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| HOMESTEAD IN NEBRASKA |
The forgotten towns of America are slowly slipping away from our memory. We have got so caught up in the hustle and bustle of today's life not realizing the forgotten towns we pass by built the towns we live in today. I have been to many ghost towns in this country and seen many lives lost in the ways one looks at these towns. Not knowing what these towns brought to the life and how we live today. Most folks look at these towns as an eye sore and want to tear them down.There was a paper mill in Watervliet Michigan that fed family's in the early 1900's.
Since it's inception in 1910 the Watervliet Paper Company was the backbone of this small
town and paved the way for the other towns that surround the area. The paper mill was torn
down in 2002 all because it was an eye sore to the people that live there. Not only did they tear
down a icon of Southwest MI. They also removed a part of history and family memories of
how they got there.
I understand the cost of upkeep these buildings need that's why I would like to start a
fundraiser to save these relics in towns and ghost towns in this country. Most ghost towns are
either privately owned or Government owned due to back taxes. For the ones that are owned by
Government, they seemed to have forgotten them and let the people decide their fate. But with
the help who have a love for historical towns and it's abandoned buildings, we can save them
and educate the ones that have forgot how life was like before the high-tech world we live in
took over.
How many more "paper mills" have to be torn down before we realize we removed the history
of how a community started? It seems today, people want more of the new and less of the old.
Written by Tim Moser
I agree. I love the charm of old buildings. I am working in Tonopah, Nevada right now, an old mining town. There are still many old buildings around. I love them. The desert helps to preserve them. In more humid conditions, they can become very dangerous and susceptible to collapse. Plus, old exterior boards are desirable for in home decoration such as from old barns. I hate to see them go but, sometimes, there is no other choice. As far as donating my money to preservation, I'd much rather invest it in people's lives.
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