on banks and trust companies.

Rhyolite School


Rhyolite School

On September 23, 1907 a $20,000 school bond issue was approved and a new schoolhouse opened in January 1909.



The modern, two-story building, complete with a bell, was constructed of concrete with galvanized iron Spanish tile on the roof. By the time the building was finished the population of Rhyolite had declined and the school was never filled to capacity.

Rhyolite Depot

Train Depot

Three railroads served Rhyolite. The Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad chugged into town on December 14, 1906. The California "mission style" depot cost about $130,000.



In 1907 the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad began regular service from the north and the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad served Rhyolite on tracks leased from the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad.

Bottle House 1920s

Bottle House

The Bottle House, was built by Tom Kelly in 1906, from thousands of liquor bottles, medicine bottles and beer bottles - mostly Adulphous Busch which is Budweiser today.



The house was restored by Paramount Pictures in 1925 for use in a movie. It received an extensive structural rehabilitation in the summer of 2005.

In the Movies

The Rhyolite historic townsite is one of the most photographed ghost towns in the West. Ruins include the bank, railroad depot, and several other buildings. Paramount Pictures restored the Bottle House in 1925 for the filming of a silent movie, The Air Mail. The ruins of the Cook Bank Building were used in the 1964 film The Reward and again in 2004 for the filming of The Island. Orion Pictures used Rhyolite for its 1987 science-fiction movie Cherry 2000 depicting the collapse of American society. Six-String Samurai in 1998 was another movie using Rhyolite as a setting.

Cook Bank 1908

Cook Bank & First National Bank of Rhyolite

Most prominent was the three-story John S. Cook and Co. Bank on Golden Street. Finished in 1908, it cost more than $90,000.



Much of the cost went for Italian marble stairs, imported stained-glass windows, and other luxuries. In addition to the bank, the building housed brokerage offices and a post office.

Goldwell Open Air Museum


Goldwell Open Air Museum

In the 1980's Belgian sculptor Albert Szukalski came here and created the Last Supper, twelve ghostly figures in a ghost town. In subsequent years he invited other artists to create their artwork launching the Goldwell Open Air Museum making Rhyolite a town with an engrossing history, even after it was deserted.




Rimini, Montana

Rimini is located in Lewis and Clark County, about 17 miles from Helena south west on hwy 12 and south on Rimini Road. Google Map

Rimini 1924



Rimini, established when silver lodes were discovered in 1864, is one of the oldest mining districts in Montana. Other names for the town were Lewis and Clark, Tenmile, Vaughn, Colorado, Young Ireland, and Bear Gulch.



One tradition says the community was named after a city in Italy. Another says it was named for the character in the tragedy, "Francisca da Rimini".

At its peak in 1890, Rimini's population was about 300 people. The town had several hotels and stores, a school, saloons, gambling houses and pool halls, livery stable, physician’s office, church, several boarding houses, and a sawmill.

Camp Rimini War Dogs

Camp Rimini War Dogs

Between 1942-1944, Camp Rimini War Dog Reception and Training Center trained sled and pack dogs, and the men to handle them, for use as war dogs in WWII.



The facility was run by the Quartermaster Corps, which was responsible for running the Army's K-9 Corps.


Santa Claus, Arizona

Santa Claus, originating in 1937, is an uninhabited ghost town in Mohave County, Arizona approximately 14 miles northwest of Kingman, Arizona, along U.S. Route 93. Google Map

In the 1930s, Nina Talbot, a real estate woman and the owner of Santa Claus, made plans to use the Santa theme in a parched desert location to attract buyers for her surrounding, subdivided 80 acre site.

Santa Clause - Burton Frasher Collection

By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot. Santa Claus presented a popular attraction and featured a U.S. post office and Christmas related buildings.




Children could visit a real Santa Claus in the town at anytime of the year. The post office was widely used in December by kids sending letters to the town addressed to Santa and by adults wanting their letters postmarked from "Santa Claus."

Talbot's land resale plans for Santa Claus never materialized. The popularity of Santa Claus went in decline in the 1970s. In July 1983, the property was offered for sale for $95,000, which was reduced to $52,500 by 1988. All remaining operating businesses in the town closed in 1995. By 2000 all that remained were a few weather worn vandalized buildings, a children's train, and a wishing well.


