Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Ghosts Towns--From Gone to Still Thriving--AND a Book Giveaway!!

By Miralee Ferrell

I've found I'm drawn to ghost towns when I'm researching for a new book. In fact, three of my books have been set in (what is now) a ghost town or a town that's been preserved the way it was in its heyday, and doing so kept it from becoming a ghost town.

Current Main St of Tombstone, AZ

Case in point, Tombstone, AZ. After the silver mines played out, Tombstone appeared to be doomed and ready to be buried (pardon the semi-pun). But the residents of the now tiny town didn't want it to die, so they put their heads together and decided a way to save the city. They started Helldorado Days, and preserved the three-block long stretch of East Allen, the main street, which is still dirt and closed to motor traffic, as well as another section nearby.
This is in Tombstone, but these ladies could be straight out
of my book Blowing on Dandelions


Shaded boardwalks line the business district composed of gift shops, saloons, and eateries, along with a city part which is the location for the OK Corral which offers a reenactment of the historic shooting. My husband and I had so much fun visiting the museums, seeing the jail and gallows area where notorious outlaws were housed and punished, along with seeing the worlds oldest rose bush, planted in 1885, that now covers an incredible 8,000 sq feet! There was so much history here, that it was hard to even take it all in...a treasure trove for an author.
This used to be the main street through Last Chance.
My husband Allen and I



The original main street of Last Chance, CA











On the other side of the scale was Last Chance, California, a true ghost town, minus the town. You can still see the remnants of foundations, pieces of 100 year old broken bottles and glass are poking their way through the soil, and we even found century-old cedar fence posts still holding square-headed nails.

The cemetery containing tombstones dating back to shortly after the town's birth in the 1860's was up on a hill, a short trek from what used to be the main street and is now nothing more than a dirt road lined with trees.

We traveled over an hour and a half by car from the nearest town, up and down deep gullies with a drop of 5,000' elevation, exclaiming over the terrain that mules teams had to trek to make it into the town. It's amazing how resilient and hardy our pioneer forefathers were, and what an incredible legacy they left us!



Please leave a comment telling me if you've ever visited a ghost town, and what you liked about it, if you'd like to win a copy of Wishing on Buttercups, book two in my Love Blossoms in Oregon series. Book three, Dreaming on Daisies, releases Oct. 1, and while you don't need to read the entire series, it would help to read book 2 before you move on to book 3. Be SURE you give me a way to contact you if you win. Drawing closes midnight on Aug. 20.


Dreaming on Daisies

When her father's debts, brought on by heavy drinking, threaten Leah Carlson's family ranch, she fights to save it. When handsome banker Steven Harding must decline her loan request, he determines to do what he can to help. Just as he arrives to serve as a much-needed ranch hand, Leah's family secrets—and the pain of her past—come to a head. They could destroy everything she's fought for. And they could keep her from ever opening her heart again.

This is western historical romance that offers hope and healing to the deepest wounds in a woman's past.


Miralee Ferrell and her husband, Allen, live on 11 acres in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State. They have two grown children and recently their son and his wife presented them with a beautiful new granddaughter. Miralee loves interacting with people, ministering at her church, (she is a certified Lay Counselor with the American Association of Christian Counselors, riding her horse with her daughter, and playing with her dogs. She speaks at various women’s functions and has taught at writers’ conferences. Miralee, an award-winning author of Western fiction, has been writing since 2005, and her first book was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had 9 books release, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 5 under contract. Her newest release, Forget Me Not, is the third in a four book series set in Baker City, Oregon, 1880s. Miralee recently started a newsletter, and you can sign up for it on her blog.

