1. Wyoming. Skyward stare of the ruined shafthouse of Lewiston's Good Hope Mine seems to accentuate the immensity of the sky in this high plains country. (the photo is taken from "Ghost Towns of the Northwest by Norman D. Weis, Caxton Printers, Ltd.").
2. Utah. Silent and alone in winter, the Silver King mining complex at Park City has seen far livelier days. It paid its owners over $5 million in profits.
3. Shaniko, Oregon. Left over from the days when wool and grain shipping made Shaniko a frontier principality, this unusual schoolhouse stands some distance from the center of town.
4. Ghost Town in Bodie, California.
5. Lush Mountain setting surrounds the Lost Horse Mill near the ghost town of Crystal, Colorado.
6. Spectacular setting, under the cliffs of Zion National Park (Utah), makes Grafton one of the West's most photogenic ghost towns. The reddish earthen building was a Mormon meeting center and school.
7. Warming in the light of early morning, Hardman's Odd Fellows Hall (Oregon) rests beside the endless plains whose wheat once brought prosperity to the town.
8. Marietta, Nevada. Tumbledown stage station is among the few remaining commercial structures. Sagebrush, sand, and wildflowers are slowly reclaiming the ruptured ground.
9. Mammoth remains of a richly financed but ill-fated plan to reprocess Comstock tailings are sprawled across American Flat, which can be reached via a short dirt road heading west from Gold Hill, just south of Virginia City, Nevada.
10. Belmont, Nevada. Gaunt skeleton of the old Highbridge ore mill is located off the main road, several hundred yords south of a tall, round chimney.
11. Cabezón, New Mexico. Town's name and much of its character derive from nearby Cabezón Peak, an ancient volcanic plug whose cinder cone fell away. Dominating the landscape for miles around, the mountain inspired legends among many Indian tribes.
Field photography and research by William Carter.