Why This Place In Missouri Became A Ghost Town Is Disturbing
Times Beach is a ghost town in St. Louis County that was once home to more than two thousand people. Times Beach was founded in 1925 on the flood plain of the Meramec River in a promotion by the now-defunct St. Louis Star-Times newspaper. By purchasing a 20 × 100 foot lot for $67.50, you also received a six-month newspaper subscription. Although initially a summer resort, the Great Depression and gasoline rationing during World War II caused summer homes to fall by the wayside, although a small summer population continued until around 1970, with the year-round residents mostly living in low-income housing.
So what led to its evacuation in 1985 and complete demolition in 1992?
"Meramec River Route 66 bridge J421" by Kbh3rd - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -
The site of Times Beach is now a 419-acre state park commemorating U.S. Route 66 as well as the history of the Times Beach area. The park opened in 1999 and is called Route 66 State Park. One building from the past still stands. The park's visitor center was once a roadhouse from Times Beach's glory days, and later became the EPA's headquarters for the area. You can also find the Route 66 Bridge on the Meramec River, and a large grass mound containing the buried debris of the demolished buildings of the former town. In 2012, the EPA revisited and tested the soil at the Route 66 State Park and reported that "soil samples from Route 66 State Park show no significant health risks for park visitors or workers."
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