You can find her at:
Web site and blog:  www.miraleeferrell.com
Facebook Author page:  www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell


47 comments:

  1. I have not visited a ghost town but would love to as they intrigue me. griperang at embarqmail dot com

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    1. Angela, you should do a Google search on ghost towns in your area. They truly can be fascinating, especially if they've been preserved. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Hey Miralee. I love ghost towns too! We took a trip out west and visited Tombstone. What an experience. I was so sad when I discovered I'd lost all my tombstone pictures. :o( My husband was scolded by the town sheriff for allowing me to walk on the road side of the board walk. He explained that should a horse go wild the man should be on the outside to protect his lady. We had a ball there. The people talk as if it were the 19th century and feel like for a short bit you have time traveled. If one loves history I think Tombsone should be on your bucketlist!

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    1. Hi Debbie,
      Yes tombstone is a must for every one. Such a neat place to learn about history. 😊

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    2. Debbie Lynn, how sad that you lost your photos....now you have an excuse to return! I've always known the man was supposed to walk on the outside of the sidewalk if he was with a woman, but to hear it said by the town sheriff, and because she could get run over by a horse....what a kick! Love it!! Did you want to enter the drawing?

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  3. Hi Miralee! I find ghost towns fascinating and have visited a few. Tombstone is wonderful to visit and there is a ghost town just up from Silverton, Co. If those towns could talk!!!!

    Have a great day!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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    1. Melanie, what is the one near Silverton like? Has it been preserved at all? I need to start a list of ghost towns to visit in the future. Love them!

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  4. Hi Miralee,
    Yes! I have been to a ghost town before and it was in Bodie California and it was Tombstone! I thought that it was very cool to hear about the people who just up and left because they wanted a better life for there family's. It was also neat seeing the stuff they left behind because it was still in tacked. I wish I could have met the people and heard there stories.
    I do have your book wishing on buttercups, and I would love to win your second book in your series. Thanks for being an awsome writer and author.
    oh.hello.hiya@gmail.com

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    1. Danie, I've never been to Bodie, but it sounds fantastic. I'll have to put it on my list. Thank you for stopping by!!

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  5. It didn't take my first comment. :-( Let's try this again. I have vague memories of visiting Cherokee, Calif, which I think is listed as a ghost town. What I enjoyed about it was walking through a small old town and sensing the history. When I visited I was just getting interested in the history of my home town and the surrounding area, and hope now to write a historical novel sometime about that area.
    bobtracie@hotmail.com

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    1. Tracie, isn't it amazing how visiting an old town like that can get ideas popping and the juices flowing to write a story? Love it!

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  6. I haven't visited any ghost towns, but it is on our list fo things to do while living in Colorado. :) jumpforjoy@gmail.com

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    1. Joy. it would be interesting to see how many ghost towns there are in CO, since more than one person has mentioned visiting one there. Someday I'm going to set a book in that state, as I have a couple of friends I'd like to visit and it would be a wonderful excuse to see them. thanks for stopping by to leave a comment!

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  7. I've been to 2 "ghost towns". One was in Cripple Creek, CO. At the time I visited, which was in the mid-1980's, they were attempting to revitalize the town. It was very rustic at that time. From what I can tell online, it appears they were successful. I also visited a ghost town in New Mexico in the 1990's. It was open for guided tours, but there were no actual businesses there. It was sometimes used in movies. I love visiting old places and imagining life as it was.
    may_dayzee(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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    1. Kay, I need to check out the one in Cripple Creek, sounds great. My next series is set in New Mexico, so maybe I'll have a chance to visit that one, as well. I love visiting them too!

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    2. I'll be looking forward to reading your New Mexico series. My daughter lived there a few years, so I was able to enjoy that state on an extended visit. It is quite a contrast to where I live in East Tennessee.

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    3. KayM, you're the winner of my book, Wishing on Buttercups. I'll send you an email. Thank you for entering and leaving a comment!

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  8. Thank you for sharing. I will have to do a search and see if we have any ghost towns near us. I would love to visit one. I would be surprised if we have one here in Va. since we are filled with Civil War history. Thank you for a chance to win. lisastifler(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Lisa, there might not be an actual empty, deserted ghost town, but easily could be a town that's been preserved and restored that tourists visit. Definitely worth checking! Thanks for stopping in!

