This Chilling Small Town In Idaho Is Full Of Heartbreaking History
Jennifer
Author
Here at OnlyInYourState, we’ve covered a number of Idaho’s historic ghost towns and ruins, but today, our topic is a little more humbling. There is one spooky town in Idaho with quite a horrifying history.
In February 1942, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved an executive order that moved nearly 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans into ten isolated relocation centers across the west. Here in the Gem State, Hunt Camp in Southern Idaho still stands as an eerie reminder of this troubling period in U.S. and Idaho history. Tucked away in the middle of Idaho’s most haunting desert landscape, temporary ramshackle barracks, guard towers, and barbed-wire fences were put in place to house thousands of Japanese and Japanese-Americans.
This is the story of one of those centers: Minidoka.
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While every ghost town has its history, this former internment camp has a heartbreaking history that deserves to be remembered and preserved for future generations. Have you visited this abandoned town in Idaho? Do you have any stories to share about this historic site?
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Spooky Town In Idaho
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If you’re the type of person who loves visiting creepy places that send chills down your spine, a trip to a ghost town in Idaho may be in order. The Gem State is home to over 100 ghost towns, many of which had their heyday when the mining industry was in full swing. When the industry dwindled, so did the population of these towns which were then left to abandon. With several well-preserved towering structures, the town of Burke is quite fascinating to explore, albeit a bit creepy. Gold was discovered in Leesburg in the 1860s and a town was built to support the industry. Now abandoned, it’s hard to imagine that nearly 7,000 people once lived there. You can learn about several additional ghost towns in this post.
What are some of the creepiest abandoned places in Idaho?
The Old Idaho Penitentiary served as an old west prison that first opened in 1872. Today, you can take a tour and learn all about the history and the hardened criminals that were housed here. Yankee Fork State Park contains three abandoned towns and see plenty of equipment from the mining days that were left behind. It’s quite an eerie, yet absolutely fascinating park to explore.
What are some of the most haunted places in Idaho?
For those of you who love haunted places and haunted tales, check out our Definitive Guide To All Things Haunted And Creepy In Idaho. Learn about the creepiest house in Idaho where a horrific murder took place as well as the most haunted road, the most haunted town, and so much more.