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This Ghost Town Has Been Burning for 60 Years
In the middle of Pennsylvania, there is a small and unusual town named Centralia. Founded in the mid-18th century through a purchase from a Native American tribe, Centralia remained a small town of farmers. Centralia had a large deposit of anthracite, also known as hard coal but there was no technology available to ignite hard coal at the time. However, when the technology to utilize hard coal through ignition was invented in 1828, Centralia quickly transformed into a booming city.
The first mine opened in 1856, bringing in a huge source of revenue for the town. Amenities like rails, churches, bars, banks, and hotels filled the town in a short span of time. It was estimated that over 2,000 people moved to Centralia after the mine opened.
In the early 20th century, the mining industry took a huge hit when most miners were drafted for the First World War. Not so long after the war, the Great Depression put an end to most mines in Centralia. Since then, the town became a typical American mining town with no hopes of recovery.
Centralia persisted with its long-time residents until the 1960s when things took a much darker turn. It was on May 27, 1962, when things went horribly wrong. In an attempt to clean up a landfill…
