Flaking paint of an unreadable advertisement is barely visible on the desiccated, chocolate colored wood wall. A slight breeze blows through open window casements and doorless entries, rustling the decaying debris of a dead town. This is all that remains of the hopes and dreams of hundreds of people. People whose hopes and dreams have evaporated and blown away like Dust in the Wind. A Ghost Town is a town or community that at one time had a commercial or population center, and is either wholly abandoned or faded greatly from its peak, and now is just a shadow of its former self.
Ghost towns are one of America's least understood and appreciated historical treasures.
Unfortunately the ones with tangible remains, especially the classic ghost town with a street full of abandoned buildings, are disappearing far too rapidly. A large percentage of ghost towns left in the United States are either barren or rubbled sites. Lastly many well-preserved ghost towns fall under government or private protection and are open to the public. Historians estimate there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States. When you are out exploring, always remember how fragile these rickety relics of Americana are.