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Ghost Towning/exploring abandoned places

Started by Max Rockatansky, October 05, 2018, 10:17:57 PM

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Roadgeekteen

I'm intrigued, but besides the Quabbin towns there are not many near my area.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5


Hot Rod Hootenanny

Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

noelbotevera

Other notable ghost towns...

-Jamestown, the first successful British colony in America, was abandoned twice. There was a brief period of abandonment during the starving time of the winter of 1610, and permanently in 1699 when the capital of Virginia moved to Williamsburg. Most buildings were razed to the ground, but the church tower and a giant grave remains.

-Part of Clairton, PA was abandoned for unknown reasons. Specifically, a street called Lincoln Way was abandoned extremely quickly, with former occupants leaving everything behind (even a car from the 1970s remained). Recently - last year or so, the last of the abandoned houses and the rest of Lincoln Way was demolished, with the remnants being power lines marching into a field of grass.

-Staying in Pennsylvania, south of Clairton lies Somerfield. This town was submerged under the Youghiogheny River after a dam was constructed in 1942, creating a lake. During extremely low lake tides, a bridge once carrying US 40 and foundations of the town remain.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: noelbotevera on January 11, 2019, 11:44:45 PM
Other notable ghost towns...

-Jamestown, the first successful British colony in America, was abandoned twice. There was a brief period of abandonment during the starving time of the winter of 1610, and permanently in 1699 when the capital of Virginia moved to Williamsburg. Most buildings were razed to the ground, but the church tower and a giant grave remains.

-Part of Clairton, PA was abandoned for unknown reasons. Specifically, a street called Lincoln Way was abandoned extremely quickly, with former occupants leaving everything behind (even a car from the 1970s remained). Recently - last year or so, the last of the abandoned houses and the rest of Lincoln Way was demolished, with the remnants being power lines marching into a field of grass.

-Staying in Pennsylvania, south of Clairton lies Somerfield. This town was submerged under the Youghiogheny River after a dam was constructed in 1942, creating a lake. During extremely low lake tides, a bridge once carrying US 40 and foundations of the town remain.

Clairton has lost over half it's population since the mid-20th century.  Seems like Lincoln Way is just a run of a mill former blue collar neighborhood street, there are a ton of them just like it in the Mid-West (Detroit is like that over the majority of the city).  I'm to understand that somehow a monster story got associated with Lincoln Way, this article touches on it:

http://darkinvestigations.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-totally-made-up-urban-legend-about.html



Max Rockatansky

Haven't had a stand alone ghost town feature on Gribblenation in awhile (most have been mentioned in highway articles).  I recently visited a couple ghost town sites in the Indiana Dunes:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/05/ghost-town-tuesday-ghost-towns-of.html

Henry

I often hear jokes about Detroit being the largest ghost town in America because its population is about a third less than what it was 50 years ago.

To be more serious, what is the actual largest ghost town?
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

webny99

Quote from: Henry on May 15, 2019, 10:01:40 AM
To be more serious, what is the actual largest ghost town?

It depends whether your preferred measure is abandoned land area or % population decline.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Henry on May 15, 2019, 10:01:40 AM
I often hear jokes about Detroit being the largest ghost town in America because its population is about a third less than what it was 50 years ago.

To be more serious, what is the actual largest ghost town?

While Detroit having lost two thirds of it's population certainly meets the general criteria of losing most of the populace I don't think it qualifies as a ghost town.  The Detroit Metro area while not growing certainly hasn't declined on the whole, I'd attribute the decline of Detroit to a large degree of urban sprawl (certainly there are other issues at hand that played a part too...).  You see a similar pattern of decline and sprawl associated with most blue collar industrial cities that peaked in the mid-20th Century.  Cities like Cleveland show similar patterns of urban decline and suburban sprawl.   

mgk920

I recently read an article on what is arguably the world's most famous ghost town, that being Pripyat, Ukraine (+/- 50K population), hurriedly abandoned when someone in a control room at the next door nuclear power plant said (in Russian) "oops...", this back in 1986.  Apparently, it is becoming increasingly inaccessible to tourists, not because it is becoming a more radiologically dangerous place, but rather in the 33 years since that 'oopsie', nature has been progressively reclaiming it such that more and more of the city's streets are becoming overgrown and impassible - and *nobody* is willing to trim that vegetation back.

Mike

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: mgk920 on May 16, 2019, 10:54:45 AM
I recently read an article on what is arguably the world's most famous ghost town, that being Pripyat, Ukraine (+/- 50K population), hurriedly abandoned when someone in a control room at the next door nuclear power plant said (in Russian) "oops...", this back in 1986.  Apparently, it is becoming increasingly inaccessible to tourists, not because it is becoming a more radiologically dangerous place, but rather in the 33 years since that 'oopsie', nature has been progressively reclaiming it such that more and more of the city's streets are becoming overgrown and impassible - and *nobody* is willing to trim that vegetation back.

Mike

Wasn't there a certain number of hours you're supposed to be out there before overexposure to radiation?  It probably wouldn't make for a bad hike if it wasn't for all the fallout.

jp the roadgeek

I actually went looking for this one once, but the path became too narrow and there were a bunch of no trespassing signs telling people to go back. Dudleytown, CT.  Located in the town of Cornwall in Litchfield County, not too far from Mohawk Mountain ski area.

http://www.ghostvillage.com/legends/dudleytown.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudleytown,_Connecticut

Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

tolbs17

Take a look at Rocky Mount. Nothing to do there except fast food. It's also not that safe.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:09:19 PM
Take a look at Rocky Mount. Nothing to do there except fast food. It's also not that safe.

But at about 54,000 residents it is still close to it's peak population, not exactly a ghost town by even the most fringe definition.

tolbs17

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 27, 2019, 04:16:20 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:09:19 PM
Take a look at Rocky Mount. Nothing to do there except fast food. It's also not that safe.

But at about 54,000 residents it is still close to it's peak population, not exactly a ghost town by even the most fringe definition.

Are you talking about like Detroit or East Cleveland?

kphoger

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 06:09:42 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 27, 2019, 04:16:20 PM

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:09:19 PM
Take a look at Rocky Mount. Nothing to do there except fast food. It's also not that safe.

But at about 54,000 residents it is still close to it's peak population, not exactly a ghost town by even the most fringe definition.

Are you talking about like Detroit or East Cleveland?

He's talking about Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  It is basically more populated now than it's ever been.



A ghost town has no people (or nearly none), whereas Rocky Mount is the 17th-largest municipality in the state.

Furthermore, TripAdvisor tells me Rocky Mount has a couple of children-friendly museums, several parks, a couple of breweries, and a mall.  I see Edgecombe Community College periodically has concerts, plays, and ballet performances.  Then, too, I see a few restaurants that appear to be head and shoulders above McDonald's.  Not exactly outstanding for a town of its size, but a far cry from nothing.

Plus, of course, there's this woman, so it can't be all bad!
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

tolbs17

Quote from: kphoger on July 27, 2019, 08:12:37 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 06:09:42 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 27, 2019, 04:16:20 PM

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:09:19 PM
Take a look at Rocky Mount. Nothing to do there except fast food. It's also not that safe.

But at about 54,000 residents it is still close to it's peak population, not exactly a ghost town by even the most fringe definition.

Are you talking about like Detroit or East Cleveland?

He's talking about Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  It is basically more populated now than it's ever been.



A ghost town has no people (or nearly none), whereas Rocky Mount is the 17th-largest municipality in the state.

Furthermore, TripAdvisor tells me Rocky Mount has a couple of children-friendly museums, several parks, a couple of breweries, and a mall.  I see Edgecombe Community College periodically has concerts, plays, and ballet performances.  Then, too, I see a few restaurants that appear to be head and shoulders above McDonald's.  Not exactly outstanding for a town of its size, but a far cry from nothing.

Plus, of course, there's this woman, so it can't be all bad!

Remember sears, old navy, and home depot?

Richard3

Quote from: froggie on October 06, 2018, 11:12:17 AM
Depending on how you define the cause of it, Centralia (PA) could arguably be considered a "ghost town" these days...

How many people are living in Centralia, PA, nowadays?
- How many people are working in here?
- About 20%.

- What Quebec highways and Montreal Canadiens have in common?
- Rebuilding.

States/provinces/territories I didn't went in: AB, AK, AL, BC, HI, KS, LA, MB, MN, MS, MT, ND, NL, NT, NU, RI, SD, SK, WA, WI, YT.  Well, I still have some job to do!

