What led to the ghost towns of the West?

Question

anonymous · Answer

There were different reasons, but one of the big ones was mining, especially for silver and gold. As the US spread west, the promise of fast wealth also brought with it a lot of people eager to make their fortune. Mining towns sprouted almost overnight near strikes.

Unfortunately, not every town could live without its mine and when it ran dry, people usually moved on leaving the town behind. The same with railroad towns. Some towns were founded along what they thought would be new railroad lines (which would also bring lots of business) and when that didn't happen, they also died out.

Some towns that were also on railroad stops also died when business moved further down the line to a more prosperous area.