Located in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, St. Elmo was founded in 1880. The success of St. Elmo, a town that many prospectors called home, dwindled over the years with a series of devasting fires and the closing of train service to the area. The town is open to tourists visiting old buildings such as the St. Elmo General Store, the St. Elmo Hotel, and the St. Elmo Post Offic
Founded in 1876, Jerome went from a small tent-covered mining camp on the side of Cleopatra Hill to the bustling mining town that supplied copper during World War II. After the war, the demand for copper decreased drastically, leading to the closure of the mine in 1953. In 1967, the federal government designated Jerome, Arizona, a National Historic District.
In the early 1900s, Centralia boasted over a dozen active coal mines and 2500 residents. It became a ghost town in 1962 when an underground coal mine fire erupted and is still burning to this day. With an almost unlimited coal supply, experts say the fire may not die out for another 250 years. Why can’t firefighters put it out? Because the fire is too far underground and too hot.
Glenrio is a ghost town on the border of Texas and New Mexico. The town was founded in 1906 and was once a thriving community. Glenrio’s downfall occurred in 1975 when Interstate 40 bypassed the town. This caused a detrimental loss in traffic and revenue, resulting in its status as a ghost town.