Seligman, Arizona

Seligman is a living ghost town in Yavapai County, Arizona – on I-40 and Historic Route 66 about 78 miles west of Flagstaff and 72 miles east of Kingman. Google Map

Santa Fe Station, Seligman, AZ - 1916


Seligman, established in 1886, is a small, unincorporated town situated in the beautiful Upland Mountains of Northern Arizona.



Seligman 1947


The town site was on Beale's Wagon Road, and a stage stop on the Mojave Road. In November 1987 Arizona officially deemed old US Route 66 from Seligman to Kingman as Historic Route 66.




Seligman marks the beginning of the longest continuous stretch of Route 66 still in existence.

Rusty Bolt

The store front is like none other. If the roof top mannequins and antique cars don't rouse your curiosity, the grave at the side of the building certainly will cinch it - "here lies Billy Pretzel last guy who touched my Edsel".

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Cafe

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In is a historic eatery and roadside attraction located along former Route 66 in Seligman. The drive-in was built in 1953 by local resident Juan Delgadillo (1916–2004).

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Cafe

Delgadillo was working on an extremely limited budget, so he built the restaurant mostly from scrap lumber obtained from the nearby Santa Fe Railway yard.




Part of the entertainment at the Snow Cap Cafe is watching the expressions on the faces of first-timers when they order an ice cream cone and get squirted with mustard. Actually a piece of yellow string, so no shirts or blouses ever get stained.

Roadkill Cafe & OK Saloon

The OK Saloon is filled with antiques. Located outside of the OK Saloon is the old Arizona Territorial jail whose walls once corralled such notorious outlaws as Seligman Slim, Four-Fingered Frank and Carl “Curly” Bane. Adjacent to the jail are the Old West storefronts which have been used as a background for many commercials as well as documentaries.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Cottage Hotel Feb 12, 1998
#98000080		 1925-1949
1900-1924		 Domestic, Hotel
Seligman Commercial Historic District
 Feb 1, 2005
#04000511		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Government, Recreation and Culture, Religion, Social, Transportation, Business, Correctional Facility, Hotel, Meeting Hall, Religious Structure, Road-Related, Theater

Siberia, CA

Siberia is located between Bagdad and Ludlow in San Bernardino County, California on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. Google Map

Siberia was established as part of a series of railroad stations that were constructed across the Mojave Desert to provide water towers to service the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Siberia Service Station

Situate along the National Old Trails Road and the famous Route 66, it later became a motorist stop. Siberia was bypassed by the opening of Interstate 40 to the north in 1973, and lost travelers business and resident population.


Trains still roll down the tracks but all they pass is desert scrub and ghosts. The last trace of Siberia was demolished in (about) 2001.


Sidley, B.C. (Washington)

Sidley is in Okanogan County, Washington about 3 miles north west of Molson on Nine Mile Road along the Canada/US Border. Historical Marker Database Map

Sidley BC (Washington State)

Sidley, B.C. established in 1895, is actually on the Washington side of the border between Canada and the United States. Richard G. Sidley Territorial Police and Customs Collector settled here in 1889. He started an international town, general store, saloon, livery barn, and black smith's shop.


He served as postmaster and kept an eye out for horse thieves. Sidley was well liked and settled many early day disputes. He died in 1922.

Dominion Day was celebrated in Sidley by everyone. Some said "the boundary line did not make much difference in those days". But times changed when bootlegging tightened up about 1916. Porter Brothers Lumber Mill also straddled the U.S./Canadian Boundary. Last to close was the post office September 20th, 1912. Nothing remains of the Town.


Silver Star, Montana

Silver Star is a living ghost town in Madison County, Montana on hwy 41, 10 miles north-northeast of Twin Bridges and 16 miles southwest of Whitehall. Google Map

Green Campbell made the first gold discovery in this area in 1866. The community was named for the Silver Star mining claim. The post office opened in 1869. Silver Star, one of the oldest towns in the state, was a supply point for silver miners and the only town between Virginia City and Helena.

Silver Star Hotel 1885

The Silver Star Hotel was built by A.J. Noyes in about 1867. In the winter of 1878, Prince Edward of Wales, son of Queen Victoria, stayed at the hotel for three days.


Slaterville, Idaho

Slaterville is located in Nez Perce County along US 12 about .6 miles west of Lenore, Idaho. Google Map

Slaterville served as the steamboat port for the Clearwater Gold Rush which followed mineral discoveries at Pierce in 1860. Founded May 6, 1861, Slaterville had a permanent population of 50, two stores, two houses, and a saloon. Slaterville was soon replaced by a new port in Lewiston.

