Friday, April 7, 2017

G is for Ghost Towns

My oldest son mentioned he wanted to go to a real ghost town.  Did you know that South Dakota has an abundance of them?  I didn't, but now I do.
The Black Hills have mining villages/towns that have long been abandoned.


The name Galena caught my attention.  Probably because Galena is the state mineral of Missouri (not where I live, but where I work for the state).  Galena is lead sulfide, which is a major source of lead ore. 


Galena, SD was a boom town that sprang up in 1876.  The Black Hills were invaded with people during the Gold Rush, though the hills produced mainly silver and lead veins.  There were trace amounts of gold around.


Galena is fairly easy to find and I think we will make a stop by.  Read more about Galena here.


photos from Blacks Hills Blog

Photos from Black Hills Blog



Have you ever been to a ghost town?  Let me know your experiences!
 

33 comments:

  1. Sounds like stopping in ghost towns would be fascinating. Like everything has stopped in time for the modern-day visitor to enjoy. Enjoy!

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  2. Ooh no I haven't been to a ghost town...wait..maybe I have...I went to Silverton in NSW Australia when I was young.

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    1. I think I've heard of Silverton! I'll have to ask google about it.

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  3. I haven't but I'd really like to
    Debbie

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  4. I've been to several ghost towns around the world.

    We have a suburban ghost town near where I live called "Hope Valley". There are no more houses there, as they were all bulldozed about ten years ago. But the driveways still exist, as do the streets and several non-native trees left over from people's gardens.

    Hope Valley was once developed as a low-price housing estate for workers in the Kwinana Industrial Area. Not sure why it was abandoned and razed.

    Only two houses still exist, on the periphery. I have no idea what will happen to the land.

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    1. Hope Valley sounds interesting. I always wonder why housing is built and without having any occupants, it is destroyed or abandoned. I am guessing most of them have to do with money issues.

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  5. I have never been to one. Except the ones you find in theme parks. Honestly I will be scared to death if I ever have to enter one.
    My everyday banters in my tin(y)sel town

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  6. Interesting. Your son is brave & loves adventure!
    For me, reading ghost tales is one thing & actually visiting a ghost town is quite another! I'll need company to visit, Morgan :) :)

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  7. I went to a ghost town in Idaho... like you mentioned, it was an old mining town long ago abandoned. No ghosts lived there, though. Even they got bored with the place.

    Trudy @ Reel Focus
    Food in Film: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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    1. I've watched videos on some of them and they are just buildings with nothing left in there. I would be bored if I was a ghost too! Spending eternity in a lame place.

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  8. I've never been to a ghost town... *shivers*
    ...probably won't ever go...I'm a scaredy cat. LOL

    Writer In Transit

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  9. We have several ghost towns near where I live. The buildings are in various states of disrepair as weather takes its toll. Most are now on private property but it is possible to get permission to photograph at some of them. The owners desire to have people ask permission is to ensure the space is respected so others can view them as well.

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    1. You must always be respectful when visiting places. I wish others would realize that and leave it for others to see.

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  10. We've never been to a ghost town but have visited a number of ghostly and haunted towns -- Savannah, New Orleans, Salem, Newport. In all of these places, despite wanting to see a ghost we never have. Great post and look forward to more of your A to Z posts.

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    1. I've been to New Orleans and we didn't see anything either. I so wanted to. I would really love to visit the other places you have mentioned.

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  11. I've never visited a ghost town, but until recently I owned a pub which had a resident ghost called Jacob. My pub was a district court house back in the 1600's and Jacob was accused of a dastardly crime and hanged in the cellar. I borrowed him for the pub in Amble Bay!

    Have a stroll on The Green, Amble Bay

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    1. That's amazing! What was your pubs name? What did Jacob like to do around the pub? Hopefully, he didn't steal until drinks. That would make for a bad ghost. :)

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  12. If your family travels to Arizona, check out Jerome. About 400 people still live in the hills of this once bustling mining town. It's considered a ghost town that Arizona tourism boasts as "alive and well."

    Irene from Compulsively Quirky

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    1. I've heard of Jermone! I will make sure to check it out when we venture out west.

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  13. I have never been to a ghost town, but I'm always intrigued by ghost tours. Enjoy your trip. WeekendsInMaine

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    1. Ghost Tours are a lot of fun. I did the one at Eastern State Penitentiary, one in New Orleans (I learned a ton of history from it) and one in Atchison, KS (the infamous Sally House)

      Which ones have you done?

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  14. I haven't been to a ghost town. When I was Europe I visited few churches that are no longer attended, though the building is maintained as a historical site. One was quite old and felt eerie. Like you could feel the presence of past parishioners. or perhaps it was my overactive imagination as I thought about why the church had been abandoned (I was in eastern Europe so there was a period were church was all but banned). Donna from Girl Who Reads

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    1. Europe is so full of haunted and beautiful places. So old and rich in history.

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  15. I love the sign you photographed about the ghosts!

    ----------

    *Deb Atwood*

    *Pen In Her Hand*

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  16. I was born in Arizona, so we went to a few ghost towns. They're fascinating - time in a bottle!

    Great post!

    - girlwhoreads.com

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  17. So, I have this thing for ghost stories and I read as much about it. Thanks for the information on Galena.
    During a tour to Kerala in India, we drove through a small village, we saw a tiny island with a magnificent building.
    The guide with us said, that the palace is cursed and the villagers hear a woman singing, or a kid cry or lights in that palace.
    I am not sure how far its true though

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    1. Ghost stories are so much fun! I have a few to tell at times.
      I looked up Kerala. It looks beautiful.

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  18. I'm pretty sure that mining has created more ghost towns than any other industry--I've been to plenty (mostly in Nevada, California, Idaho, Utah and Arizona) and even lived in one that is often called a ghost town but isn't (Virginia City, Nevada) for a year. Although not true ghost town, it is a shell of its former self.

    http://sagecoveredhills.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-letter-l-is-for-lots-in-our.html

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