Join the Urbana Public Library for a talk on the 'Ghost Towns of Wyoming' by Illinois Anthropology doctoral student Kathryn Maag on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 7 PM.
Abstract: In many ways, the concept of the “ghost town” is one that has been romanticized in American culture. Sites like Virginia City, Nevada, and Tombstone, Arizona, as highly preserved “ghost towns” epitomize this concept, and serve as popular tourist destinations. However, a majority of boom/bust towns that were constructed are no longer visible on the landscape though a variety of means ranging from decay and environmental processes to purposeful dismantlement. How do these sites fit into the context of industrial heritagization work in the Western US? And how do we conceptualize heritage we cannot see? In this presentation I will discuss ghost towns and mining heritage in Wyoming through a consideration of the history of mining in the state, economic impacts and networks, and the processes through which mining heritage is still integrated into Wyoming identity. I will also discuss the role of cemeteries, monuments, and reused structures in how continuity with otherwise “disappeared” boomtowns is maintained in heritage discussions in the present.