We have started to make the lists for the final week before leaving on our big trip! Really excited to jump in the car and hit "the Mother Road!"
Today, I thought we would explore Ghost towns. Webster says Ghost town is " a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource "
I have had many thoughts while doing this research.....
........ First, I thought that a ghost town was a little town with wooden buildings, swinging bar doors and tumble weed. Well, this is not the case in most of the towns along Route 66. Some of the towns have turned into ghost towns as recently as 1970's. I read of one town that has it's own post office for only about 1 1/2 yrs. Some of the towns have just been abandoned, while others still have a few residents. Some are completely gone.
....... Was it just the changes in the highways that caused these town to die? As you look at history during the reign of Route 66 (1929 to 1985), we see the great dust bowl of the 1930's... the great depression of 1929-1940...., World War II from 1939 to 1945... Interstate 40 built in the mid 1940 to 1959........ Although the interstate is blamed for the demise of Route 66, I believe that all these factors also played into the ghost towns along the route.
.........Was there a difference in how many ghost towns or type of ghost town by the state? That is very true. As you might guess the closer to Chicago the fewer ghost towns. The towns in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma seem to be newer towns than the ones in New Mexico and Arizona. The Missouri towns were born in the early 1900's and died in the 70's. In Arizona, some of the ghost towns really have their roots in the silver or gold rush as well as being on Route 66. Those may actually look more like the movie set as mentioned above. There are ghost towns in each state we will be going thru.
.....Is route 66 unique to ghost towns? I found that there are ghosts towns in every state in the nation. Rhode Island has only 1. Even Ohio has it's share 26 listed Wikipedia.
.....Did you know that if you go on a road trip for the sole purpose of visiting ghost towns, you are Ghost towning! Ghost towners (one who goes looking for ghost towns) are advised to always have plenty of gas, water, a phone that will work in the area you are exploring , another car of ghost towners, and a camera!
"Historians estimate that there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns, near ghost towns, and semi-ghost towns scattered across the United States"
Today, I thought we would explore Ghost towns. Webster says Ghost town is " a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource "
I have had many thoughts while doing this research.....
........ First, I thought that a ghost town was a little town with wooden buildings, swinging bar doors and tumble weed. Well, this is not the case in most of the towns along Route 66. Some of the towns have turned into ghost towns as recently as 1970's. I read of one town that has it's own post office for only about 1 1/2 yrs. Some of the towns have just been abandoned, while others still have a few residents. Some are completely gone.
....... Was it just the changes in the highways that caused these town to die? As you look at history during the reign of Route 66 (1929 to 1985), we see the great dust bowl of the 1930's... the great depression of 1929-1940...., World War II from 1939 to 1945... Interstate 40 built in the mid 1940 to 1959........ Although the interstate is blamed for the demise of Route 66, I believe that all these factors also played into the ghost towns along the route.
.........Was there a difference in how many ghost towns or type of ghost town by the state? That is very true. As you might guess the closer to Chicago the fewer ghost towns. The towns in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma seem to be newer towns than the ones in New Mexico and Arizona. The Missouri towns were born in the early 1900's and died in the 70's. In Arizona, some of the ghost towns really have their roots in the silver or gold rush as well as being on Route 66. Those may actually look more like the movie set as mentioned above. There are ghost towns in each state we will be going thru.
.....Is route 66 unique to ghost towns? I found that there are ghosts towns in every state in the nation. Rhode Island has only 1. Even Ohio has it's share 26 listed Wikipedia.
.....Did you know that if you go on a road trip for the sole purpose of visiting ghost towns, you are Ghost towning! Ghost towners (one who goes looking for ghost towns) are advised to always have plenty of gas, water, a phone that will work in the area you are exploring , another car of ghost towners, and a camera!
"Historians estimate that there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns, near ghost towns, and semi-ghost towns scattered across the United States"
I imagine that George and I will hunt out a ghost town as we go . Surely we can find at least one in each state. Our first day there is only one on my list. .
