In Search of Ghosts. . .

Today we traveled northeast of Congress to a "ghostown" by the name of Stanton. This town was built in the 1800's in response to gold prospectors setting up camp in the area. The town is out in the desert with a 6 mile "primitive" road going to it. You cannot see any of the town until you are right at the entrance to the area. There was a stage stop, a hotel, and an opera house. The remarkable thing about it is that it is still a haven for modern day gold prospectors and enthusiasts. The Lost Dutchman Mining Association is involved in the maintaining of this town and the owners and the residents alike are committed to keeping it alive and preserving the town as it was during its heyday. The buildings are being restored and are used by the campers. There are about 200 campsites, mostly full hookups (surprise) and the hotel doubles as an activity center with rooms for puzzles, pool, poker, storage and a kitchen. The opera house is being restored and it will be the location of the Friday night potluck, which have temporarily been moved outdoors due to the renovations. The stage stop is the current office. There are some other buildings, one of which houses a jail and will eventually become a museum. Other buildings include what appear to be residences and those also will be restored. It is really quite a "jewel" as the old ghost towns go, because it is painstakingly being returned to its original configuration. We were taken on a tour by Jean and Willard, members of our Fulltiming Graduating Class of 2005. Willard is quite the prospector and showed us how he uses the equipment to pan for gold. Jean is an artist who is always learning something new. . . jewelry making or strumming the bass guitar to accompany Willard. It was great of them to show us around and we enjoyed Willard's history of the town and particularly of the colorful man from which the town takes it's name.

Till next time. . .

Dale