Posted by Bryan Tint on August 02, 19101 at 16:38:58:
In Reply to: Re: "future" ghost towns posted by Coach Bodie on May 19, 19101 at 23:12:55:
: I'd have to agree with the thought on Trona. On our way to Panamint last year we passed through Trona. I felt as if I were in the Twilight Zone. It is quite a unique place!!!
: : This may be out of the midwest "scope" of the question, but I would suggest that Trona, California, fits the criteria requested in the original post. Trona is full of empty houses, some dating back to the early 1900s and made of tufa and stone. The company housing built in the 1920s, when Trona was a company town, is deteriorating and in many cases abandoned. Trona still has a population base of about 1500 people, but many have departed in the past decade due to "right sizing" of the primary company and the better climate and look of nearby Ridgecrest.
: : I first moved to Trona in 1987, my wife had lived there since 1957. There were many more businesses open there, especially in the 1950s, when American culture nourished small industrial towns. Trona was even in sound shape when I came in 1987. Now, the schools, once considered the pride of San Bernardino County and one of the wealthiest in the state (due to tax base and company financial aid), is facing a dwindling student poplulation and loss of financial interest by the county and less so by the company. The look of Trona today is one of a decaying industrial town. My wife and I left for nearby Ridgecrest in 1992.
: : I've often considered photographing the abundant supply of empty and vandalized mobile homes and houses scattered about Trona and submitting it as a "ghost town" in the broad sense of the word.
That's what I am looking for! The Twilight Zone!
Living in LA everyday is so boring!
I think living in Washington, DC is more fun. MOre abandoned buildings to look at as well. I am born in Washington, DC, but I live in LA now. Make that Chino Hills, CA.