Top 5 Ghost Towns in Minnesota

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  • Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
  • We talk about 5 Ghost Towns in Minnesota covering different areas within the state. One thing is certain - Minnesota has an interesting story or two with their ghost towns!
    How do you "rank" a ghost town? You don't - there are MANY ghost towns in Minnesota - and I covered just a few here. I'd love to do follow ups on these - so - Let me know if you have other ghost towns you think I should know about in Minnesota - or plan on visiting.
    All pictures, and video clips are from the public domain, or taken personally. In some cases - for the sake of video story telling - I will use B-roll clips. If you see a video that is depicting a scene from 1850 - understand that the first known video wasn't taken or seen until 1888.
    Thank you for following along - appreciate the community.
    #ghosttowns #minnesota #minnesotaghosttowns #MidwestGhostTown

Комментарии • 86

  • @midwestghosttown
    @midwestghosttown  Год назад +23

    I appreciated doing this video about Minnesota - and I scratched the surface with this state - the mining stories ALONE are numerous, and I'll have to come back with follow up videos traveling on or close to the sites - which means getting up to the Iron Range! The history with this project is amazing - I appreciate the support and the community. Feel free to drop a comment, especially if you are familiar with Minnesota.

    • @carlosfonseca5754
      @carlosfonseca5754 Год назад +3

      Thank you for sharing this video I'm from a small town in Minnesota

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад +2

      @@carlosfonseca5754 Our librarian here at the college I work at is from around New Ulm...I get to hear smalltown Minnesota stories quite a bit! But that's a good thing. 😊 Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

    • @davenorth2903
      @davenorth2903 Год назад +1

      Really enjoyed this video. Thanks for posting

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      @@davenorth2903 Thanks Dave! More to come about Minnesota in the weeks ahead. Thanks again for commenting and the compliment. - Dan

    • @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283
      @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283 Год назад +1

      I used to work doing dishes at the old Anoka insane asylum. That place was quite interesting.

  • @Thegriddleguy
    @Thegriddleguy Год назад +7

    Awesome job. It brings these old towns back to life for your video.

  • @jackgiese6264
    @jackgiese6264 Месяц назад +4

    I live in Gilbert MN which was right next to elcor. I knew there was an extinct town next to Gilbert but never had the knowledge of when and where exactly it was. Thank you for the information!

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Месяц назад +1

      @@jackgiese6264 Thanks for the comment Jack.You have a rich history around you!

  • @ponycarfan
    @ponycarfan 22 дня назад +1

    Wasioja, Mn is probably a ghost town, although a few people still live there. It's just a few miles from Mantorville and Sacramento. I think it's a bit more interesting, because there's actually stuff there to see - an original school, Civil War recruiting station and the ruins of a seminary, among other things. They were counting on a railroad, but plans changed and no tracks were ever laid there.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  21 день назад +1

      Sigh of relief...it can be hard to be out and striking out with "nothing left" - I'll have to check into Wasioja. Thank you for commenting

  • @X7393
    @X7393 2 месяца назад +4

    The eastern part of Minnesota is haunted because I witnessed something that I can’t quite comprehend or understand because I witnessed it at a creepy place in the town of Biawabik Minnesota, I Instill remember when I was 18-19 years old when I met a person friend who mentioned to me that there is a old house that is haunted by a woman and sure enough he was right? Because I remember him telling me that this place is haunted by a ghost, well anyway one day he took me to that town and that house and he told me go ahead and knock on the door!?, and sure enough I did, but it turns out that as soon as I did that the door opened up but there was no one! But it gets worse after that because as soon I left, the drapes upstairs on the window opened up! Yup Haunted! And that was back in 1993 in the fall! Yup unexplainable! 😮ghost stories I don’t think so! 😮

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  2 месяца назад +1

      @@X7393 interesting story. I'm not as focused on the paranormal compared to the historical side of abandoned towns - but your story was still interesting. Thanks for sharing.

  • @sierrafoxtrotgolf3638
    @sierrafoxtrotgolf3638 6 месяцев назад +4

    Great video, I work at the Minorca Mine, it’s neat seeing the history of Elcor.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  6 месяцев назад

      Thanks for stopping by - I want to travel up that direction and tell more of the mining stories and ghosttowns on the iron range. What a fascinating history! I saw some of it along Superior, but need a deeper dive NW inland! Thanks for the comment.

