Trona, CA (0334)

Trona and the area around it were once very large mining and mineral extraction operations, with some reduced operations continuing to this day. There are several small towns around Trona, all of which seem to have been almost, but not completely, abandoned in the past 5 to 10 years. I have talked with a person who knew people who had lived in Trona, and he said that there were many people still there who could not afford to leave -- that they had bought houses when the mines were operating at full-capacity, but could not now sell the houses since they are worth much less than the outstanding mortgage. The rows of houses and stores with most being boarded-up or in severe disrepair, the very few people who seemed suspicious of strangers, the abandoned automobiles, all create a very strong sense of physical, economic, and emotional depression. On the main street near the mill (adjacent photo) -- a burned-out store, wrecked cars, and a church.

Update 11/5/2014: In October of 2014 I explored again around Trona. The mining operations seemed busier than when I had been through before, and the residential areas showed some signs of people rehabilitating older houses.