Ghost towns can also be found in California, a state rich in culture and history. A large number of these desolate townships were formerly vibrant Gold Rush towns that fell into disuse as the miners ran out of gold or the residents moved away. But not every ghost town in California dates back to the 1800s. Unbelievably contemporary, some of them are also uncannily forgotten.
Eagle Mountain: A Modern Ghost Town
Eagle Mountain, a hamlet established in 1948 at the entrance of an iron mine by businessman Henry Kaiser, is one such instance. In the scorching Southern California desert, the community was situated roughly 12 miles north of Desert Center. The mine, which supplied ore to Kaiser’s steel mill at Fontana, some 112 miles distant, was the biggest iron mine in Southern California.
With a population of roughly 4,000, the town boasted a number of services and facilities, including a post office, a retail center, a medical facility, a park, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, and multiple churches and schools. A 60-mile branch line to the Salton Sea connected the town to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
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Eagle Mountain’s Decline and Abandonment
The town did enjoy some prosperity, but it did not last long because iron ore became less in demand in the 1970s and 1980s. After the mine and mill closed in 1983, the locals began to leave the town gradually. Empty buildings and streets were left behind when the post office, grocery shop, schools, and other businesses closed. In addition, the railroad was shut down, and the rails were taken down.
When a low-risk private prison was built on the site of the former shopping center in the late 1980s, the town saw a brief rebirth. The prison was in operation until 2003, when it closed as well, leaving the village deserted and silent once more.
Eagle Mountain’s Future
Eagle Mountain is a gated, public ghost town that is deserted these days. Kaiser Ventures owns both the town and the mine. The business has put forward several ideas for the property, including a solar farm, pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, and landfill. However, because of legal and environmental obstacles, none of these initiatives have been approved or carried out.
Eagle Mountain is still an intriguing and unsettling illustration of a thriving, prosperous town that has fallen into disrepair. It is evidence of the peaks and valleys of Southern California’s iron industry as well as the effects of human activities on the desert environment.
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In Summary
Henry Kaiser established Eagle Mountain, a contemporary ghost town in the Southern California desert, at the entrance of an iron mine in 1948. As the town expanded, its population reached roughly 4,000, enjoying a wide range of services and facilities. The town did enjoy some prosperity, but it did not last long because iron ore became less in demand in the 1970s and 1980s.
Residents of the community progressively left, and the mine and mill closed in 1983. When a private prison was built on the site of the previous commercial center in the late 1980s, the town had a brief rebirth. The prison was in operation until 2003, when it closed as well, leaving the village deserted and silent once more.
Eagle Mountain is currently gated off, off-limits to the general public, and its future is unknown. Eagle Mountain is an intriguing and unsettling illustration of a once-vibrant and rich community that has since faded into obscurity. It is evidence of the peaks and valleys of Southern California’s iron industry as well as the effects of human activities on the desert environment.