How do communities become ghost towns?

Answer 1

There are several reasons as to why communities become ghost towns. Some became ghost towns when railroad companies came through and did not place tracks near the town which caused them to become abandoned. If it was a mining town, then the mine could have dried up forcing residents to move elsewhere. Floods, fire and disease is another cause and with the advent of freeways, many towns were not close enough to these superhighways which caused them to become extinct. Route 66 is famous for old abandoned towns that became this way because the new highways did not come close enough to draw traffic to the community and people tend to move closer to the freeways for convenience. Sometimes small towns become extinct because an industry that was the lifeblood of the community pulled up and moved elsewhere. Small towns are also notorious for dying out when the younger people move elsewhere to find better jobs and as older residents get older and die off, there is no one to keep the town going, so it begins to die. Check out the movie "Return to Bountyville" its about an old woman who goes back to her old town that is now deserted. She makes a long pilgrimage to this town only to see it completely deserted and a former shell of itself.

Answer 2

In the US, many ghosts towns are in the west and were former mining communities particularly for gold. When people found out there was gold they flocked there to get rich (ironicly few did). When the easy gold was found their was no reason to stay also many of these places don't have a good supply of water making it expensive to live.