Fading America III

[Lad78518 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hello,

A short 8 minute, 62 meg show on the disappearance of our old ghost towns, mining camps and some of our freedoms.

http://www.photodex.com/share/lad78518/wd7ppmg4

Thoughts, comments, critiques and criticisms are always welcome.

Dave

[heckydog Profile Private message]

Very enjoyable show. You always know how to find the right music for your shows.

I look at some of those abandoned places and try to imagine what the story is behind them. For example that photo of the supervisors house with the busted up lawn chair outside. Did that supervisor, on his last day there, when he was packing his stuff, look at that chair and say - oh heck I'll come back for that later. Did the last person to leave turn out the lights?

Your slideshows show that Mother Nature always gets her way. I don't think there should be any attempts to preserve sites like those except to keep vandals away, if that's even possible. It's right that they slowly return to what they were before men set foot there.

Your shows make me think and I like that. Those are my thoughts, no critiques or criticisms

Joe

[Lad78518 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hello Joe,

Thanks for your very kind thoughts and comments. The Superintendents home is currently being lived in by an older gentleman, retired and living there for the express purpose of trying to stop the damage being created by vandals to the buildings and equipment at the old Gold Bar Mine.

Like you, I often wonder what life was like back then along with the various hardships endured by the families that resided there. Life was a lot different then now. To bad all of these building and history is slowly imperceptibly fading away.

Dave

[sierra whiskey Profile Private message]

Hi Dave

i always enjoy your shows but I find them thought provoking too.

are these ruins an eyesore or are they beautiful? are the buildings and machinery a blight on the landscape that needs removing or are they heritage that needs preserving? why doesn't someone recycle some of the metal? there's lots more questions but one that you can probably answer is...does anyone or any agency have responsibility for the upkeep of any of the sites as some seem better looked after than others?

regards

Steve

[Lad78518 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner! It is a good thing that I'm retired for I'd never have time to work.

There are two types of mining properties - those that are privately owned and those that are on public lands. Every state has a different view on how to handle these deteriorating mine properties. A few states have come to realize the historical value of these old locations and are now trying to arrest the deterioration and stabilize the properties for future generations to visit. States like Arizona (my state) is now in the process of closing up all the open mines on public lands, gating those that have bats living in them, tearing down and or otherwise removing any and all signs of previous mining activities, regardless of location.

Anything on private property there is very little that the state can do about the buildings, abandoned trailers and or equipment. They do however, gate the open mines and provide the owner/owners with a key to the gate.

Anyone wanting to buy one of the private locations is now faced with numerous regulations, including posting a cash bond, removal of contaminated soil, buildings etc, making the properties impossible to sell. So everything sits there. Most of what you see and or have seen in my shows, the locations are very remote and almost impossible to get to unless one has a 4-wheel drive, high ground clearance vehicle or an ATV and in some instances one has to hike a fair distance.

My intent is to get around and photograph as many of these locations as possible for the sake of history. I do enjoy the challenge of getting to the locations and believe me I've had some pretty interesting and butt puckering experiences!

Best regards,

Dave

[sierra whiskey Profile Private message]

Dave

thanks for your comprehensive answer. it's a very interesting and difficult conundrum to solve.

I'm glad you are making the effort to photograph the sites as one way or another they won't be there for ever.

thanks

Steve