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Ghost towns of the Southwest

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press

DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION, Calif. (AP) — The Amargosa Hotel was once a hub of activity, the Spanish Colonial-style buildings filled with workers from the Pacific Coast Borax company.

Once the mine shut down, the people left, leaving the U-shaped hotel and the opera house attached to it at the center of what is now considered a ghost town.

“There wasn’t much reason for people to stick around, other than to stay at the hotel or visit the opera house,” the Amargosa’s Bob Muldowney said during a tour of the opera house. “Now, that’s all that’s left.”

Death Valley Junction wasn’t the only town to feel the boom and bust of the Old West mining days.

Ghost towns dot the landscape all across the southwestern United States, once-thriving cultural hubs abandoned and left in shambles.

Many are still fairly well-preserved, though, and offer visitors a chance to see a piece of history — even if it is in pieces.

Here are a few of the more popular ghost towns in the Southwest:

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BODIE, CALIFORNIA

Located near the Nevada state line east of California’s Yosemite National Park, Bodie is one of the most famous ghost towns in the United States, in part because it’s so well preserved. The town boomed during the Gold Rush days, with an estimated 10,000 residents in 1880, more than 60 saloons and a red-light district. Once the mine shut down, so did the town, all but abandoned by the early 1900s. Today, its 100-or-so buildings are maintained by the California parks system, which protects the town in “an arrested state of decay,” keeping the buildings standing but making few other alterations. Bodie is located 13 miles (21 kilometers) off Highway 395 down a dusty, bumpy road in an isolated area, so make sure you have plenty of gas. Also, beware if you take off with an artifact from town — a curse reportedly comes with it until the item is returned. Details: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509 .

GLEESON, ARIZONA

Originally called Turquoise, Gleeson is one of several ghost towns near the famous Wild West town of Tombstone. Native Americans first mined turquoise in the area and settlers found copper, lead and silver in the area in the late 1800s. A fire destroyed 28 buildings in 1912, but the town was rebuilt and continued to thrive until the mines shut down around 1940. A handful of people still live in the area, but it still has the ghost-town feel with numerous buildings in various states of decay. Ruins include a hospital, a saloon and store, a jail, the foundation of a school and a cemetery. Courtland and Pearce also are nearby, part of what is known as the Ghost Town Trail. Details: http://www.ghosttownaz.info/gleeson-ghost-town.php .

RHYOLITE, NEVADA

If you like decrepit buildings in your ghost town, this is the place to see. Located northeast of Death Valley National Park, Rhyolite was established in 1905 during the Gold Rush and grew quickly, filled with buildings that had electricity, water mains, an opera house and a stock exchange. It fell apart nearly as fast; the mine closed in 1911 and the town was all but abandoned by 1920. Since then, it has become one of the most photogenic ghost towns in the West because of the crumpled buildings and the impressive rocky landscape around the area. The town became a popular site for movies and some of the buildings were further destroyed during shooting. Among the ruins are the Bottle House, walls from the three-story bank building, part of the jail and an old caboose. Details: http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/rhyolite-ghost-town.htm .

DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION, CALIFORNIA

The town near the eastern entrance of Death Valley National Park thrived while the borax mine and Death Valley Railroad were still in operation. By the late 1920s, Death Valley Junction was little more than a tourist stop on the way to the park. Though most of the buildings are gone, the town is still a draw today, thanks to the Amargosa Hotel. The hotel claims to be haunted and the Amargosa Opera House is a must-see. Marta Becket, a former Broadway ballet dancer, purchased the hotel in 1967 and restored the opera house, covering the walls and ceiling with hand-painted murals so she could perform in front of an audience. The opera house still has performances today, typically with local performers on Saturday nights. Details: http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/death-valley-ghost-towns.htm and http://www.amargosa-opera-house.com/ .

GOLDFIELD, ARIZONA

If you’re into touristy ghost towns, Goldfield is the place to visit. Located in Apache Junction just outside of Phoenix, it became a bustling town when gold was discovered in the 1890s. Goldfield had about 4,000 residents, a general store, post office, school and hotel during its heyday, but was all but abandoned after the gold vein dried up in the 1920s. Today, the town has become a popular tourist attraction, with daily Old West gunfights, gold panning and rides on Arizona’s only narrow-gauge train. Numerous tours are available, including through the Goldfield Mine, Lu Lu’s Bordello, the Mystery Shack and the Goldfield Historic Museum. Details: http://goldfieldghosttown.com/ .

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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