Spooky sites bring fright, interest to those brave enough to investigate

by Jacob Tucker, associate editor

Throughout time, people have always been on the move.  Certain factors make people leave a settled area in order to find a more hospitable area.  Thus, leaving behind the ruins of an old society, creating the ghost town.

The auras they convey are one of sheer spookiness and, yet, intrigue.  The tourist is constantly asking why the area was abandoned while they wander the lonely site.  The pungent stench of damp mold creeps into your nose as you make your way through the dark halls.  You’re afraid that you’ll see the ghostly apparitions that supposedly haunt the abandoned buildings.

Contrary to popular belief, not all ghost towns are haunted.  A ghost town is defined as a town that has been abandoned, usually due to a loss of economic activity or a major natural disaster.  The word is also used to describe an area that has decreased in population greatly. 

An example of a ghost town that has not disappeared from the map is Pettit, Texas.  This town lies about 20 miles west of Levelland, and consists of a post office and a few residencies.  But what makes this town spooky is the abandoned schoolhouse that is at the center of the town.  It is surrounded by and electric fence and is on private property, as is most abandoned areas.  The area provides a very spooky aura, and is definitely a must see.

Examples of ghost towns in the area are Grove and Tokio.  These two towns flourished during the early 1900s, but the redirection of the railroad into Brownfield killed the communities.  Now all that is left of the towns are a few residents and many dilapidated buildings.

Many mining towns from the late 1800’s faced the inevitable fate of becoming a ghost town.  A shining example of an abandoned mining town is Bodie, Calif., but it stands apart from many ghost towns.  It has become a major tourist site for the state of California.

Anyone can enjoy the exploration of a ghost town.  There are just a few things that you need to do before setting out on your journey.

Find the ghost town on a map, and make sure that you know your way around the area that you will be exploring.  This is important, because you don’t want to get yourself or the group that you are with lost with no way back to the vehicle that you came in. 

Also, pack a survival kit just in case you run into bumps along the way.  Include a communication device such as a cell phone or a multi-frequency radio.  A radio is probably the most logical, in case of any service problems you may have with your cell phone.  If you can get a GPS locator, that would be great, but for the financially challenged, a map is as good as it gets.  It is a must to carry water and food for everyone on the trip.  A first aid kit is also recommended, for obvious reasons.

When you are at the site, you can take as many pictures as you want.  The only thing that you cannot take is artifacts from the site itself.  This rules out all metal detectors and other artifact location devices.  These sites are parts of our past that need to be preserved for future generations. 

Even though these ghost towns should be viewed during the day, the spook factor is still very high.  Take these tips, go explore, and happy hunting.