That's the Spirit: Ghost Towns of the World

Good morning, and welcome!

About two years ago, I had the opportunity to explore Grafton, Utah, a ghost town that was constructed in the 1850s along the Virgin River as a Mormon community and abandoned by the turn of the century. For me, walking among the abandoned buildings was an eye-opening experience unlike any other. Though the midday Utah sun was blistering and the constant threat of spiders lent itself to a dogged (and sometimes paranoid) vigilance on my behalf, I admired the suffocating silence that was the true indication of its abandonment because it prompted further thought about the people that once called Grafton home. I was able to recognize the town as a tangible piece of the past, living proof of the history I had learned about during my weeklong crash course in rural Utah’s fascinating beginnings prior to the trip.

Everybody, you’re going to laugh at me, but I say the truly eerie thing about ghost towns is that they make history REAL. They set the scene, providing a realistic backdrop for the tales of the past that we’ve all heard a million times before. And something about that oddball quality unleashes our imaginations in new and exciting ways. Suddenly, new perspectives on those same old stories are revealed to us, and they are revitalized in modern culture.

In other words, ghost towns are spooky and amazing and thought-provoking and why on Earth would I not want to learn about more of them? This week, I searched up towns of all different shapes and sizes, from every corner of the world. Each had a fascinating story to tell, and I hope you enjoy hearing them as much as I did. The only guarantee I can make? All of these ghost towns are far from boo-ring!

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Spokane, South Dakota, USA

(Photo "cathedral spires" by g - s - h is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Spokane, South Dakota is an abandoned mining community found in the Black Hills area originally promised to the Lakota and Sioux tribes in the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. This agreement was disregarded by prospectors on the hunt for a profit once rumors of gold and other minerals in the hills spread. Spokane’s mine was established in this way, happened upon in the 1880s by a man named Sylvester Judd. He promptly spread word of his discovery and attracted an entire town of settlers hoping to strike it rich with materials such as silver, copper and zinc. The community was dubbed “Spokane” after the silver mine in the better known Spokane, Washington. However, in the 1940s the mine dried up, leaving the people of the smaller Spokane with no choice but to leave their home behind. Today, the community lies in disrepair, and even tourists in the area are rare. However, Spokane is said to house an assortment of crumbling buildings, the best preserved of which are the mine manager’s house and the school building, as well as several rusting, abandoned cars. Additionally, there is also a single grave, the final resting place of the prospector James “Jim” Shepard, who was murdered over a dispute involving the mine there. Visiting Spokane requires a short hike and some general knowledge of the area in which it is situated, but seeing this fascinating piece of history for yourself seems like the kind of experience that would make the search worthwhile.

For the full story of Spokane, read this Compass article: https://rapidcityjournal.com/compass/ghost-towns-spokanes-sad-tale-of-mining-and-murder/article_3b09857e-db47-55e7-952a-b1f8cb04b496.html

Independence, Colorado, USA

(Photo "VAC110813_06441" by LDELD is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Independence’s story is similar to that of Spokane, South Dakota. Here, a gold mine was discovered in 1879, leading to the establishment of a tent community and later a town of more than 1,500. The town, which was known by many names over its 30-year existence, included businesses such as saloons, grocery stores, stables, and even a newspaper. However, the mine was short lived due to the grueling conditions of life in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of over 10,000 feet. During the cold season, which lasted from October to May, the entire area is blanketed with several feet of snow, resulting in a lack of food and means of transportation for the early settlers. Combined with the declining levels of gold production from the mine, these challenges made life in Independence a perfect storm. By the 1890s, many mining families were ready to call it quits and relocate to nearby Aspen. They disassembled major parts of their houses and used the resources to construct pairs of skis before leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere. Today, the ghost town is a popular destination for those hiking, skiing or cycling across what is now known as Independence Pass in the Rockies. It features a short dirt trail that provides stunning views of the town’s remains as well as the scenic mountains upon which it once thrived.

Read more about Independence’s history, as well as opportunities to travel there today, on this Aspen Historical Society page: https://aspenhistory.org/tours-sites/independence-ghost-town/

Discovery Island, Disney World, USA

(Photo "Discovery Island" by Buckeye Beth is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

This next ghost town is a bit unorthodox… since, after all, it is located right smack in the middle of the “Happiest Place on Earth”! Disney World’s Discovery Island was opened to the public in 1974 under the name Treasure Island to reflect the 1950 Disney film. However, because it was better known for its collection of animals, birds, and flora, it was rechristened Discovery Island after a mere four years. Discovery Island’s monumental aviary became the main attraction instead, where tourists had the opportunity to encounter birds from many different areas of the world in a relaxing, family-friendly setting. The island remained open and relatively unchanged for another 20 years before the construction of Animal Kingdom, when Discovery Island was closed and the birds there were relocated to the new, more spacious area. The old attraction was quickly forgotten… along with everything in it. The island was left relatively unchanged, with what may be animal medication remaining in long-forgotten coolers, bulletin boards with old messages still tacked onto their surfaces, and most prominently building after rotted building left in disrepair. Many have attempted to sneak onto the island over the years, leading to plenty of videos, blog posts, and photographs of this “ghost town”, including one article pleading with Disney to clean up their mess in the name of the environment. Though charges cannot be pressed against the majority of these trespassers, several have been banned from the Disney Parks for life, so I wouldn't recommend visiting this particular ghost town.

