The ghost towns of Southern California-some dramatic and nearly
intact, others devastated-are well worth visiting. Most are
remnants of once-colorful mining towns, though there are also
railroad towns, a World War II relocation center, a promoter's
swindle, and a failed socialist colony. Some excellent attractions
remain. One of the best-preserved stamp mills in the West is in
Skidoo. Smelters, homes, stores, and the remarkable wooden American
Hotel can be found in Cerro Gordo, which the author calls
"California's best true ghost town."
Seasoned back-roads traveler Philip Varney, who has visited
nearly a hundred ghost towns in the area, provides a down-to-earth
and helpful guide to more than sixty of the best in Southern
California and nearby Inyo and Kern counties. He defines a ghost
town as a town with a population markedly decreased from its peak,
one whose initial reason for settlement no longer keeps people
there. It can be completely deserted, have a resident or two, or
retain genuine signs of vitality, but Varney has eliminated those
towns he considers either too populated or too empty of significant
remains.
The sites are grouped in four chapters in Inyo County, Death
Valley, the Mojave Desert and Kern River, and the regions
surrounding Los Angeles and San Diego. Each chapter provides a map
of the region, a ranking of sites as "major," "secondary," and
"minor," information on road conditions, trip suggestions, and tips
on the use of particular topographic maps for readers interested in
more detailed exploration. Each entry includes directions to a
town, a brief history of that town, and notes on its special points
of interest. Current photographs provide a valuable record of the
sometimes fragile sites.
"Southern California's Best Ghost Towns "will be welcomed both
by those who enjoy traveling off the beaten path and by those who
enjoy the history of the American West.
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