You won’t believe what these villages used to do before becoming ghost towns

A ghost town is commonly known as a deserted or abandoned village that has lost its vibrant energy, along with a numerous number of inhabitants. Usually, the towns become more settled as their citizens decide to migrate to bigger and more modern cities, leaving their village lives in the past, but have you ever stopped to think what was this place like before being abandoned? 

There are several villages in the U.S. that before becoming an eerie and mysterious ghost town, they had plenty to offer to the world and they even hosted main events which had a significant impact in the American history 

Bodie, California

The ghost town of Bodie, California is possibly one of the most famous in the United States and its history takes us back to 1859. This town became quite popular at that time and attracted many people who went looking for gold, since there were rumors spread all around, about people finding gold in a small valley that was 75 miles away and then suddenly, the village found itself in a gold rush fever. 

Mining systems were built around the valley and for a period of time, it seemed like a dream for the citizens of Bodie, but sadly it didn’t last long. Numerous wealthy companies had bought claims at Bodie, establishing mines and stamp mills, trying to dig for all the gold this tiny village could offer, just for them to vanish in 1858, by this year all the mines and mills had been completely abandoned. 

But then the unimaginable happened in 1875 when one of the many mines of Bodie was rediscovered with an outrageous amount of gold, the news was so surprising that people spread the word all the way to San Francisco, again drawing crowds of people in search of this precious metal. 

The streets of Bodie, were filled with new residents and miners, the town had come alive again, but once again, the decline began and this time it was for real. Hardly any gold was being found anymore, and the expensive machinery that was used before in the mines and mills was deteriorating because of lack of maintenance. People began losing their jobs since they were not able to work as miners, in a town with a lack of resources. 

Before the new year, in 1881, tons of citizens began to leave the hopeless village, looking for a better and more profitable future in other cities and faster than they thought, Bodie’s population had reached 800 people. 

The families who move away from this village, had to leave behind many of their belongings, as they had no way of carrying them. As you enter some of the buildings, you can see how old shelves, furniture, and cutlery tell the devastating story of desperate citizens, struggling to keep up with the decline of a once-popular, golden village. 

South Pass City

It is said that South Pass City is the town where women’s role is most simply that of a housewife, and it began to develop by welcoming women into entrepreneurship and politics. During the early 1800s, this town welcomed thousands of visitors and families, as the atmosphere on the streets was very pleasant and the views of the beautiful mountains were captivating.  South Pass City is the historic area for Wyoming’s unprecedented decision to give women the right to vote, hold property, and run for public office. 

One of Wyoming’s routes became extremely important: Highway 28. This highway, which crosses South Pass City, was named by state legislators “The Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Pathway” and the 19-mile stretch of Highway 28 will forever be linked with women’s rights in the Cowboy State.

The number 19 recognizes the 19th Amendment, which allowed women to vote across the nation. Meanwhile, this amendment took some time to be valid nationwide in 1920, women in Wyoming had already been voting for half a century.

Some of the areas along South Pass City remain as historic sites that need constant attention in order to keep them running. South Pass City has been through cycles of success and failure. Today, a small sign at the town’s entrance reads ”Population: About 5 people, approximately 4 dogs, roughly 2 cats.” Within a decade the city’s population shrank dramatically, but its history remains intact in the minds of thousands of people.

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