Quite a few years ago, when I visited my brother in New Mexico, we explored a few old ghost towns near his home. It was fun.

For decades, ghost towns across the United States have captured the imagination of adventurers, storytellers, and thrill-seekers. These abandoned places are often remnants of gold rushes, mining booms ...

Not every town gets to stick around forever. Some start with a bang—gold rush fever, a mining boom, a railroad deal—only to fizzle out just as fast. Others fade slowly, little by little, until one day ...