Most People Have Long Forgotten About This Vacant Ghost Town In Rural Utah

Utah's abandoned towns are fascinating bits of history. Long ago, people worked, played and lived out their lives in these towns, and it's easy to imagine their stories. Here's a little town that's not quite completely vacant...but it's definitely far from its original glory.

The tiny town of Thompson Springs was founded in the 1880s.

It's named for E.W. Thompson, who owned the sawmill in the area.

The town got its start as a stopping point for the Denver and Rio Grande trains that ran through as early as 1883.

A passenger stop was added in 1883, which brought a bit of prosperity to the town.

While Thompson Springs never had very many residents, it was a central point for ranchers to bring their sheep and cattle for shipping.

At one point, the town offered a general store, saloon, hotel and motel. A post office was built in 1890.

After coal was discovered nearby, the town became a bit larger, and soon included a school and restaurant. More people built their homes here.

In the 1950s, several factors contributed to this town's demise.

In 1955, the railroad began using diesel engines, which didn't require water stops. In 1957, Interstate-70 was built, bypassing the town. Without the business of people traveling through the area, the restaurant and shops suffered. By the 1980s, only a handful of families remained. In 1994, Amtrak discontinued the train stop in Thompson Springs.

The California Zephyr still runs through town several times a day, but it no longer stops here.

Though the latest census still shows about 39 people living in Thompson Springs, it's mostly abandoned, and all that remains are some vacant buildings that stand as reminders of a once thriving, rural town.

Do you know anyone who grew up in Thompson Springs? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments!

If you're interested in Utah history, you might enjoy reading about this avalanche in Bingham Canyon that devastated a community in 1926.