Inscription:

Slaterville served as the steamboat port for the Clearwater Gold Rush which followed mineral discoveries at Pierce in 1860. Founded by Seth S. Slater, May 6, 1861, Slaterville (permanent population, 50) had 5 edifices - built mainly of colored blankets - 2 stores, 2 houses, and a saloon.

Slaterville Historical Marker


When the Colonel Wright "snapped her tow-line on the Grand Rapids and went whirling through the Big Eddy" just below here. May 13, Lewiston was founded to replace the new port. One more steamer reached here June 1, but Slaterville was doomed.


The historical marker is in the Lenore Rest Area. The Rest Area is located at Mile Marker 28 on US Highway 12, near the Nez Perce National Historical Park, offers a convenient stop and historic site with interpretive signs about Nez Perce culture, plus river access for fishing and boating.


Spring Mountain Ranch (Sandstone Ranch), Nevada

Spring Mountain Ranch (previously Sandstone Ranch) is located in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada 5miles west of Blue Diamond, Nevada and 20 miles west of Las Vegas on highway 129. Google Map

Sandstone Ranch


In the mid-1830s, a campsite was established along the wash that runs through the ranch. The spring-fed creek and grassy meadows formed an oasis for travelers using the alternate route of the Spanish Trail through Cottonwood Valley.


The use of the site by pack and wagon trains continued until their replacement by the railroad in 1905. This remote trail was also used extensively by outlaws involved in Indian slave trading, horse stealing and raids upon passing caravans.

The State Park preserves the historic Sandstone Ranch, as it was first known, which was entered into the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district on April 2, 1976.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Sandstone Ranch

Boundary Increase		 Apr 2, 1976
#76001141
Apr 25, 2019
#100002337

 1930's to Present Economics, Exploration, Agriculture, Settlement, Transportation

Tombstone, Arizona

Tombstone is a living ghost town in Cochise County, Arizona about 70 miles from Tucson – east on I-10 and south on hwy 80. Google Map

Tombstone 1880

The Making of Tombstone

Tombstone was founded in 1877 by a prospector named Ed Schieffelin. Ed was staying at what was then called Camp Huachuca (wa-chu-ka) as part of a scouting expedition against the Chiricahua (chir-i-cow-uh) Apaches.


During his time there he would venture out into the wilderness "looking for rocks", all the while ignoring the warnings he received from the soldiers at the camp.

They would tell him, "Ed, the only stone you will find out there will be your tombstone". Well, Ed did find his stone. And it was Silver. So, remembering the words of warning from the soldiers, he named his first mine The Tombstone.

OK Corral

The most famous event in Tombstone's history was the famed Gunfight at the OK Corral, which didn't actually happen at the corral, but in a vacant lot on Fremont Street. On October 26, 1881, members of the "Cowboys" had a run-in with Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp with help from Wyatt's friend Doc Holliday. 24 seconds and 30 shots later, Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury were mortally wounded.

Bird Cage Theater

The Bird Cage Theater

The Bird Cage Theatre was a saloon, theatre, gambling hall and brothel. No self-respecting woman in town would even walk on the same side of the street as the Bird Cage Theatre.


It opened its doors on Christmas Day 1881 and ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year until closing its doors in 1889.

Boothill

Tombstone is also the home of Boothill Graveyard. Boothill, named in the 1920s Boothill after Dodge City's pioneer cemetery, began in 1879 and was used until 1884 when the New Tombstone City Cemetery was opened on west Allen Street. Perhaps the most famous of those buried at Boot Hill are Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers, Frank and Tom. Their grave markers say "murdered on the streets of Tombstone, 1881".


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Tombstone Historic District Oct 15, 1966
#66000171		 1850-1874 Commerce, Trade, Domestic, Industry, Processing, Extraction, Business, Extractive Facility, Village Site, Politics, Government, Industry, Social History
Tombstone City Hall Feb 1, 1972
#72000195		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Government, City Hall
Tombstone Courthouse (Cochise County Courthouse) Apr 13, 1972
#72000196		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Politics, Government, Courthouse
Sacred Heart Church Feb 22, 2002
#02000032		 1950-1974
1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899		 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Religious Structure
St. Paul's Episcopal Church Sept 22, 1971
#71000111		 1875-1899 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Religious Structure

Tonopah, Nevada

Tonopah is a living ghost town (population approximately 2,478) and County Seat in Nye County, Nevada about 211 miles north of Las Vegas on US 95. Google Map

The community began circa 1900 with the discovery of gold and silver-rich ore by prospector Jim Butler when he went looking for a lost burro he owned. He found the burro - and silver. He stumbled upon one of the richest strikes in Nevada history.