  • @keitholdenkamp3747
    @keitholdenkamp3747 11 месяцев назад +4

    We went through Taconite Harbor. Not much left, but still worth a stop

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  11 месяцев назад

      I've been getting similar reports. Thanks for commenting and sharing.

  • @user-qo5hh9bw4w
    @user-qo5hh9bw4w 14 дней назад +1

    Rainy Lake City, across from Sha Sha Resort on Rainy Lake's Black Bay, was once a gold mining location. Pretty much trees and rocks now.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  13 дней назад

      @@user-qo5hh9bw4w doesn't surprise me...I was just talking with a buddy of mine last night about some of these areas..just GONE. Which is typical - sometimes we might have a foundation left behind, but reality is...trees and rocks. Thanks for commenting - appreciate you.

  • @hecking_poptart_olivon_korra
    @hecking_poptart_olivon_korra 10 месяцев назад +6

    Finland Minnesota is a bit north to Duluth and it’s contaminated with many things and abandoned

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  9 месяцев назад +1

      Thank you for the comment and suggestion. I really need to get back up to the north shore area and tell more of the stories in Minnesota - beautiful area. Duluth itself is lovely.

    • @Greeneyedjem
      @Greeneyedjem 7 месяцев назад +1

      I stopped at that little store in Finland to buy some cheese, and the cashier was really cool so I figured he wasn't from there; it baffled me when he said he came from California.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  7 месяцев назад

      @@Greeneyedjem Interesting - I had a similar story of a family who lived (I think it was Arizona) and they worked and lived around the Apostle Islands in the summer months - seasonal perhaps?

  • @wolfman515
    @wolfman515 Год назад +4

    There's little ghost towns all over in Northern Minnesota, I live fairly close to at least a couple of them.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад +2

      No doubt about it...Minnesota has an interesting history surrounding ghost towns...southern, mid and northern. Which ghost towns are you near? I keep a running list from others and try to prioritize those towns to visit.

    • @wolfman515
      @wolfman515 Год назад +3

      @@midwestghosttown
      I live near Duluth, and I grew up on the iron range. I think the nearest to me now is a couple tiny villages. I think the closest would be Meadowlands and probably Taconite Harbor.
      Toivola is also near me.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад +1

      I was just up in your area last year! Stood near the lift bridge around midnight because I had noticed 1000 footer was headed out into Superior that night! I fully believe the Iron range deserves its own video series. The mining stories...eye opening. Thank you for commenting - appreciate it.

  • @jessicadavis3989
    @jessicadavis3989 Год назад +4

    I am from up north and lived in few small towns up of the red lake river! The name is Terrebonne and I guess it’s considered a ghost town! Anywho my ancestors on my grandmas side was one of the founders!

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад +1

      I am super thankful you stopped by and commented! WOW! Super sad story attached to Terrebonne - they were trying to save the old church building (St. Anthony) - one worker trying to save the town was quoted in the Star Tribune saying, “You tear down the church, Terrebonne really doesn’t exist anymore,” - about a year after that article was written the church BURNED DOWN!! :( - I will do a little more research - but there is clearly a story. Thank you for sharing.

  • @OneCrayGuy89
    @OneCrayGuy89 Месяц назад +1

    Kinda surprised Funkley wasn't mentioned in this video. It's a neat list. I didn't know about these towns.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Месяц назад +1

      @@OneCrayGuy89 I was trying to figure out if Funkley was still incorporated? I know for years they held the title of "Minnesota's Smallest Town" but wasn't sure if they were a ghosttown yet?" - its an interesting story for their years of holding that title. Any updates on the town?

    • @OneCrayGuy89
      @OneCrayGuy89 Месяц назад +1

      @@midwestghosttown Oh, snap. I guess 18 people live there as of 2020. I've always heard of it, since I was a kid, fondly referred to as a ghost town since they shut down the post office. Apparently it's still incorporated.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Месяц назад +1

      @@OneCrayGuy89 I think the bar recently closed. I should make a trip up there, see if I can get a story...I love small town stories 😉

    • @user-qo5hh9bw4w
      @user-qo5hh9bw4w 14 дней назад +1

      @@midwestghosttown Passed through there recently. The bar looks like hillbillies took over. In the 70s, it was a pitstop for the trip back to Bemidji State from a weekend farther north. It was legendary for hunting season extracurricular activities.

