Ghost Town Living

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During the 19th century, Cerro Gordo, Calif., was a booming mining town. 

With an abundance of silver in its mines, prospectors came to reap their fortunes. Word spread like wildfire, and by 1869, Cerro Gordo was the No. 1 mining town for silver, even though it was in a remote part of Inyo County, 215 miles northwest of Los Angeles. 

In many isolated mining towns during this time, laws weren’t enforced. Gun fights were common, and the search for wealth became the pattern of ill-advised behavior for all. 

When the great fire of 1877 destroyed the town, many left, making it a ghost town — until Brent Underwood and other investors decided to purchase it and the abandon mines and buildings for $1.4 million.

Underwood had a dream to restore the town, which is why the previous owner selected his bid despite the fact it was significantly lower than others’. His dream was a little fuzzy, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to make it a travel back in time destination spot or a filming camp for movies. 

All Underwood knew was that he wanted to rebuild the town, minus an expertise in construction, being handy and degree in engineering. 

Once Underwood arrived, he felt he made a huge mistake, he had invested his life savings, taken money from friends without a true purpose. Living in a town without running water, electricity and plumbing can cause severe doubt, which Underwood faced, until he got his hands dirty. Until he started to do the work—cleaning out houses, repairing leaks, and recording his activity for his YOU TUBE channel. Underwood wasn’t sure of his final destination for Cerro Gordo, he was sure by doing the work, he would find his answers.

Underwoods story isn’t about the book he would eventually write GHOST TOWN LIVING or the 1.65 million subscribers on his YOU TUBE channel. It isn’t about the unknown people who came from all over the globe bringing acts extreme kindness to help him rebuild. Underwood’s story is about “DOING.” It’s about putting your effort into doing something every single day to the best of your ability and knowing the destination can only come after you begin.  His story is also about finding joy in what you do, finding peace within yourself to understand through setbacks comes resolve. It’s a story about finding your true self and your true potential. At its core Underwood’s story is asking us one critical question: What are we truly capable of?

Finding the answers requires, self-discovery, exploration and self-reflection. Underwood by jumping into work he didn’t know allowed him to discover. By going into the mines, studying the towns history allowed him to explore and learn. By recording his adventure for the world to see, gave him a wonderful way to self-reflect. 

The book is a great read, the YouTube channel brings words to life, and his story does what all great stories do: Force us to ask questions and search for answers. 

What are you truly capable of?

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