Tonopah 1903


Tonopah's peak period was around 1905 when it became the county seat. By 1907, Tonopah had become a full-fledged city.






It had modern hotels, electric and water companies, five banks, schools, a dancehall, stone buildings, sturdy frame houses, and hundreds of other buildings.

Production began to decline noticeably about 1913 and the glory days were a thing of the past. By World War II, only four major mining companies were operating. At the end of the war, even these companies had left. The final blow came in 1947 when the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad folded and its rails were torn up.

The Northern Saloon 1902


The Northern Saloon

The Northern Saloon in Tonopah was a famous, historic watering hole co-founded by lawman Wyatt Earp around 1902 during Tonopah's silver boom.




Tonopah served as a bustling hub for miners, gamblers, and fortune-seekers with its lively atmosphere of whiskey, poker, and music. It was a key part of the rough-and-tumble Wild West era attracting crowds due to Earp's legendary name.

The Mizpah Hotel

The Mizpah Hotel, built by wealthy businessmen in 1907 during a silver boom, was once Nevada's tallest building, a luxurious hub for miners, investors, and celebrities, boasting luxuries like the state's first electric elevator, hot/cold running water, steam heat, and ornate Victorian details.

The Mizpah Hotel

 It is famous for its haunted history, particularly the "Lady in Red" a prostitute known as Evelyn Mae Johnson or "Rose," who is said to haunt the fifth floor after meeting a tragic end.




National Register of Historic Places

Tonopah, Nevada, boasts several significant sites on the National Register of Historic Places, including the iconic Mizpah Hotel, Central Nevada Museum, Tonopah Historic Mining Park, and the distinctive County Courthouse, preserving its rich silver mining past, with many key locations clustered in its historic downtown area, showcasing early 20th-century boomtown architecture and mining heritage.


Significant National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Frank Golden Block May 20, 1982
#82003231		 1900-1924 Architecture, Engineering, Commerce
Mizpah Hotel July 7, 1978
#78001725		 1900-1924 Commerce, Trade, Domestic, Hotel, Restaurant
Nye County Courthouse May 20, 1982
#82003238		 1900-1924
1950-1974		 Architecture, Engineering, Politics, Government
St. Marks P.E. Church May 20, 1982
#82003246		 1900-1924
 Architecture, Engineering, Religion, Religious Structure
State Bank and Trust Company May 20, 1982
#82003247		 1900-1924 Architecture, Engineering, Domestic, Politics, Government
Stone Jail Building and Row House May 20, 1982
#82003248		 1900-1924 Architecture, Engineering, Economics, Commerce, Trade, Domestic
Tonopah Volunteer Firehouse and Gymnasium May 20, 1982
#82003253		 1900-1924 Architecture, Engineering, Government, Politics, Health Care, Medicine, Fire Station, Resort
US Post Office Tonopah Main Feb 28, 1990
#90000136		 1925-1949 Architecture, Engineering, Politics, Government, Post Office

Topock, Arizona

Topock, population 1,790, is a ghost town in Mohave County, Arizona. It is just off I-40 on Historic Route 66 approximately 13 miles southeast of Needles, California. Google Map

Topock started as a crucial Colorado River crossing for railroads and early auto routes like Route 66, known for the historic Red Rock Bridge (railroad/Route 66) and the Old Trails Bridge (Route 66/pipeline).

Originally called Mellen, the site began as a supply center and steamboat landing with the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad building its first bridge in 1883. After early wooden bridges washed away, the steel Red Rock Bridge was built in 1890, becoming a major rail link. From 1903 to 1909 Mellen had its own post office. The post office was named the Mojave word "Topock" meaning river crossing.

The Old Trails Bridge

The Old Trails Bridge was built in 1916 as part of the National Old Trails Road (pre-Route 66). This arch bridge carried early auto traffic.

Old Trails Bridge 1920

After the railroad built a new bridge in 1945 the Red Rock Bridge was then converted to carry the automobile traffic of U.S. Route 66, and did so from 1947 until 1966 when Route 66 traffic was directed onto the Interstate 40 bridge.