  • @angolson6108
    @angolson6108 8 месяцев назад +2

    I live right by forestville ❤ love it

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  8 месяцев назад

      Planning to visit in '24 and to explore the cave! Such a gem for Minnesota!

    • @angolson6108
      @angolson6108 8 месяцев назад +1

      @midwestghosttown you'll love it. It's very interesting.

  • @DD-fj3vh
    @DD-fj3vh 5 месяцев назад

    I’d recommend researching the town of Beaver in the Whitewater River valley north of Winona. The town kept getting buried by several feet of eroded soils over the course of several floods.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  5 месяцев назад

      Thank you for the tip! I've been through that part of the state between Rochester and Winoa - and hadn't heard about Beaver! Thank you

  • @debbiehalverson22
    @debbiehalverson22 9 месяцев назад +3

    Not exactly "Ghost towns", more like towns that no longer exist. And you didn't include a map showing where in the state they "were'.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  9 месяцев назад +2

      You got me on the map! I had a good friend suggest this on other videos and included on later videos - thanks for dropping the comment on that. As far as "no longer exist" - well, darn it, unfortunately - that is what a Ghost Town is - they have rankings. These rankings can rank as far as (an actual town with buildings still standing) to the rubble of a foundation left behind to mark the spot - or in most case in the Midwest - a field. Sometimes all we have left as a reminder of the Ghost Town is simply the cemetery. Regardless - thanks for taking the time to comment.

  • @backwatersandbackroads
    @backwatersandbackroads Год назад +2

    So well done. You're basically a professional narrator

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад +1

      Thank you for the compliment. Appreciate the kind words.

  • @markfournier6066
    @markfournier6066 Месяц назад

    great stories, you tell one about the theft of of otter tail city being the county seat to fergus falls..

    • @jimdrummer816
      @jimdrummer816 Месяц назад

      And Herman tried to take over the county seat from Elbow Lake in nearby Grant county.

    • @originaldcjensen
      @originaldcjensen Месяц назад

      @@jimdrummer816Hmph. Copycats.

  • @edb5956
    @edb5956 2 месяца назад +1

    The suggestion that J. J. Hill started the Northern Pacific R.R. is not correct. He Started the Great Northern Railway.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  2 месяца назад +1

      @@edb5956 A few things on this...#1 I didn't say he started the Northern Pacific. I said "he re-routed his railroad"...#2 this is where you are right and caught a blunder! It was the right railroad - wrong man! It was financed by Jay Cooke. Right railroad wrong character...I'll have to put a note in the description. Nice catch btw!

  • @mattlf9120
    @mattlf9120 10 месяцев назад +5

    Minnesota doesn't have anything for ghost towns, the Dakotas is where they're really at.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  10 месяцев назад +2

      Minnesota is known for its mining of Iron Ore...head up to the Iron Range and you'll uncover all sorts of ghost town stories - The Dakotas (no argument there) just has a history with gold rushing into the black hills. One of my favorite places. I appreciate the comment - it's one of those history discussions that's fun to have. And of course - the entire midwest can look towards the south in ghost town envy where Texas boasts the most! 😳

  • @maggied7368
    @maggied7368 2 месяца назад +2

    Belvidere Mills

  • @jelsner5077
    @jelsner5077 Год назад +2

    Ideally, a ghost "town" should have some buildings in it left to make it interesting.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      Ideally, but if that was ALWAYS the case, they wouldn't have Ghost Towns categorized by the goverment A-J. Buildings disappear and so do the ghost towns - it doesn't mean there isnt a story there. So, finding rubble in one spot, a church still used in one spot, a cemetery in one spot, or simply a marker in another (as categorized by WHAT defines a ghost town. Its a forever asked question)...or does.a ghost town that is newly inhabited/population 1...is is stil a ghost town? (a.k.a. Cerro Gordo? I say that it is) or a town that is completely wiped off a map by a tornado, still a Ghost Town? or a farmer tearing down buildings and plowing the town under...even though it might be the last place or area a notorious bank robber staked out...but a cornfield now, remembered only by a marker or sign. Some will certainly find it interesting, some might not.. and thats ok. Sometimes there might be buildings, sometimea not. Thanks for commenting.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      I thought more about what you wrote...understandable, especially with 2 of the ghost towns mentioned as mining camps. Mining camps are especially tough as they close up shop when the resources are gone, usually taking the buildings with then, BUT...in your case I'm assuming you were pointing towards Sacramento - which I respectfully hear your criticism. I chose Sacramento more for its story and background- but completely understandable if you questioned "no buildings"