Though Discovery Island is very mysterious, here’s the most complete collection of photographs I can find on Insider: https://www.insider.com/look-inside-disney-worlds-abandoned-discovery-island-2019-2

Jeoffrecourt, France

(Photo "FRANCE 4" by Andrew Fackler is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

This French city is a unique location on this list because it’s not only a ghost town, but a nonexistent one as well! It was built for the French military to use for urban combat training. Because so much of our world’s conflict today takes place in towns or cities, the French military deemed it important to adapt their training techniques and strategies accordingly. Thus, Jeoffrecourt and its smaller counterpart, Beauséjour, was built, along with facilities meant to reinforce skills such as crowd control. Jeoffrecourt, the largest of these training areas, includes multiple districts containing a mall, a place of worship (the specific religion is deliberately indistinguishable), a hotel, a cafe, an RV park, and other commercial buildings. Overall, it is meant to represent a town with a population of about 5,000. Here, trainees have the opportunity to participate in battle simulations that require them to use skills that they have developed over the course of their military career. Though Jeoffrecourt is not open to the public, photographs have been released, as well as interviews with various officers who oversee the program. The ghost town has reportedly proved an effective training site for both French and British soldiers, the latter of whom were invited there in 2011.

For more information on this ghost town, give this Daily Mail article a try: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2118028/A-modern-invasion-France-The-extraordinary-purpose-built-80-million-theatre-war.html

Tianducheng, China

(Photo "File:201806 Tianducheng Bird-eye View.jpg" by MNXANL is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

China is famous for building smaller replicas of famous cities and landmarks from around the world. However, arguably the most famous of all of these replicas was not known for its splendor, but its complete lack of inhabitants. Welcome to the ghost town of Tianducheng, or “Little Paris”. Unlike many other towns on this list, Tianducheng has never been in disrepair. In fact, many of its whimsical mock-European structures maintain excellent conditions. Unfortunately, Tianducheng, a city meant for 10,000, struggled to attract residents. Early photos of the center of the city, complete with its own miniature Eiffel tower, are breathtaking, but also eerily devoid of people. Though there are many potential reasons for this, the main one is that Tianducheng is essentially situated in the middle of nowhere. While its location contributes to the experience of immersing oneself in the original City of Lights, it also means that without a sufficient amount of people to occupy all necessary professions, Little Paris could not function as the metropolis it was intended to be. Luckily, recently the city was able to bounce back from its state of abandonment and now boasts considerably more activity. However, Tianducheng’s recovery is only a small part of the improvement that must occur in China. Recent studies have reported that one in five Chinese homes are unoccupied, leading to the existence of similar “ghost cities” Ordos and Chenggong.

For more information, as well as some amazing photographs, visit this Quartz page: https://qz.com/111262/welcome-to-chinas-beautiful-but-empty-little-paris/

Hashima Island, Japan

("IMG_9100" by OZinOH is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Hashima Island (or Battleship Island) was once the most densely populated area in the world, with 5,000 people crammed into an urban area consisting of a mere 16 acres. That’s approximately 300 people per acre! The city was built by the Mitsubishi Corporation in the early 1900s due to the undersea coal mine that was located nearby. Sadly, many of the miners that worked there were forced laborers from Korea or Chinese prisoners of war. As the city grew in population - cheap labor makes for a larger workforce - the only way to expand the area was to build straight up. This led to a number of tall buildings being crammed into the small space, many including restaurants and courtyards as well as apartments on their various floors. Hashima became so cramped that it was sometimes referred to as “the city with no green”. After more than a century of mining there, however, the coal mine was finally closed in 1974. The island was completely vacated, leaving the buildings to be overgrown with plants previously unseen there. It was essentially forgotten until recently, when interest was once again piqued in Hashima Island. Now, tours of the area are offered, many a photographer has visited to admire the striking scenery, and there is even talk of restoring the island for inhabitants once more.

To further explore Hashima Island, check out its official webpage: https://www.hashima-island.co.uk/#

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Whoa! It ghost without saying that these mesmerizing abandoned communities are worth a trip someday. I would love to take a world tour of ghost towns like the Parisian author Aude de Tocqueville did for her book Atlas of Lost Cities: A Travel Guide to Abandoned and Forsaken Destinations (read an interview with her here). I am so jealous of her undoubtedly fascinating adventures. What an amazing opportunity to widen your historical perspective!

Today’s dare comes from a thought I had while looking into the rich history of Hashima Island. While some acknowledge the island as a symbol of Japan’s rapidly progressive industrialization period, others see it as a place of injustice and tragedy due to the unfair treatment of the workers there. When visiting the island, I imagine that the sense of wonder that comes with exploring such an interesting place is eclipsed by the controversy of the place’s legacy. It had me contemplating our own society, and how we will be remembered by future generations.

Everything we put into the world, whether a tangible product, a thought, or an action, are all pieces of history that are constantly being written. We - as individuals, families, and communities - are laying the very foundation upon which our future generations will stand. Therefore, I urge you not to be a cautionary tale, but a positive example for others to follow someday. Join me in working toward becoming the kind of person our successors can be proud of.

So, what will your legacy be today?