The abandoned Old Trails Bridge over the Colorado River, was part of Route 66 between California and Arizona. It was built in 1919 and served as a highway bridge until Interstate 40 bridge was built.

Topock Gas Station 1968

Topock served as a classic desert oasis for travelers on Route 66, with motels, cafes, and gas stations. Today, Topock is a destination for Route 66 enthusiasts and river recreation on the Colorado River.




National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Old Trails Bridge Also known as Topock Bridge;Needles Bridge Sep 30, 1988
#88001676		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Architecture, Engineering, Highway, Bridge, Transportation, Road

Truxton, Arizona

Truxton is a ghost town in Mohave County 41 miles east of Kingman on U.S. Route 66. Google Map

Lieutenant Edward Beale stopped at the spring in 1857 and named it Truxton in honor of his mother, Emily Truxton Beale.

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad section across northern Arizona was built in the early 1880s, and later acquired by the Santa Fe and included a stop at Truxton.


The town of Truxton began to grow in 1951 in response to the needs of travelers along Route 66. Donald Dilts built a cafe and service station in October, 1951 and was quickly followed by other competing businesses. I-40 burst Truxton's bubble.



Tuttletown, California

Tuttletown, population 668, is located in Tuolumne County about 7 miles west of Sonora. Google Map

Tuttletown 1929

Tuttletown was originally known as Mormon Gulch, because of a company of Mormons who began mining gold there in 1848. Toward the end of the summer, however, Judge A. A. H. Tuttle settled at the place and built a log cabin.




His tavern became the focal point of the village that became Tuttletown. Tuttletown was established as a resting point between 1848 and early 1850s for men and their pack mules carrying mining supplies. The town’s fame was short-lived. At its peak in 1850, the population numbered to 1,000 residents. After 1850, everyone began to move on.

Mark Twin Cabin

This cabin was first built in 1922 to commemorate the famed author’s presence in Tuolumne County during the winter of 1864-65. Sam Clemens had come over the mountains from Virginia City, Nevada, to San Francisco with his friend Steve Gillis. His various biographers gave different reason for Clemens coming to Jackass Hill. No matter the reason, Sam Clemens arrived here on December 4, 1864.

Mark Twain Cabin

Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, stayed with the other two Gillis brothers, Jim and Bill, and Dick Stoker (local pocket miners) until about February 25, 1865.






While living on the hill, Sam heard the story of the “Jumping Frog” in an Angels Camp saloon. His version would find their way into Mark Twain’s later writings. That short stay here in the Sierra had quite an impact on American literature.


Ulm, Montana

Ulm is a living ghost town in Cascade County, Montana approximately 12 miles south of Great Falls on Interstate 15. Google Map

Joslin Store 1920

Ulm was originally a large ranch owned by Indiana-born cattleman William Ulm. The post office opened in 1883. In 1887 Ulm became a stop on the Montana Central Railway. A bridge across the Missouri River was built in 1914.



Ulm Buffalo Jump

This site is a significant National Historic Landmark where Indigenous peoples used cliffs to drive buffalo for food, with evidence of its use stretching back thousands of years.


Valentine, Arizona

Valentine is a living ghost town in County 32 miles east of Kingman on Route 66. Google Map

In 2020, the population was 36. It is still the headquarters for the Truxton Canyon Agency of the B.I.A. The name Valentine was chosen in honor of Robert G. Valentine, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1908-1910.

Valentine Post Office

Valentine Post Office

It was also during Valentine's better days that thousands of Valentine cards and messages would flood into the tiny contract post office for its heart shaped postmark.



That too ended when tragedy occurred on the afternoon of August 15, 1990. Unfortunately, even in the smallest of towns, murder and mayhem can be found. On that day, 44 year old Jacqueline Ann Grigg was working when a short stocky white man robbed the post office of its cash and left poor Jacqueline dying on the floor from a gunshot wound. Before long, Jacqueline’s husband bulldozed the building and left the area. The Valentine postmark was retired to the Kingman post office, where you can still get your special cards postmarked with the heart shaped cancellation.

Valentine Indian School

In 1901, the two story red brick Truxton Canyon Indian School was built. The Native American children were removed from their homes and kept at the boarding school to teach them how to be "white". Between 1870 and 1930, education was central to United States Indian policy. This policy required mandatory attendance at boarding schools.

Truxton Canyon Training School


Forced to work hard and separated from their families, many students found life at Truxton Canyon traumatic. The regimented lifestyle afforded little free time.





