As a child growing up in the 60’s many of the shows Richard Goss watched were set in the ghost towns of the wild west. “I just always assumed ghost towns were this phenomenon out west” Goss said. He said his grandfather grew up in Northern Michigan. His dad, my great grandfather was a logger. My grandpa would mention all these different town that used to be there, and he’d say, “Yeah, they’re ghost towns.” That started his interest in ghost towns of Michigan.
Goss has visited hundreds of ghost towns in his travels across Michigan and Ohio. He said there were as many as 60 in Monroe County. Unlike the ghost towns of the west, the towns in the Midwest didn’t just vanish or become completely abandoned. Often, they’d be incorporated into larger towns or villages.
“I can go through a town and look at the buildings and tell you what was there and where certain things used to be” he said. He started doing a lot of this research while in high school and college, and always enjoyed talking to people in their 80’s and 90’s about this subject. After almost 60 years of exploration and research Goss is hooked on the subject and is willing to share his knowledge.
Goss has visited hundreds of ghost towns in his travels across Michigan and Ohio. He said there were as many as 60 in Monroe County. Unlike the ghost towns of the west, the towns in the Midwest didn’t just vanish or become completely abandoned. Often, they’d be incorporated into larger towns or villages.
“I can go through a town and look at the buildings and tell you what was there and where certain things used to be” he said. He started doing a lot of this research while in high school and college, and always enjoyed talking to people in their 80’s and 90’s about this subject. After almost 60 years of exploration and research Goss is hooked on the subject and is willing to share his knowledge.
Join us for a presentation by author Richard Goss about the ghost towns he has visited throughout Michigan, Ohio, Death Valley, and other towns that have historically been 'left in the dust'.
The public is welcome to attend and refreshments will be served.