Forgotten Destinations: Randsburg mining district: Part III: Ransdburg

Article and Photography by Natasha Petrosova

Today , Randsburg is a living Ghost Town where people are nice and antiques are cheap. It accounts for about 200 Residents. Near by towns Johannesburg and Red Mountain also have full-time residents, 50 and 100 respectively. The whole area really comes to live once a year on the third Saturday of September when Ransburg holds its annual "Old West Days" event. Hundreds of people attend the event each year and this sleepy town in Mojave desert comes to live full of fun and enjoyment . It was our second time visiting Randsburg. The first time we came here about a week prior to the event. We walked empty streets , took pictures and did not meet any residents. Businesses were close and it seemed that the town was deserted. This time , we came back for an event. The town was full of people and businesses were open. We enjoyed live music , classic car shows , watching square dancers and last but not least old west gun show demonstrations. This event is a lot of fun for a whole family. It is free to attend and even parking is free. We met a few locals. Most of Randsburg residents are seniors. The owner of a Photo Studio , Tom O' Donell, told us stories about working in the mines. We asked him about life in Randsburg. Tom told us that in order to live here , so far from everything, one must be able to do everything on his/her own. There is no service to call to come and fix the problem. Electric problems, plumbing etc, has to be fixed by residents. Of course, he added, for a few beers the neighbors would come and help, but you can not always depend on neighbors, you have to be self-sufficient. Tom makes everything he can by himself , he even prepares his own batter.

Randsburg serves as a stop for numerous explorers, photographers , and tourists. Randsburg is definitely a place to see and visit . It is impressive how this area still goes on . What i like the best about Randsburg is that the residents did a great job keeping a town exactly how it was a century ago. It's a good feeling to walk around a town while feeling a local pride and that you are welcome here. Randsburg residents take a pride in sharing their colorful past with visitors, living in the houses as electrical as they are. The gold petered, so did the population but the town's spirit continues to live on.