Popular Ghost Towns

Halloween is only a few weeks away. As a kid, it was one of my favorite nights. We ran from door to door collecting treats for tricks. Kids were dressed as vampires, witches, and of course, the most popular sheet clad ghost. These popular spirits were the inspiration for this week's blog. Ghost towns have become very popular tourist attractions throughout the country. Some lie mostly in piles of leftover debris, offering us a limited scope of how things were during their heyday. Others have been reconstructed to exact replicas of how things were in days of yore. Whether you prefer the ruins or the replicas, both afford us a look back into history. A glimpse into the town's boom time. Here are 5 must-visit ghost towns:

Thurmond, West Virginia, was once a thriving coal mining boomtown. However, with the invention of the diesel locomotive in the 1950s, the mining stopped, and the population left. Thurmond is the least populated town in West Virginia. The most recent census tallied 5 inhabitants who still call Thurmond home. The National park service now owns most of the town and had the train station renovated in 1995. Amtrak still serves the station but will only stop if a ticketed passenger is on the platform. Thurmond is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a popular side tour with rafters conquering the New River Gorge.

Rhyolite Nevada is one of the most iconic ghost towns in the country. The partial structures have been featured in television shows and movies several times. Charles Schwab gets credit for the creation of Rhyolite. It was one of the first towns west of the Mississippi River to have electricity, telephones, running water, and even its own opera house. The ore was plentiful and the miners thrived. At one time, the population was believed to be 5,000. As ghost towns go, Rhyolite's demise came as fast as its growth. Not only did the ore run out, but the 1906 San Francisco earthquake created financial panic. Most of its visitors today make it a side trip from their visit to Death Valley.

Kennecott, Alaska, has the distinction of being one of the longest surviving mining boomtowns in the U.S. The town owes its creation to "Tarantula" Jack Smith, a prospector, who in 1900, discovered a curious green-colored rock later determined to be copper. The claim was quickly filed, and with investors J.P. Morgan and Daniel Guggenheim backing the venture, the copper mine surged in production and cash. The trains came to ship the copper, and the population grew rapidly. In 1916, the mine produced 32 million dollars worth of the ore. It all lasted until 1938 when the last trainload of copper left town. At one time, the population was three. Kennecott is a beautiful example of a wilderness ghost town. The scenic mountain backdrop has made it very popular with glacier trekkers and ice climbers.

Jerome, Arizona, overlooking Verde Valley outside of Sedona, is frequented by ghost town enthusiasts because it is believed to be haunted. It is one of my favorite developed ghost towns. Many of its original buildings remain and are well preserved. It has a multitude of boutique shops, restaurants, and even wine tasting rooms. One of its creepiest buildings is the sanitarium. This is where the spirits dwell. Tours of the hospital are daily with occasional evening ghost walk tours of the town. Jerome's tourist success today is a great recreation of a town that eventually dwindled due to the Great Depression. Most travelers stop by on the way to Sedona or the Grand Canyon.

Calico is number one on most ghost town lovers lists. Calico enjoys the luxury of being located along the always busy I-15 interstate between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Originating in 1881 as a silver mining town, this ever-popular tourist attraction got a major face-lift in 1955 by Walter Knott, owner of Knott's Berry Farm. He restored all but five of the buildings to their original state. Silver was extracted from 500 different mines at one time. Eventually, the price of silver decreased tremendously, leaving the town virtually empty. It is now a Historical Landmark thanks to then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who proclaimed it in 2005.

The attraction of exploring ghost towns has seen a large increase in popularity for travelers worldwide. Some are out to find haunts, portents, and specters left behind when the towns died. The words ghost town don't refer to these spirits, the term was created to represent the memories from a town that was once alive and thriving and has since passed on. Make some great memories for yourself and visit these unique remnants or re-creations.