ghost town

n. A once thriving town, especially a boomtown of the American West, that has been completely abandoned.

ghost town

n a deserted town, esp one in the western US that was formerly a boom town

ghost′ town`

n. a town permanently abandoned by its inhabitants, as because of a business decline or because a nearby mine has been worked out. [1870–75]

Thesaurus

Noun

ghost town - a deserted settlement (especially in western United States)town - an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city; "they drive through town on their way to work"western United States, West - the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River

Translations

ghost town

A town that has become permanently devoid of inhabitants, typically due to the disappearance of business or economic opportunities. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. The town rose up fast and furiously as prospectors flooded the area in search of gold, but when the last of the precious minerals was gone, those same people were as fast to depart, leaving a creaking old ghost town in their wake.See also: ghost, town

ghost town

A once thriving town that has been completely abandoned, as in Many of the old mining communities are ghost towns now. This idiom implies that there are no living people left in town. [First half of 1900s] See also: ghost, town

ghost town

ghost town,

term for any once flourishing American community that has been abandoned, generally for economic reasons. While most of the towns have little or no population, they often contain old buildings, which may serve as tourist attractions. Many, such as Virginia City, Nev., were gold-mining towns hastily built during a boom. When the gold strike ended, the itinerant prospectors left. Ranking with the largest and most interesting Western ghost towns are Silver City, Idaho; Elkhorn, Mont.; Bodie, Calif.; and St. Elmo, Colo. Other ghost towns were former milling centers, railroad connections, or oil-well communities. In Texas several ghost towns were originally settled by European exiles who emigrated to the United States following the 1848 revolutions. Some, such as Burning Bush, Tex., were religious havens. Many deserted areas of towns have been restored to their original appearance; notable examples are Denver, Colo., Mystic, Conn., Williamsburg, Va., and Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

Bibliography

See D. King, Ghost Towns of Texas (1953); F. S. Blanchard, Ghost Towns of New England (1960); L. Florin, Western Ghost Towns (1961); R. Silverberg, Ghost Towns of the American West (1968).

Ghost town

A town, especially a boom town of the American old West, that has been completely abandoned. Once-living places like Madrid, NM, or Bodie, CA, were abandoned as quickly as they were built, leaving only an empty shell, oftentimes with the contents still intact.

ghost town

town left vacant after gold strike; common during frontier days. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 1080]See: Wild West

ghost town

ghost town

ghost town

ghost′ town`

ghost town

ghost town

ghost town

ghost town

ghost town,

Bibliography

Ghost town

ghost town

ghost town

Words related to ghost town

noun a deserted settlement (especially in western United States)

Related Words