What are the first forgotten towns in American history that come to your mind?
While America is full of awesome cities that attract tons of visitors yearly, the western part of the country hides a different landscape: a couple of American ghost towns that are interesting to look into, or why not even visit them!
These once-booming locations were frequently teeming with people and hope in their prime, but centuries later, they are rotting shells of wealth and promise. For those who want to experience a different type of tourism, these forgotten towns in American history can be eerie, depressing, thrilling, and perfectly preserved time capsules.
Due to their mining and oil towns, Texas and California are at the top of the list. Texas saw a boom following the discovery of Spindletop in 1901, while California saw a boom during the 1880s rail expansion. The Dust Bowl and the 1930s economic downturns destroyed farming communities in Great Plains states like Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas.
Will we be fortunate enough to see these places thrive once more? I may have my doubts, but the future holds endless possibilities. Below you will find mentioned a couple of forgotten towns in American history; some of them look so devastated you won’t believe that back in the day, they were filled with laughter and joy.
Bannack, Montana
Although it is considered a ghost town, Bannack still has many buildings that remain standing even after the population left. Among the buildings still standing are a pharmacy, an assay office, a hotel, a courthouse, a church, and a collection of dilapidated houses and shacks, totaling 50 buildings, which is a lot for a town that hasn’t been lived in since 1940.
I am a person who rarely believes everything I read, especially if it’s not backed by historical documents or science. Because I also had my doubts when I read that Bannack is known as one of the best-preserved forgotten towns in America, and I had to go visit.
Bannack, Montana, was known as the “Toughest Town in the West” in the 1860s due to the avarice and gunplay sparked by its gold wealth. Murderous bandits targeted the perilous stagecoach route to neighboring Virginia City, and it is sometimes claimed that the ghosts of their victims can be seen in those buildings that still stand in Bannack.
If you’re curious about the city and you want to be greeted by a ghost, take pictures or even spend the night somewhere in its vicinity. Bannack is located about 350 kilometers northwest of Yellowstone National Park. The route might be challenging, so I suggest using a map for safe navigation.
Garnet, Montana
In second place for American ghost towns, I decided to put Garnet, located in the same state as Bannack, Montana. For extra spookiness and for the sake of the eeriness I want to create for this article, I will also add that this place is believed to be haunted. I haven’t visited yet, so I can’t vouch for it.
With more than a thousand residents and up to thirteen saloons, Garnet was a vibrant mining town in the 1890s, but most of the miners and workers departed for World War I, leaving the community empty. World War II put an end to a gold mining boom in the 1930s, and the town has been deserted ever since.
Even though Garnet is one of the forgotten towns in American history, today, about 30 buildings are still standing, and visitors can experience life in this 19th-century mining town during the annual Garnet Day.
St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo is one of those forgotten towns in American history, but we cannot say that it is a ghost town. Why? Only a handful of individuals reside there, aside from the thousands of tourists who visit it every year in the summer.
When gold and silver mining reached peak levels in the 1880s, this town had grown to a population of over 2,000. But unfortunately, by the end of the decade, the town was in decline due to increasingly poor-quality mining.
The town’s prospects were briefly restored in the 1910s by a new mine, but unfortunately, in 1922, it was officially abandoned when the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad discontinued service to the town. In 1936, the industry permanently left, and since then, it’s been an abandoned town.
Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba is another abandoned town, located at the confluence of two rivers in Alabama. The town lost residents and businesses after the war, and the legislature was relocated to Selma, where it suffered greatly from recurring flooding.
It is now open for visitors as Old Cahawba Archeological Park, which commemorates the time when many freedmen and women lived there, as well as the history of Native Americans. You can see ruins of buildings, cemeteries, and deserted streets; just be on the lookout for the spectral “orb” that has been known to show up in the garden maze at C.C. Pegues’ house.
Bodie, California
Bodie, located in California, is one of the forgotten towns in American history that remained unchanged for a century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the town was already beginning to show signs of decline, with its population reducing. Still, a series of fires forced those who remained to leave, leaving it nearly exactly as it was in the early 1900s.
Through the windows of some buildings from the frontier era, you can admire untouched scenes of earlier days, including kitchen tables that were set for meals that were never served. Lessons are posted on the chalkboard in the schoolhouse, dinner tables are arranged, and stores are filled with supplies.
If these lines sparked your curiosity about one of the most famous American ghost towns, park rangers offer daily 50-minute tours, but during the summer, guests can also schedule guided ghost tours.
…psst! If you’re as fascinated by forgotten towns in American history as much as I am, then Ghost Towns of the American West is a must-read. Packed with both historical details and beautiful pictures, I found myself flipping back and forth a lot while writing this article. Furthermore, while reading it, I also find new inspirations for future road trips. I was lucky to find it in my father’s personal book collection, but it’s also available on Amazon at the price of $19.99 for the paperback edition.
Centralia, Philadelphia
This contemporary ghost town, located northwest of Philadelphia, is the result of a tragic underground mine fire. In 1962, a fire mistakenly spread to the ancient, subterranean mines, forming sinkholes that emitted smoke and toxic fumes across the town.
Most of the town was evacuated in 1983, and in 1992, the state claimed and condemned its real estate under eminent domain. The final blow came in 2002 when the ZIP code was officially recalled.
In 2020, four people still called the doomed town of Centralia home, although the fire is still going strong and will likely continue for another 250 years.
Erie Street Historic Lowell, Arizona
And we reached the last of the forgotten towns in American history, located in Arizona. Visiting Erie Street last summer was an incredible experience; it felt like stepping into a post-apocalyptic landscape from the 1950s.
From the outside, it appears as though it could have easily faded into obscurity for half a century. There are rusty trucks, cars, and even an old Greyhound bus parked along the street, as if nobody ever rode them. It’s not Silent Hill, but close enough!
Erie Street largely preserves Lowell, Arizona, a mining town that Bisbee incorporated in the early 1900s. An open-pit copper mine expansion destroyed a large portion of the town’s residential area. The commercial district struggled after losing the majority of its residents, which led to the collapse of several businesses.
If you want to experience another kind of tourism, I really recommend visiting this place. Oh, and if you have the opportunity, bring the camera with you!
Are there any American ghost towns that you want to visit in the near future? I have a couple on my list, and some of them include Custer, Frisco, Harrisburg, and, just for fun, Santa Claus.
You may also want to read: The Shocking Truth Behind the 5 Darkest Days in American History.