Ghosts of the West: The End of the Bonanza Trail

Gr 8 Up—This documentary surveys abandoned mining settlements, operating under the assumption that there is something mysteriously magical about the Old West. The male narrator chronicles the time line of the mining districts, from the discovery of gold or silver and the establishment of businesses to the abandonment of the sites and the miners' move to the next big strike. The focus here is on Colorado, but the narrative mentions mining ventures in Montana, California, South Dakota, and the Yukon. Soft, lyrical music complements the narration as the screen is filled with a host of black-and-white photos, historic and modern. Abandoned settlements, the "Ghosts" in the title, have disappeared for many reasons, including the building of dams, erosion caused by the elements, and vandalism. A few sites have been preserved and offer today's visitors intriguing tales and haunting peeks into a part of America's past, both real and mythic. The film is divided into classroom-friendly segments.