Posted by John Fillmore on July 03, 1999 at 09:33:30:
In Reply to: Another question posted by Jennifer Furey on June 18, 1999 at 16:04:51:
The government doesn't actually keep lists of ghost towns. The U.S.Geological Survey has a list called GNIS which listed the latitude and longitude of towns (known as PPLs) and in comparing these names with current maps one can often find places that are no longer populated. The laws regarding "homesteading" on public lands have gotten much stricter over the last ten years. At one time it was a simple matter to start a small mining operation, do a little development work annually, and patent (own) the property. The requirements are now much more stringent.