Diseases such as measles, influenza, and tuberculosis were common. Some of the older female students adopted younger ones, forming impromptu “families” that helped ease adjustment to the school.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School also known as Truxton Canyon Indian School, Valentine Indian School Nov 21, 2003
#03001197		 1900-1924
1925-1949		 Architecture, Engineering, Education, School

Verdure, Utah

Verdure Ghost Town is located in San Juan County, Utah about 6 miles south of Monticello on hwy 191. Google Map

The oldest Mormon settlement in the Blue Mountain Region was first known as South Montezuma. Later the name was changed to Verdure after the lush green growth along the stream bed. Verdure was settled by men of the Blue Mountain Mission March 11, 1887, under the direction of President Francis A. Hammond of the San Juan Stake. He called George A. Adams, Frederick I. Jones, Parley R. Butt and Charles E. Walton to establish a new settlement at North Montezuma, later named Monticello.



They first set up camp at Verdure to prepare for a permanent settlement at Monticello, six miles to the north.When company members moved on to Monticello in 1888 the Adams and Butt families remained at Verdure.



By 1894 they were joined by the Alvin Decker, Willard Butt, Lingo Christensen, R.P. Hott and Francis Nielson families. Nielson operated a store and a school out of his log home, the first church met in the Decker home, and in 1893 a post office was installed in the Adams home.

Verdure was a peaceful frontier village where cattle, farming and cheese-making were the main occupations. Gradually the settlers moved to Monticello.


Virginia City, Montana

Virginia City is a living Ghost Town in Madison County, Montana about 74 miles from Butte – south on hwy 41 and south on hwy 287. Virginia City is 1 1/2 miles from its sister city, Nevada City. Google Map

The spectacular gold discovery in Alder Gulch on May 26, 1863, led to the rapid growth of this colorful and legendary gold camp town. Thousands of fortune-seekers rushed to the area, and by 1864 the Virginia City area boasted 30,000 residents.

Fourteen-Mile-City

Small settlements were so numerous and so scattered that contemporaries called the Alder Gulch area Fourteen-Mile-City. It ran the length of the gulch, and included the towns of Adobetown, Bear Town, Central City, Highland, Hungry Hollow, Junction City, Nevada City, Pine Grove French Town, Summit, and Virginia City. Nevada City and Virginia City were the main centers of commerce.

Cowrey Dredge 1900

Gold Dredges

Large gravel piles are the tailing of gold dredging operations that occurred over a 20 year period beginning in 1899. Monster dredge boats literally churned the gulch inside-out.



The tailings created huge piles of gravel where only a tangle scrub brush and stunted trees could grow. It was the final chapter in the history of placer mining in Alder Gulch.

The Mysterious 3-7-77

The mysterious numbers 3-7-77, often posted on doors were used for years as a symbol of banishment in Montana. Although there are several theories, no one really knows what the numbers mean. What is certain though, is that once launched, the numbers took on a life of their own. People who had the mysterious set of numbers 3-7-77 painted on their tent or cabin knew that they had better leave the area or be on the receiving end of vigilante justice.

Over time, the numbers have lost much of their sting, but it is hard to imagine any Montanan not feeling a shiver of apprehension if he found the numbers 3-7-77 chalked on his front door or sidewalk one morning. In 1974 the mayor of Virginia City abruptly resigned after someone sent him a card marked with the numbers during a political protest.

Today the infamous symbol of the Montana Vigilantes, 3-7-77, still a complete and utter mystery to everyone, and still having the same authoritative effect, appears on the shoulder patch and car door insignia of the Montana Highway Patrol.


Vigilante Trail

The road through the valley that connected Virginia City and Bannack was the haunt of prospectors, road agents and vigilantes after gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863. The road eventually became know as the Vigilante Trail.


The Montana Vigilantes, formed December 22, 1863, became an equally admired and condemned group in Montana history. During the first five weeks of 1864, while the rest of the nation was preoccupied by the Civil War, the Vigilantes were busy creating a legend whose impact can still be felt today. A small corps of armed horsemen swept through the mining camps of the Rocky Mountain foothills in southwest Montana and hanged twenty-one troublemakers, including the rogue Bannack Sheriff, Henry Plummer.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Virginia City Historic District Oct 15, 1966
#66000435		1875-1899
1850-1874		 Commerce-Trade, Domestic, Government, Processing Extraction, Business, Capitol, Extractive Facility, Hotel, Single Dwelling
Union City also known as Christenot Mill Feb 26, 1999
#99000261		 1875-1899
1850-1874		 Domestic, Industry, Processing, Extraction, Manufacturing Facility, Village Site

Warm Springs, Nevada

Warm Springs is located in Nye County, Nevada about 50 miles east of Tonopah at the junction of hwy 6 (Grand Army of the Republic Hwy) and hwy 395 (Extraterrestrial Hwy). Google Map

Warm Springs 1937-38

The first settlement in Warm Springs was in 1866, when it served as a stopover for the Tonopah to Eureka and Elko stagecoach and other travelers. A small stone house next to the warm, soothing springs was the first building.