Times Beach which was just 17 miles south of St. Louis. This one died partially because of the war and the depression. It was billed as a vacation resort for the well to do. It never took off, and soon they were struggling to even exist. In the end, there was a contractor who sprayed the dirt roads and barns yards with oil, only to find out later, it was mixed with dioxin (of agent orange fame). The town was bought out and cleaned by the government. It is now a route 66 park. Yeah, I think we will pass on this one.
We can wait until day two for our first ghost towns!
Times Beach which was just 17 miles south of St. Louis. This one died partially because of the war and the depression. It was billed as a vacation resort for the well to do. It never took off, and soon they were struggling to even exist. In the end, there was a contractor who sprayed the dirt roads and barns yards with oil, only to find out later, it was mixed with dioxin (of agent orange fame). The town was bought out and cleaned by the government. It is now a route 66 park. Yeah, I think we will pass on this one.
We can wait until day two for our first ghost towns!
We have just 3 hour drive from our lodging to Missy's house. There is a whole section of several ghost towns to explore.
"The tree-invested limestone building has even been alleged to have served as a casket factory and mortuary. Apparently all that is not true though, and the fact is, according to the Springfield News Ledger, it was built in 1902 by the Jackson family, with the occasional help of neighbors, with two rooms becoming a general store where families would sell produce, eggs and baked goods. " It is said that the upstairs was used as a home and as a church.
"The tree-invested limestone building has even been alleged to have served as a casket factory and mortuary. Apparently all that is not true though, and the fact is, according to the Springfield News Ledger, it was built in 1902 by the Jackson family, with the occasional help of neighbors, with two rooms becoming a general store where families would sell produce, eggs and baked goods. " It is said that the upstairs was used as a home and as a church.
Foss,Oklahoma got its start in the late 1890s when people began to populate the valley of Turkey Creek. However, when a flash flood occurred on May 2, 1902, it pretty much wiped out the town, washing buildings away and drowning several people.... By 1912, Foss had an electric plant, two hotels and an opera house. The town grew to about 500 people.
The ruins of Kobel’s Gas Station, which also served as a café and bus station, still remain. An 1894 Baptist Church building and a pioneer jail are also left standing. The last bank closed officially in 1977.
The ruins of Kobel’s Gas Station, which also served as a café and bus station, still remain. An 1894 Baptist Church building and a pioneer jail are also left standing. The last bank closed officially in 1977.
"Straddling the border between Texas and New Mexico is the forgotten ghost town of Glenrio. Once a monument along the boom and bust highway of Route 66, it now remains home to only the critters and the blowing tumble weeds of the vast prairie."
The Texas side had no bars because the county was dry and the New Mexico side had no gas stations due to higher taxes.
John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was filmed in Glenrio for three weeks
Notice there is no road in front of this building!
The Texas side had no bars because the county was dry and the New Mexico side had no gas stations due to higher taxes.
John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was filmed in Glenrio for three weeks
Notice there is no road in front of this building!
The little mining town of Chloride Arizona has survived the harsh desert environment since the 1860’s. Silver and other minerals were mined here for decades. After the mining boom was over, Chloride nearly became a ghost town itself. Today Chloride is home to about 250 residents who are still very proud of their mining history.
They have staged gun fights thru the town on a daily basis. Antique shops, and local artists keep this near ghost town alive.
They have staged gun fights thru the town on a daily basis. Antique shops, and local artists keep this near ghost town alive.
Oatman, Arizona began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915. It grew to a town of 3500 until the Route 66 was rerouted in 1952, at which time the population decreased to about 60.
Lately, they have turned to tourism to save their town. The main street is lined with shops and restaurants. Wild burros, descendants of those brought by long ago miners, wander the streets. Gunshots are heard as the Ghostrider Gunfighters perform daily, displaying blazing six-gun shootouts in the middle of main street.
Lately, they have turned to tourism to save their town. The main street is lined with shops and restaurants. Wild burros, descendants of those brought by long ago miners, wander the streets. Gunshots are heard as the Ghostrider Gunfighters perform daily, displaying blazing six-gun shootouts in the middle of main street.
Will keep you posted with the ghost towns we get to see! Avoiding any real ghosts,..... thank you!