Across the United States, some towns once bustled with thousands of residents, businesses, schools, and rail lines. Then a mine closed, a disaster struck, or the economy shifted—and the communities slowly disappeared.
1. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia was a coal-mining town until an underground mine fire began in 1962.
The fire spread beneath the community, producing dangerous gases and ground collapse. After failed containment efforts, a relocation program was funded. Most residents left, and much of the town was demolished. The area is still considered unsafe.
2. Bodie, California
Bodie became a booming gold-mining town in the late 1800s, attracting thousands of residents.
As mining declined, the population fell. By the 1940s, it was a ghost town. California preserved it in “arrested decay,” leaving about 100 structures standing.
3. Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba was Alabama’s first state capital, founded in 1820.
Flooding, political changes, and declining river trade led to its abandonment. By the late 1800s, it was largely deserted, leaving behind ruins of the former capital.
4. Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond grew as a railroad and coal hub after the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway arrived.
When coal demand and rail traffic declined, the town’s population collapsed. Its historic buildings still reflect its industrial past.
5. Kennecott, Alaska
Kennecott developed around a major copper deposit in the early 1900s.
The remote company town included homes, a hospital, and processing mills. When mining became unprofitable, operations ended in 1942 and the town was abandoned.
6. St. Thomas, Nevada
St. Thomas was a Mormon settlement founded in the 1860s.
It was abandoned when Hoover Dam created Lake Mead, flooding the area. During droughts, parts of the town can reappear.