Never more than a tiny settlement, Warm Springs' population dwindled until it became a ghost town. All that remained was a single streetlight, a telephone box, and several huts built over pools filled by the warm springs that give the town its name.

Warm Springs School 1927-1938

In the 1900s, bathing in natural hot springs became a popular tourist activity around the country and Warm Springs experienced a small revival. Bathhouses, a small café and a swimming pool were built, along with a couple of small homes.

The settlement reached its peak in the 1920s. A post office opened on January 19th, 1924 with Ethel Allred as postmaster. It was short lived, and closed on June 29, 1929.

Extraterrestrial Highway - State Route 375

State Route 375 stretches 98 miles between hwy 318 at Crystal Springs and hwy 6 at Warm Springs. The route travels through mostly unoccupied desert terrain, with much of its alignment paralleling the northern edges of the Nellis Air Force Range.

The top-secret Area 51 government base is near SR 375 and many travelers have reported UFO observations and other strange alien activity along this road. Such stories prompted the state to officially designate the route as the Extraterrestrial Highway in 1996. Although the area receives some tourism due to alleged extraterrestrial activity, hwy 375 remains a lightly traveled route.


Whiskeytown, California

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is in Shasta County about 10 miles from Redding – west on hwy 299. The actual town of Whiskeytown has been submerged under Whiskeytown Lake. Google Map

Settled by gold miners in 1849, the town was first called Whiskey Creek for the stream on which it was located, but later the name was changed to Whiskeytown.
Whiskeytown was once a bustling mining town. The fortunes of Whiskeytown declined at the turn of the century. No longer did the hills support the prospectors, nor was Whiskeytown on the main route to Oregon. The few remaining residents ranched, farmed and served the few travelers who passed through.

Whiskeytown Store 1965


Whiskeytown Store and Post Office

The business complex was a part of the community for decades and was moved above the high water line when Whiskeytown Lake was constructed.


The entire town of Whiskeytown was flooded to make way for Whiskeytown Lake in 1962. Whiskeytown appears on many maps but all that remains is the relocated store, a few residences, mostly occupied by National Recreation Area personnel, and old mines that are above the water level of the lake. Whiskeytown is registered as a California Historical Landmark.

Whiskeytown Cemetery

The original Whiskeytown Cemetery was located above Whiskey Creek road but was moved in 1961 to its present location within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.


The move was done to avoid the cemetery being buried under the rising waters from the Whiskeytown Dam. Approximately 80 graves were moved from its former location and the cemetery continues to be used and overseen by the Shasta County Coroners Office.


Update: The Carr Fire - July 23, 2018

The Carr Fire ignited on July 23, 2018 in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. The fire started when a flat tire on a vehicle caused the wheel's rim to scrape against the asphalt, creating sparks.

Before the fire was fully contained on August 30, 2018, 39,000 acres of the park’s 42,000 acres had burned in some areas so hot there is nothing left but charred sticks, gray ash and blackened soil down to the water’s edge. Most of Whiskeytown Cemetery was destroyed.


White Oaks, New Mexico

White Oaks is located in Lincoln County, New Mexico about 12 miles north east of Carrizozo on hwy 54 and county road 349. Google Map

White Oaks was established in 1879 following the discovery of gold and coal in the Jicarilla Mountains. The town, at its peak in 1890, had a population of 2,000 people.

First Hotel in White Oaks

There were saloons, brothels, general stores, an opera house, school, churches, a town hall, and the White Oaks Golden Era newspaper. The town was a haven for cattle rustlers and other outlaws.



It was frequented by notable Old West personalities, including Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and Shotgun John Collins. In November, 1880, a posse originating in White Oaks pursued Billy the Kid a distance of over forty miles, culminating in a standoff, during which the posse accidentally shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Jim Carlysle, as the latter was attempting to negotiate with the outlaw. Billy the Kid escaped.

