Ghost Towns & Historical Haunts in Arizona

by Thelma Heatwole

Visit the golden past of Arizona's cities. See adobe ruins, old mines, cemetaries, cabins and castles! Experience Arizona's history!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel, Paranormal

148 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 1981

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

This travelogue covers a number of abandoned towns and lost settlements throughout Arizona, as the author and her husband, sometimes accompanied by a few friends, traverse the desert and back roads to find these legendary ghost towns. The title is Ghost Towns and Historical Haunts in Arizona, but not much was told about any particular haunting. There were a few stories, but overall this is more of a history of the ghost towns - where they were, why they existed, and sometimes why they fell apart, followed by a current day description of what is left and how to find it. The histories told are interesting, and the frequent warnings about falling into mines add a sense of danger to the author's adventures (and rightly so). The book includes captioned pictures and maps, and towns are presented by geographical area throughout the state.

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guide was mostly about towns, or ghost towns, that don't exist anymore except for vague remnants of walls and such... a few actual buildings.
We've road-tripped many times across the entire state of Arizona, and few of these locations were one's we took the time to find or explore.
There are more interesting "old haunts" in Arizona, both deserted and inhabited, than the ones reviewed here. The exception to that would be if you are a student or professional of archeology or anthropology, in which case, these locations might be of high interest to you.
The book does contain fascinating photography.

[R J Royer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13158779

This is a rather good book if you are looking for local color. Local color is all it is good for though and is as far as it goes, the information can be found in most guide books but missing the local color.

[Magherita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book like this. It reads like a travel guide while providing personal insight into the lives of former residents and the livelihoods of the mining towns themselves. As someone with a budding interest in such things albeit without any extensive knowledge, I found this book informative and fascinating.

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

If possible, I would rate this book 2 1/2 stars. It was a good book for a person who wanted to learn about some of the history of Arizona mining towns. There were some pictures of deserted places that once were towns, and those are also interesting. However, I felt the title is very misleading! While it is true that the towns, for the most part, are dead. It does not have anything to do with ghost stories or any "haunts" of the towns. So, if you like learning about historic Arizona towns that are hard to locate because they are mostly non existent, you will like this book. If you are getting this book because you are looking for ghost stories of old Arizona towns, you will be sorely disappointed.