THEN AND NOW: What life was like in 7 American towns before they were abandoned

Frank OlitoApr 20, 2020, 21:14 IST

Calico, California, is just one ghost town with an interesting history.Education Images/ Getty

America's famous ghost towns weren't always abandoned and dilapidated.
The mining town of Bannack, Minnesota, was once home to 3,000 miners.
The infamous Centralia, Pennsylvania, was once a mining town with over 2,000 residents.
Ludlow, Colorado, too, was a mining town but a deadly massacre brought its demise.
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Today, there are ghost towns sprinkled all over the US that continue to fascinate.

But these abandoned communities did not always have dilapidated buildings and empty streets. If you could travel back in time to the early 1900s, you would see that they were once thriving economic centers that housed residents and even families.

Here's what some of the most famous American ghost towns were like in their prime.

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After the massacre, Ludlow became a ghost town.

The school still stands in Ludlow. Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1900s, Ludlow, Colorado, was the site of a deadly massacre.

The tent city that was created in Ludlow. Fotosearch/ Getty

At the end of the 19th century, silver lost its value, as did Calico.

Present day Calico. Lou Grive/ Getty

Calico, Califonia, is yet another mining town that boomed during the 1800s.

The early days of Calico. University of Southern California/ Getty

Thurmond declined in the '50s when diesel engines were introduced.

Thurmond railroad station today. Jon C. Hancock/ AP

Thurmond, West Virginia, was once a thriving railroad town in the early 1900s.

Thurmond railroad station in Thurmond, West Virginia. Wikimedia Commons

Today, the coal is still burning deep within the earth, making Centralia uninhabitable.

Graffiti Highway in Centralia. Don Emmert/ Getty

Centralia, Pennsylvania, was once a booming mining town.

Centralia before the mine fires destroyed the town. Chris Gardner/ AP

By the 1950s, Bannack became a ghost town.

Jail cells in the now-abandoned Bannack town. Jordan McAlister/ Getty

Bannack, Minnesota, was another mining town that opened in the late 1800s.

Bannack, Minnesota was a mining town. Historical / Contributor/ Getty

By the 1940s, Bodie became a ghost town and now attracts tourists.

Bodie, California, still stands today. elleon/iStock

Like Kennecott, there was a mining town in California called Bodie that once had 10,000 residents.

Bodie, California, in its heyday. Joe Sohm/Visions of America / Contributor/ Getty

By 1938, the region ran out of ore and the town shut down for good.

Kennecott still stands today. mazaletel/ Flickr

In 1903, the Kennecott Mining Corporation built a mining town on top of a glacier in Alaska.

Kennecott. Asahel Curtis - Asahel Curtis Photo Company/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Usually crowded Boston landmarks like Fenway Park and Faneuil Hall cut a stark figure as they are deserted amid the coronavirus pandemic lockdown

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