The Black Hills have quite a bit to offer the average history buff. All kinds of museums are scattered across the area, helping to depict the unique western heritage of the area. But there’s an abundance of historic sites travelers are forgetting to put on their travel agendas.

The majority of these sites probably aren’t in travel magazines and brochures. Some might not even be on a road map of the state, but they do exist. These sites are Ghost Towns.

For anyone unfamiliar to the term, a ghost town has nothing to do with hauntings and the supernatural.

According to the U.S History Encyclopedia: “A Ghost Town is the term used to identify communities that once prospered but later declined and were deserted, usually due to economic shifts and reversals. While most ghost towns are completely abandoned, small resident populations remain in some, and while many have disappeared from the landscape entirely, buildings and infrastructure remain to mark the locations of others.”

So in other words, no poltergeist, but probably some abandoned buildings and possibly a few remaining residents.

As you can probably imagine, quite a few little communities in the Black Hills reached ghost-town status after the gold rush. South Dakota has more than you may think. I found 15 ghost towns reported in Lawrence County alone, such as Tinton, Maitland and Astoria. Surprisingly included on many listings were the thriving cities of Deadwood and Lead.

Why visit a ghost town? You may not find a tour guide or gift shop in most locations, but you will be able to see a very accurate view a former boomtown or Western city with some of the original homes, shops, mines or post offices still standing and unaltered.

For a list of ghost towns, some with a brief history, pictures and directions, check out the sites listed below:

www.usgennet.org
www.ghosttowns.com
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~gulino/ghosttown/index.htm
www.legendsofamerica.com