When the railway bypassed White Oaks in favour of Carrizozo, it was the beginning of the end. By the late 1890s the mines had dried up, and the population dwindled. By the early 1900s the town was a shadow of its previous self.

Several of the more permanent buildings are still standing. One building, originally built as the Watson-Lund Law Office, now serves as the " No Scum Allowed Saloon" open for the business greeting visitors.


National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
White Oaks Historic District Sept 4, 1970
#70000403		1875-1899 Commerce-Trade, Education, Industry-Processing-Extraction, Financial Institution, Manufacturing Facility, School

White River/Tailholt, California

White River, previously known as Dogtown & Tailholt, is a living ghost town located Tulare County, California about 22 miles south east of Porterville, California on the Old Springville State Route. Google Map

White River / Tailholt 1888

White River was founded as a gold camp in 1856, during the Kern River Gold Rush. It was first located on the Coarse Gold Gulch two miles west of the present site and was called Dogtown.


Its name was changed to Tailholt after one of the first stagecoaches to stop in town provided the new name, due to a humorous incident. Its name was changed to White River about 1870.

Among the points of interest are two cemeteries, one north of the river for regular citizens, and small one, the Tailholt Boot Hill Cemetery, south of the river for the those the town did not want in their cemetery, like Jack Gordon, (formerly Peter Worthington), who died violently in a gunfight, and was a known member of the Mason Henry Gang.


Widtsoe, Utah

Emery Valley Mercantile Co. store in Widtsoe, 1936

Widtsoe is located in John's Valley Garfield County, Utah about 34 miles east of Panguitch, Utah on hwy 89, hwy 12 and hwy 22 (Johns Valley Road). Google Map

Widtsoe, named after University of Utah president John A. Widtsoe, was established in the early 1900s by Jedediah Adair. His success as a ‘dry’ farmer drew other settlers to the area over the next few years.

Emery Valley Mercantile Co. 1936

In 1912, the prospering community had a post office, sawmills, a confectionery plant, two hotels, four stores, and a church meetinghouse that also served as a school. Running water was piped into town from a local spring in 1915.



Widtsoe continued to prosper and by 1919 the community had a population estimate of 1,100 residents.

Severe drought and erosion took their toll and began to drive farmers out of Widtsoe. By the 1930's the population consisted of only a few families. The residents asked for federal assistance and in 1936 the Federal Resettlement Administration purchased the land and moved the families to other areas of the state. The last residents left Widtsoe for good in 1938.


Wolf Creek, Montana

Wolf Creek is a living ghost town in Lewis and Clark County, Montana along Interstate 15, 36 miles north of Helena. Google Map

Wolf Creek Depot


In 1887, the Montana Central Railway built its line through the narrow Prickly Pear Canyon, and the town of Wolf Creek, named for the creek, grew to serve the railroad.




It later served workers building the Holter Dam from 1908–1910. Interstate 15 split the town in half, nearly obliterating  the town of Wolf Creek.

Wolf Creek Hotel

A small one-story hotel was built in 1887. In 1892 it was replaced with this three-story frame building. It had ten rooms and home-cooked meals and offered respite for outdoor enthusiasts as well as stage and railroad travelers.

Wolf Creek Hotel



It served as a stage stop along the Mullan Trail and routes from Helena to Augusta and Fort Benton. The hotel operated until 1984.






National Register of Historic Places
Historic Place Date Added Period of Significance Historical Function
Missouri River Bridge also known as Wolf Creek Bridge Jan 4, 2010
#09001181		 1925-1949
1950-1974		 Architecture, Engineering, Transportation, Road-Related
C.B. Power Bungalow Apr 7, 1995
#95000380		 1900-1924
 Architecture, Engineering, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling, Domestic, Hotel, Secondary Structure
Sheep Creek Bridge Apr 28, 2011
#11000225		 1925-1949
1950-1974		 Architecture, Engineering, Transportation
Stearns Hall Apr 7, 1995
#95000382		 1900-1924
 Architecture, Engineering, Entertainment, Recreation, Exploration, Settlement, Recreation, Culture, Social, Auditorium, Meeting Hall, Music Facility, Sport Facility
Wolf Creek Hotel Dec 27, 1984
#84000569		 1925-1949
1900-1924
1875-1899		 Architecture, Engineering, Exploration/Settlement, Transportation, Architecture, Domestic, Hotel

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