The Economic Times

In 1881, a rich silver vein turned Lake Valley, New Mexico, into a town of about 4,000; by 1902 only 150 remained, and the last residents left in 1994

Silver mining in Lake Valley began in the 1870s and boomed after a major discovery in 1881. Lawlessness and a railroad spur followed the profitable mining operations. Demonetization and a devastating fire emptied the town by the late 1890s. The town continued to shrink, with the last residents leaving in 1994. Today, Lake Valley is preserved as a historic townsite.