Not far From Idaho is a Town Fit for a Zombie Apocalypse

When I stopped there, I expected to hear banjo music straight out of Deliverance.  The place even has a museum, but a guy who grew up nearby told me he has no recollection of ever finding it open.  It may allow visitors by appointment, but the neighborhood isn’t much.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  My impression was it was the type of place you would go to cook methamphetamine and live under the radar.

Cherry Creek is on the drive to Ely.  I spent a few days in the latter one recent simmer, then made a detour to see the museum, which was listed in a brochure I found at my hotel.

The abandoned town was once a gold and silver mining hub within the first decade of Nevada statehood.  As mining ended, so did the future of this dusty corner of the American West.  But here’s the thing.  People are living there.  Some in rundown old buildings, and others in modern new homes.

I gather the land was cheap when compared to the building boom I saw along Highway 50, west of Ely.  And I gather it’s quiet.  The main road is visible in the valley below.  During daylight hours, you can see traffic approaching from miles away.  A good advantage if someone is coming to ask you a few questions.

Looking around what remains of the old dirt streets made me feel like an intruder, and I don’t believe I would like to be wandering around after dark on a breezy night, as the old remains of buildings rock and creek in the night.

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