Tessa McLean profiles Darwin, California, a small community near Death Valley National Park. Once a mining town, Darwin has attracted people for its cheap housing and the sense of solitude and freedom in the desert. But the rise of ghost-town tourism, a declining and aging population, and a struggling water system now threaten Darwin’s survival. Its residents are hoping the right kind of newcomers will find their way there.
The only job available in Darwin is at the post office, and after the last postmaster retired a few years ago, that position’s no longer even held by a town resident.
They’re also not all Republicans, a common misconception about small communities in the state. On her porch, Goss shared pictures from the town’s recent No Kings protests, which she joked had to have been the largest in the state, at least when you take into account the percentage of residents who took part from a single town.Â
More stories about small towns
It’s Dead Around Here
“A ghost town enthusiast searches for the essence of these scarcely populated locales.”
‘He’s Trying to Colonize This Community’: Inside Elon Musk’s Plan to Take Over This Texas Town
“Elon Musk gave it a shot in Washington. Now he’s aiming to be the de-facto mayor of a small Texas town.”
Amarillo by Morning
“Revisiting an act of kindness in the high plains.”
‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town
“Ultimately, Granbury is just one canary of several in the proverbial mine.”
Paradise Redux
“In Butte County, California, five years after the Camp Fire.”
As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School
“How much should they risk to get to school?”
