Spokane Ghost Town

Founded in 1890, the town of Spokane was built around the Spokane Mine, which produced a wide variety of minerals, including silver, lead, zinc, and even some gold. Because the mine remained intermittently active well into the 20th century, the town felt more permanent than its neighbors, boasting a schoolhouse, a post office, and several multi-story homes. The town was shaken by the 1908 murder of a prominent resident named James "Jim" Shepard. He has a grave in the town that reads he was "murdered over a mining claim." The accused walked free. The downfall of Spokane wasn't a sudden disaster, but rather a slow fade. As the market shifted and the cost of mining rose, the town began to bleed residents. By the 1940s, the post office finally shuttered its doors, and the remaining families moved toward larger hubs like Custer or Hermosa. Today, Spokane is a favorite for hikers and history buffs because of how much remains. The shell of the old schoolhouse still stands, and the nearby manager's house remains an eerie reminder of the town's former hierarchy.