Ford Times archive revisits Lead, South Dakota, the '24-Carat Ghost Town' swallowed by its mine
A 1958 Ford Times story described Lead, South Dakota, as a thriving gold town with a “ghost camp” inside it—because the mine that kept the community alive was slowly consuming part of the town itself.
- 1876
- More than 80 years
- $1 billion
- October 1958
What Happened
Gold-rush towns are known for booming quickly and then fading just as fast, but Lead, South Dakota, followed a different path. Gold seekers arrived in 1876, and the local mine grew into a remarkably productive operation. When Ford Times visited in October 1958, mining had continued for more than 80 years, yet the thriving community contained what the magazine called a “ghost camp.”
Gold seekers descended on the Lead area, and the mine grew into a remarkably productive operation.
Ford Times reported that mining had continued more than 80 years and that a “ghost camp” sat within the thriving community.
As miners carved deeper beneath the town, the effects eventually reached the streets above. After a mine fire, walls cracked, plaster fell and unstable ground forced residents and businesses out of certain parts of the old town. Homes and businesses ended up in the enormous Open Cut, sunken underground, and warning signs were erected for visitors: “DANGER: GROUND CAVING.”
$1 billion
Ford Times reported that a billion dollars in gold had come from the area.
“DANGER: GROUND CAVING.”
- Boomed fast and disappeared just as quickly
- Did not disappear because the gold ran out; the mine slowly swallowed part of the town
Why this matters
For a beginner, the story explains why a town can become a ghost town even when its key resource is still producing: the mine's underground work cracked walls, caused plaster to fall and forced residents and businesses out of parts of the old town. It also highlights the archival Ford Times material, which in October 1958 recorded both the thriving community and the damaged “ghost camp” inside it.
Terms in This Story
- Open Cut
- An open-pit mine or large excavated area where material is removed from the surface.
- ghost town
- A town that has been abandoned or largely emptied of residents and businesses.
- Ford Times
- A magazine published by Ford.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.