What: Ghost Towns

A “Ghost town” is a town that at one time was thriving, and now it is a place where there are no longer many or any residents.

“Ghost towns are often described in terms of “what was” or “what could have been.” During their heydays, these once-booming places were often filled with both people and hope. Today, they are decaying shells of promise and prosperity. They can be haunting, sad, exciting—sometimes perfectly preserved time capsules.

America is home to a plethora of mining and frontier boomtowns, whose heydays only exist in memory. In Drummond, Montana, one of the last remaining vestiges of the region’s Gold Rush stands frozen in time, while in the middle of the Mojave, a former silver mining town creates a picturesque setting amid a desert landscape.”  [1]

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“Basically, a ghost town is any historical town or site that leaves evidence of a town’s previous glory. This could be in many forms — all businesses closed, municipal services at a minimum, rubble and old nails strewn about, ruins of former buildings, etc. Some places that are categorized as ghost towns; however, still have people living in them and though sometimes they don’t want to be called a ghost town, most historians will continue to reference them that way if the reason or purpose for it’s original “boom” is gone. [2]

Where:  Pithole, Pennsylvania — One of many examples of a large American city which became a “Ghost Town.”

“Pithole City burst onto the scene as a brand new town in Venango County in 1865 and would quickly become one of the most successful, busiest towns in Pennsylvania. But, the happy story would be short lived.” [3]

Who: Founder, Isaiah Frazier

When: January 7, 1865

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