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  9. i have never been to a ghost town but i have always wanted to go to one,
    Shirley Blanchard jcisforme@aol.com

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    1. Shirley, you should do an online search and see if there's one within driving distance. I found Bridal Veil, OR, and it's only about a 45 min drive....then I set a book there!

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    2. Shirley, you should do an online search and see if there's one within driving distance. I found Bridal Veil, OR, and it's only about a 45 min drive....then I set a book there!

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  10. I haven't ever been to a ghost town.
    I do think that it would be a fun and interesting experience.
    Keep up the wonderful writing Miralee Ferrell.

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    1. Cheryl, I'm not sure where you live, but you might want to do an online search and see if there's on in your area. They are fun to visit and dig into the history. Thanks for stopping by!!

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  11. My husband used car-siding for our ceiling with a nutmeg stain ~ it is beautiful! It is modeled after a photo of Bodie ~

    I would love to win a copy of your Wishing on Buttercups. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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    1. I haven't visited a ghost town ~ except through photos and description of a friend and her husband who had gone to Bodie. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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    2. Lane....I've heard of Bodie but never had the chance to visit. Maybe someday! What is car siding? I've not heard of that before....

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  12. Ok third time~ Would love to visit a ghost town to see how people actually lived. Would love to win copy of your book! Mary

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    1. Hi Mary, I hope you get a chance to one day. It's so worth the time. I also hope you get a chance to win or read my book...in fact, the entire series! Thanks!!

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  13. I have never visited a ghost town but it sure sounds intriguing. I would love to get to experience that. And I would love to win a copy. Thanks for sharing this fun information and for the giveaway!

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    1. Hi Amy, I hope you get a chance to one day. It's so worth the time. Thank you for stopping by and entering to win one of my books. Blessings

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  14. Hi Miralee! The only ghost town I've ever been to was Slapout, OK - up near the panhandle. That was about 25 yrs ago so I don't remember much more than a sign announcing the town and a ridiculous amount of tumbleweeds- the first I'd ever seen. I wanted to take one with me to show my friends, but that was before I found out they're kind of thorny!
    kam110476 at gmail dot com

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    1. Cute story, Kam! I've not been to Slapout. Were there any old buildings still standing?

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  15. I've not visited any Ghost Towns, but sounds like fun. Need to Google our Province to see if we have any..:) beajd1@gmail.com

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    1. Beaj, you never know where you might find a ghost town. Definitely worth checking!! Hope you find one!

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  16. I've not visited a Ghost Town either. It sounds like an activity that would be fun for a group to do. capileggi316 at Gmail

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    1. Carol Ann, what a fun idea to put a group together and visit a local ghost town. I've never thought of that! Thanks for stopping by to visit.

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  17. I've never visited a ghost town. It sounds like an interesting thing to do with someone. imabrassy1atyahoodotcom

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    1. Connie, you should grab a friend and go for a drive to the ghost town nearest you. What fun to explore! Thanks for stopping and visiting today.

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  18. It would certainly be very interesting to visit a ghost town. One day maybe.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Hi Mary, ghost towns that still have building to explore or even an old cemetery and remnants of the town are very interesting. I hope you get the chance one day.

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  19. The only opportunity to visit a ghost town was with my family on a trip to southern California for christmas 2004 we stopped to see that all that was left of Rockpoint Oregon was a cemetery but we took many pictures that i have yet to unpack after moving back to washington state. http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/or/rockpoint.html God Bless you and yours, Lorinda

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  20. Went through Ghost town in New Mexico outside of Albuquerque....also used to see many deserted farm/house sites in North Dakota on way to work and exploring when I was there.

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  21. I have not been but my husband has. Maybe we could go together for a visit one day. Would live to read your books!

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  22. I have not read your books yet but would to! I have never been there but my husband has been to ghost town. Maybe we can go one day!

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  23. Have never seen a Ghost town but seems interesting. But I would love to read your Ghost town books. Thanks for the opportunity

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  24. Love your writing, have never had a chance to visist a ghost town.

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