Stephane Dumas

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 15, 2019, 10:53:02 AM
While Detroit having lost two thirds of it's population certainly meets the general criteria of losing most of the populace I don't think it qualifies as a ghost town.  The Detroit Metro area while not growing certainly hasn't declined on the whole, I'd attribute the decline of Detroit to a large degree of urban sprawl (certainly there are other issues at hand that played a part too...).  You see a similar pattern of decline and sprawl associated with most blue collar industrial cities that peaked in the mid-20th Century.  Cities like Cleveland show similar patterns of urban decline and suburban sprawl.   

Didn't some urban renewal projects also played a role as well like the Pruitt-Igoe buildings in St. Louis? (skip it to 3.00 in this clip to see the Pruitt-Igoe buildings before they was demolished)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNNJrHR53ZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gRuyhf2opY

Mapmikey

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 16, 2019, 11:00:17 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on May 16, 2019, 10:54:45 AM
I recently read an article on what is arguably the world's most famous ghost town, that being Pripyat, Ukraine (+/- 50K population), hurriedly abandoned when someone in a control room at the next door nuclear power plant said (in Russian) "oops...", this back in 1986.  Apparently, it is becoming increasingly inaccessible to tourists, not because it is becoming a more radiologically dangerous place, but rather in the 33 years since that 'oopsie', nature has been progressively reclaiming it such that more and more of the city's streets are becoming overgrown and impassible - and *nobody* is willing to trim that vegetation back.

Mike

Wasn't there a certain number of hours you're supposed to be out there before overexposure to radiation?  It probably wouldn't make for a bad hike if it wasn't for all the fallout.

External radiation levels are not a problem in the city any longer.  All the short-lived stuff is long decayed (radioiodines which are quite problematic when ingested) and you are left with Cs-137 (30 yr half-life) outside of the reactor area.  Fallout is a risk for ingesting the particles themselves, so it would be prudent to wear protective clothing at a minimum.

When I worked at Charleston Naval Shipyard almost 30 years ago you could still detect Cs-137 fallout within workers (using very sensitive detection equipment) from the 1950s-60s atom bomb tests, as it would collect in mosses and eaten by deer.  So we could tell who ate a lot of deer meat.

Chernobyl runs week-long tours aimed at Health Physicists where they tour the city and the reactor site, plus participate in some low-level decontamination efforts.

tolbs17

East Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, are all dangerous ghost towns. Their economy is terrible and have declining population. Newark also had 400,000 and is now only at 200,000.

Flint is also declining.

mgk920

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 28, 2019, 10:40:24 AM
East Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, are all dangerous ghost towns. Their economy is terrible and have declining population. Newark also had 400,000 and is now only at 200,000.

Flint is also declining.

The downtown area of Detroit, as well of several other parts of the city, are in a recovery mode.

Mike

Stephane Dumas

Quote from: mgk920 on July 28, 2019, 10:51:56 AM
The downtown area of Detroit, as well of several other parts of the city, are in a recovery mode.

Mike

I also heard of gentrification in Detroit as well, it could be worth for a interesting thread. I spotted this article on the subject. http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/22824/study_shows_gentrification_is_one_problem_detroit_doesn_t_have


MNHighwayMan

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 28, 2019, 10:40:24 AM
East Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, are all dangerous ghost towns. Their economy is terrible and have declining population. Newark also had 400,000 and is now only at 200,000.

Flint is also declining.

I don't think you know what a "ghost town" is. Perhaps try reading the OP?

tolbs17

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on July 28, 2019, 11:18:06 AM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 28, 2019, 10:40:24 AM
East Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, are all dangerous ghost towns. Their economy is terrible and have declining population. Newark also had 400,000 and is now only at 200,000.

Flint is also declining.

I don't think you know what a "ghost town" is. Perhaps try reading the OP?

A ghost town is an abandoned town basically. Deserted, everything is closed and there's nothing to do.

hotdogPi

What I don't understand is how ghost towns can exist in Massachusetts, other than the one created by the Quabbin Reservoir. You're almost always within a few miles of several hundred people, no matter where you are in the state. There are no places where absolutely nobody lives (except bodies of water, airports, and other places where houses cannot exist).
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.



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