To me it looks more like a ghost town, because so many of the buildings are old and worn:
Up on the hill is an old homestead house and barn:
Living here was not easy. The summers can be simmering hot, and the winters unbearably cold. Many homesteaders came, and left, because of the hardships.
South Dakota is especially dry this year, with no rain since June. The prairies seem to go on forever:
Tonight, at dinner, we met the author of a book about Boomtown, and she signed a copy for us. One man, Clarence Hullinger, is responsible for the town. It was his project, his vision, and his money that made it happen. He started with a gas station on the land, and one day decided he wanted to build an old town so people could see what it would have been like to live in South Dakota in the late 1800's. People in the surrounding area thought he was crazy, but he kept at it. Now it is a tourist draw, although it is relatively quiet this late in the season.
