Aerial Insights into America’s Ghost Towns

Aerial Insights into America’s Ghost Towns

Author

Brett Perry
September 12, 2024

Aerial Insights into America’s Ghost Towns

Author: Jason Smith

The American landscape is dotted with ghost towns—silent remnants of bygone eras. Once bustling with life, these towns were abandoned due to economic downturns, natural disasters, or technological changes.

Well-known ghost towns like Bodie, California, have retained many of their structures and become popular tourist attractions. But others have nearly vanished, leaving little trace of what they once were. Thankfully, some of these lost towns have been preserved in historic aerial images, allowing us to glimpse their past.

Brodie, California. Photo by Mike McBey (link), licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Images captured before these towns were deserted offer a unique window into their history. They reveal the layout of streets and buildings, giving us a sense of everyday life for the people who once called these places home. 

One example is Fostoria, Texas. This sawmill town was named after the Fostoria Lumber Company, which purchased the site in 1901. At its peak, between 1915 and 1925, Fostoria was home to around 1,500 residents, most of whom worked at the mill.

Aerial photo from 1957 showing the sawmill town of Fostoria, Texas. This was the year that Fostoria Lumber Company closed. (HistoricAerials.com)

When the company shut down in 1957, the business district faded, and the houses were sold off, mainly to former employees. By the 1980s, the once-thriving town had been largely overtaken by the Southern pine forests that had sustained it, leaving only a few structures standing.

The same view of Fostoria in 2020. (HistoricAerials.com)

One of the most recent towns in the United States to be “ghosted” is Centralia, Pennsylvania. Founded in the 1860s as a coal mining town, Centralia grew rapidly and peaked at over 2,700 residents by 1890. Coal mining operations continued in the area until the 1960s.

In 1962, a fire ignited in a strip-mine pit and slowly spread into the abandoned mines below. Efforts to extinguish the fire failed, and it continued to burn and expand for the next two decades.

Centralia, Pennsylvania was a thriving community through the mid-1980s, when it had to be abandoned due to the danger of the coal mine fire burning beneath the town. This aerial photo is from 1984. (HistoricAerials.com)

By the early 1980s, the fire had reached beneath the town, causing the ground to become unstable and carbon monoxide to seep into homes. Evacuations began, and in 1992, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania condemned the town, urging the remaining residents to leave. A few chose to stay and, after legal battles, were permitted to live out their days in Centralia.

The same view of Centralia from 2019. Only a few of the town’s original buildings remain. (HistoricAerials.com)

Historic aerial images of ghost towns are more than just records of the past; they are tools for research and exploration, capturing the lives of those who lived in these communities and showing the profound impact of industry on their existence.

Feature Showcase

Imagine the city over a century ago - the streets, the buildings, the untouched landscapes. Our 1891 Philly Topo Map is a unique resource for entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and developers looking for historical insights that could translate into profitable ventures.

See where the old commercial hubs were located, understand the historical land use, and identify areas that have remained untapped or are ripe for redevelopment. This map provides a rare perspective that could guide decisions in real estate investment, heritage tourism projects, or thematic retail ventures.

For those in urban development, this is a chance to blend the old with the new, creating spaces that respect historical integrity while meeting modern needs. And for historians and educators, it's a tool to analyze and teach the evolution of urban landscapes.

Did You Know?

We have recently added historic aerial imagery for Illinois and Wisconsin.

Did you know that in 1784, Thomas Jefferson proposed dividing this region into five states with the names Sylvania, Michigania, Assenisipia, Illinoia, and Polypotania?

Read more about it in our History of the Northwest Territory: https://map.netronline.com/glossary/northwest-territory.

New Images Added

"Through the Lens" Documentary Update

We're putting together a fascinating documentary that follows the journey of aerial photography, from its early days to the latest tech. It all starts with using hot air balloons to snap pictures from the sky and moves through the rise of satellites and drones. Our goal is to dive into the major breakthroughs in this field and show how they've changed the way we see the world from above. It's a look at the rich history of aerial photography and where it could be headed next.

Check out our teaser trailer on YouTube for more! Watch The Trailer 📽️

Connect With Us

We’d love to get to know you! Find us on social media and let us know your favorite city to see through the ages.