Cisco, Utah is a decent-sized ghost town with many abandoned structures, including collapsing wooden homes and businesses from the early 1900s, and abandoned prefab homes from recent years.
I arrived just before sundown, and since there was no one else around for miles, I decided to stay the night. After the sun disappeared, the only sources of light were three light posts near the railroad tracks and headlights of the occasional passing train or car. I took a few pictures in the evening and then a whole bunch more in the light of morning.
Cisco's history dates back to the late 1800s, when the town was first established as a watering stop for steam engines operated by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The station became an important shipping depot for the cattle ranchers and sheep herders from the nearby Book Cliffs.
The town grew after oil and natural gas were discovered nearby in 1924. For a time, Cisco was Utah's largest producer of oil and natural gas. When diesel locomotives replaced coal-powered steam engines in the 1950s, Cisco lost its status as an important railroad stop.
Increase in car ownership in the US during the mid-1900s helped Cisco maintain its role as a stopping point for travelers crossing the harsh desert.
Later, uranium and vanadium prospecting provided a short-lived boost to the town's economy, after which much of the population moved away. As with many small towns across America, the construction of the Interstate system essentially killed Cisco. I-70 completely bypassed Cisco, depriving local businesses of the traffic that had been essential to their existence.
I'm told that at least one family still resides in Cisco, but there was no sign of them when I was there.
There were quite a few interesting artifacts left behind as well.
An old cellar:
A recently abandoned home:
Shelves full of mysterious bottles:
A large trailer home:
A tiny, ancient post office:
Railroad depot:
Those are the main highlights, but I left out quite a few to keep this post from getting ridiculously long. If you'd like to see more, go here: http://www.placesthatwere.com/2016/02/spending-night-in-abandoned-ghost-town.html
Jim
I arrived just before sundown, and since there was no one else around for miles, I decided to stay the night. After the sun disappeared, the only sources of light were three light posts near the railroad tracks and headlights of the occasional passing train or car. I took a few pictures in the evening and then a whole bunch more in the light of morning.
Cisco's history dates back to the late 1800s, when the town was first established as a watering stop for steam engines operated by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The station became an important shipping depot for the cattle ranchers and sheep herders from the nearby Book Cliffs.
The town grew after oil and natural gas were discovered nearby in 1924. For a time, Cisco was Utah's largest producer of oil and natural gas. When diesel locomotives replaced coal-powered steam engines in the 1950s, Cisco lost its status as an important railroad stop.
Increase in car ownership in the US during the mid-1900s helped Cisco maintain its role as a stopping point for travelers crossing the harsh desert.
Later, uranium and vanadium prospecting provided a short-lived boost to the town's economy, after which much of the population moved away. As with many small towns across America, the construction of the Interstate system essentially killed Cisco. I-70 completely bypassed Cisco, depriving local businesses of the traffic that had been essential to their existence.
I'm told that at least one family still resides in Cisco, but there was no sign of them when I was there.
There were quite a few interesting artifacts left behind as well.
An old cellar:
A recently abandoned home:
Shelves full of mysterious bottles:
A large trailer home:
A tiny, ancient post office:
Railroad depot:
Those are the main highlights, but I left out quite a few to keep this post from getting ridiculously long. If you'd like to see more, go here: http://www.placesthatwere.com/2016/02/spending-night-in-abandoned-ghost-town.html
Jim
Although i was expecting a Missile Silo to appear at some point 
:
