Saturday, December 29, 2012

Neosho Falls, Kansas








I made Neosho Falls famous, though if it wasn't me, it would've been someone else.  I first visited Neosho Falls in 1978.  There were many more buildings than there are now, and they were all filled with stuff.  All types of antiques, old furniture, glassware, you name it.  I took a lot of pictures then.  Since then, things have mysteriously vanished.  Buildings are completely gone.  What was a ghost town in 1978 is an even greater ghost town now.  In 1878 President Rutherford B. Hayes visited Neosho Falls and was met by a cast of thousands.  I brought the rock band Kansas here in 1987 as they became ambitiously inspired to produce In the Spirit of Things, their last album with MCA.  Countless film crews have been lured to Neosho Falls since then.  Today, the place is still worth a visit.  Check out the cemetery, the abandoned school, the school grounds, and the old Township Hall. 

Rosewood, Florida


I'm going to start Lost Towns America with Rosewood.  Rosewood is located on the nature coast of Florida.  The closest significant community is Chieftain, located along U.S. 19.  Rosewood is still listed on most highway maps, and is easily found online.  Unlike most ghost towns, Rosewood was popularized by a major motion picture in the 1990s.  The community was an African-American town of approximately 200 residents when tempers flared over the rape of a white woman in a nearby community.  Residents suspected someone from Rosewood having done the crime.  An angry mob assembled and killed two Rosewood residents and burned the town to the ground.  Today, there is very little left to mark the townsite.  You can determine where many of the original streets were located, but there are no structures that date back to the town's heyday.  A church, restaurant, and a couple of other homes and trailers dot the landscape.  A marker was erected on the two-lane highway that documents the history of the town.  A marker was also erected indicating it was a stop on a railroad that no longer exists.  Anybody else have anything to add about this historic ghost town?

Welcome to Lost Towns America!

Hello everyone!  This blog is dedicated to those who love ghost towns no matter where they are-- East Coast, West Coast, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Russia, China...if you've had a ghost town adventure, please share it.  This blog is available to everyone.  Share photos, video, experiences.  What's left, what's not left, etc.  This will give other travelers an idea of what to expect and where to go for the best lost town experience around.

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