So often in the era of steam engine-powered trains, towns popped up all around the country so these steam engines could be refueled with water. These small towns thrived in the 1800s, but sadly as steam locomotives were replaced by diesel engines beginning in the 1930s, the towns started to die right along with the "little engine that could." The little town of Cisco, Utah was once a thriving community. Today, it’s a Utah ghost town with a tragic, heartbreaking history.
You'll find the Cisco ghost town along a lonely stretch of State Route 128, near the border of Utah and Colorado.
Click here for the interactive map, which will allow you to find directions to Cisco from your home.
This little town was once thriving - now it sits abandoned in the desert.
It sure looks lonely out there, doesn't it?
In the 1880s, Cisco was founded as a watering stop for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.
Back then, steam engines needed to stop for water along their routes. Many small towns sprung up along rail lines for this purpose.
Ranches and farms were established, and the town became a place to get supplies and ship out products.
In its heyday, as many as 100,000 sheep were sheared in Cisco - the wool was sent to market via the train.
The Cisco Landing Store was once a gathering place.
Residents and farmers met here to swap stories and get the latest gossip.
For a brief time in the 1920s, Cisco enjoyed a boom with the oil and gas industry.
Oil was discovered here in 1924 and Cisco grew to be the largest producer of oil in the state. In the 1940s, people began taking road trips in their cars and Cisco was a popular place to stop for a meal.
In the 1970s, Interstate 70 was built and it bypassed Cisco.
Without drivers stopping to spend money, and with the gas and oil gone, Cisco quickly became a ghost town.
People moved out and the post office closed.
Today, Cisco is left rotting in the vast, empty desert.
The roofs of many buildings have caved in.
Others are partly demolished.
Cisco has appeared in several movies over the years.
Scenes from "Thelma and Louise" were filmed here, as well as parts of the 2005 movie "Don't Come Knocking."
Today, the only people you'll find in Cisco are here to take pictures of a ghost town.
The town is eerie, but also quite picturesque, standing alone in this vast, empty landscape.
Take a drive through the Cisco, Utah ghost town in this video from Decelerated Travel:
Cisco history is a sad reminder that time doesn't wait for anyone. And while technology will always expand and make our lives better, it also leaves behind remnants of the past that cling to life in any way it can. Do you remember when Cisco, Utah was still a lively town? Tell us about your memories in the comments!
Is Cisco, UT a ghost town in the literal sense? Or, is it simply a nearly forgotten town that once was filled with life? There are plenty more ghost towns in Utah, some with sordid histories. Check out this road trip to several ghost towns in Utah. But, before you go, make sure you take a look at our ultimate road trip packing list.
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