Ghost Towns and Depopulation (unemployed, illegal, downturn, fence)

[WyattE]

I never thought I would see the day that Ghost Towns would happen in our era. Soon, small towns are going to close up due to the economy since they can't survive, let alone pay for any services.
I also see the population in my town either becoming rampid with crime due to the loss of jobs or the population will severly decrease as the unemployed move from my town to a state where they can get a job or live with relatives who can support them.
The days of white picket fences and the American Dream are over. Now it's about who will survive. I think America is learning there are some things we can do without. Like large expensive homes, suv's, HDTV'S, motorhomes or camping trailers, fancy restaurants, Wal-marts on every corner, etc. I know I can live without those things, I have so far, can you?

[bouncing]

The evaporation of small towns is nothing new. If you don't think it's happened in your life time, I don't think you've been paying attention.

And the real reason isn't the downturn in the economy -- it's a simple matter of efficiency. Small towns are usually supported through agriculture, and as farming technology improves, fewer people need to work on the farms. So there isn't a need to have workers living out in the country.

[uggabugga]

go out to the great plains, the dakotas in particular, and you'll see that this has been happening for decades already.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by uggabugga

go out to the great plains, the dakotas in particular, and you'll see that this has been happening for decades already.

True. The major exception is the energy boom towns.

[GregW]

There is a web site dedicated to ghost towns. The Rocky Mountain West is littered with them. They thrived while the gold and silver lasted then they died. Some are being revived by folks that want to get nearly all the way away from the mob.

There are a couple of small ghost town in New Hampshire. The only things left are the cellar holes.

[Icy Tea]

People follow the jobs or where they can make a living. Maybe if the agricultural industry comes back to favor the small farm operator, these towns will make a comeback. Some are, in a way. Illegal and legal immigrants are taking over the areas left abandoned. They're not thriving, and are largely dependant on government assistance, but it is better than them being abandoned.
I'm more familiar with pa coal towns. These towns are falling apart but spanish from NYC have bought houses in them, move their families there and work in NYC and make a decent living apparently. They're not making a comeback economically and are still run down, but people can eke out livings there.

[jtur88]

Not likely to happen. There are existing services there (water, sewer, etc.) and as they decline, property values plummet, so hugely swelling numbers of retirees might find them attractive. I've been thinking about Paducah, Texas, where the median value of all houses in town is $34,000.

[driftingthoughts]

it's just not small towns, had a look at Detroit recently?

[uggabugga]

weren't they trying to get a new 'homestead act' passed to get people to repopulate some of these areas?
i wonder what ever happened with that..

[GregW]

urban homesteading - i think it was tried in the 70's and dropped by Regan when it started working.