Ghost Town of the American West: Photos of the 19th-Century 'Vulture Gold Mine'

Doomed

The Vulture Gold Mine was closed in 1942 by order of the War Production Board, after the Vulture was deemed as a "non-essential mine" for the World War II war effort. It re-opened temporary but never regained its once-rich value and soon closed permanently. Residents of Vulture City began to abandon their homes because their work had now disappeared. Vulture City and the Vulture gold mine slowly transformed into a historic Western ghost town. The once-easily accessed and valuable "star stuff" had now been removed. Today's owners of the Vulture Gold Mine offer Saturday tours during the cooler, desert months for those who are interested in historic gold mining and/or Western ghost towns.