Ghost town

On the drive up to Nelson we took a detour to a place called Sandon, known  as the Ghost Town. Sandon grew in the 1890s after someone discovered a rich vein of silver in them there hills. A town nearby was named Galena after the ore found in the workings. Within a few months, prospectors from California and as far away as Cornwall flooded to Sandon to realise their get rich quick dreams.  But, disaster seemed to lurk behind every corner.

Sandon lies along a very fast flowing river with very high mountains on both sides, so to build a town to support 5000 people was a challenge.  A town sprung up almost overnight with blacksmith shops, hardware stores, lawyers offices to process claims, assayers offices, hotels, bars, and the first anywhere water powered turbine electricity generator which still runs today, oh, and almost 50 brothels!

Two railway companies quickly saw the potential of offering their services to ferry people and supplies into Sandon and to bring the silver, lead and magnesium out from the town. Unfortunately both rail companies spent a lot of time and effort in trying to sabotage their rival by dynamiting each others offices and track.

One half of the bustling main street of Sandon was built over and followed the river down the valley on huge wooden stilts and pavements. The town flourished living on the richest silver ore being processed from the valley until 1955 when a flood tore down the mountain taking half the main street with it. Strangely, silver prices had plummeted so suddenly all interest in the town and its mines collapsed along with half the town.  Locals believe there are still to this day over 10,000 gold and silver coins in the river having been washed away from the brothels and other businesses that night.