  • @tractorguy100
    @tractorguy100 2 месяца назад +2

    Well, I gues I’m going to look for gold on the zumbro river. See ya…

  • @cjthedj9994
    @cjthedj9994 Месяц назад +1

    Poor audio, and could have easily been expanded to at least ten examples...

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Месяц назад

      @@cjthedj9994 agree on the audio. Old video...I've upgraded to XLR mics. Good notice. As far as sample size...it was by design to make it a short video. Plus....where do you draw a line with hundreds of ghost towns? Research, editi g, footage, yadda, yadda, you catch my drift. Thanks for the feedback though.

  • @jeff3638
    @jeff3638 2 месяца назад +1

    Craigville near Effy😅

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  2 месяца назад

      @@jeff3638 thank you for the suggestion and comment. Appreciate it Jeff.

    • @user-qo5hh9bw4w
      @user-qo5hh9bw4w 14 дней назад +1

      Had two friends in International Falls from Craigville. Went there one weekend for a fastpitch softball tournament.

  • @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283
    @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283 Год назад +1

    Eas hoping for Mack. Near Takmoon.

    • @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283
      @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283 Год назад +1

      Was hoping for Mack, near Talmoon. Lol

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      @@iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283 Interesting - I'll do a little more research (although Mallard seems to get a bit more attention than Mack ;) ) There is something to be said about Talmoon, Minnesota though - apparently, it has the oldest bar in the state of Minnesota? History never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for stopping by and dropping a comment.

    • @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283
      @iseeicyeyeseeayesea8283 Год назад +1

      @@midwestghosttown Hayslips. It's old. The floorboards are all warped lol. I've been in there.

    • @user-qo5hh9bw4w
      @user-qo5hh9bw4w 14 дней назад

      Never stopped at Cannibal Junction but always wanted to.

  • @ViceCoin
    @ViceCoin Год назад +3

    Ghost towns should be converted to nature habitats.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      Interesting. Tell me more about this - thoughts?

    • @ViceCoin
      @ViceCoin Год назад +1

      @@midwestghosttown Chernobyl and Fukishima have been transformed into thriving habitats. Search RUclips.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  Год назад

      It's an interesting point, though I disagree that ALL would fit that same criteria - and though its exciting (really..i find the info on bison, lynx, and bear coming into the area of Chernibyl fascinating) the radiation levels are still high enough to have negative effects on overall life span including physical malformations. Doesn't mean I don't value your point.

    • @RockinCowgirl1000
      @RockinCowgirl1000 2 дня назад

      Two of these towns are now in state parks.

  • @chuckfinley4757
    @chuckfinley4757 9 месяцев назад +1

    On your status bar it says Tacoma, not Taconite.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  9 месяцев назад

      Thanks - let me check this quick. Appreciate it.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  9 месяцев назад

      SURE DOES!!!! Nice catch!!! Thank you.

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  9 месяцев назад

      That should correct it - It was set to automatic - it was self-created. Thanks again for that edit catch.

    • @user-qo5hh9bw4w
      @user-qo5hh9bw4w 14 дней назад

      Tacoma is where Minnesota Twins careers went to die.

  • @user-uk2ji1yw5t
    @user-uk2ji1yw5t 5 месяцев назад +1

    Salida and Cable are 2 ghost towns

    • @midwestghosttown
      @midwestghosttown  5 месяцев назад

      Thank you - so many ghost towns in Minnesota for sure! We'll try to include some videos and not just podcast (a mix of both) and I'll add Minnesota to that list. Thanks for commenting.

  • @peterscheuer9118
    @peterscheuer9118 7 дней назад

    Walz as your governor. There will be more.