We’re two and a half months into this quarantine in the U.S.; there are discernible butt prints in our couches, we’re running out of stuff to binge watch on Netflix and Hulu, and trying to stay positive and sane through all of this. But just like when times were normal, we’ve all found new patterns and schedules to fit into and it’s working for right now. Need a little break from those? Well, let’s all go on a little field trip (virtual of course) and step back in time to some of America’s abandoned towns.
America has seen times of trials and tribulations. From prosperous mining towns and railway destinations to their unfortunate demise, these abandoned towns have still survived, for the most part, even without people still living in them. During their times of flourish, these towns had bars, brothels, hotels, general stores, and post offices and had decent sized populations at their peaks (thrillist.com 1). But for one reason or another, these towns lost all of their prosperity and became the abandoned landmarks they are today. Their histories are still alive and are giving people a chance to learn more about the past.
St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo was founded in 1880 and was a very successful mining town, as well as being a popular stop off of the Pacific Railroad (thrillist.com 2). There were nearly “2,000 residents and more than 150 mines-plus enough hotels, brothels, saloons, and dance halls to keep everybody in town happily cutting a rug” (thrillist.com 2). Sounds like a good time for the people who lived during that time and for the many visitors who came through the town as well. But with all the good times that seemed to be rolling along, things began to falter. The first blow was in 1910 when the Alpine Tunnel closed and by 1922, the last of the rail service had stopped (thrillist.com 2). Two really tough blows to the citizens of St. Elmo.
Even in these hard times, some stayed and waited it out to see if maybe their luck would turn around and St. Elmo would return to its former glory or a new found one. Thirty years later though, the final blow came when “the postmaster died and postal service was discontinued” (thrillist.com 2). Though St. Elmo no longer has any residents, visitors flock there in the warm and cold months. Visitors can “tour the old mining roads in ATVs, fish along Chalk Creek, stay in a historic cabin, and shop from a general store that’s open through the summer” (thrillist.com 2). Getting to really immerse yourself in the history of this old mining town sounds a like fun time!
