Meet the American Town With TWO Residents

There’s a town in America so lonely that just two people live there – and no, they don’t have any plans to move out.

Welcome to The Town That Refused to Die.

At a glance:

  • Ione, Nevada, known as “The Town That Refused to Die,” is a living ghost town with just two residents.
  • Once a booming mining town in the 1860s, Ione now stands with many of its historic buildings still intact.
  • Visitors to Nevada’s Highway 50 can take a detour to explore this eerie town, now home to an elderly couple and their dog.

Travelers exploring Nevada’s remote Highway 50, famously dubbed “America’s Loneliest Road,” have the unique opportunity to visit Ione, an eerie ghost town with just two residents. Known as “The Town That Refused to Die,” Ione was founded in 1863 before Nevada was officially designated as a state. During its peak, the town was a bustling mining hub, with more than 600 residents, over 100 buildings, and the honor of being Nye County’s first county seat. However, the once-thriving town is now largely abandoned, home only to 80-year-old Jonathan Harp, his wife Norma, and their dog, Duke.

Ione’s prosperity began with the discovery of silver in the nearby Shoshone Mountain Range, attracting settlers and miners who built up the town. In its early years, Ione had a courthouse, several businesses, and even two short-lived newspapers. However, by the late 1800s, its population began to dwindle as people moved to larger, more prosperous neighboring towns like Belmont. Fires, plummeting silver prices, and the eventual shutdown of its post office in 1959 marked the beginning of Ione’s transformation into a ghost town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2istuWE54Tw

Despite the mass exodus, the Harps have remained Ione’s sole permanent residents, keeping the town’s legacy alive. Jonathan, a retired mine worker, has embraced the solitude, stating, “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing.” The couple drives 100 miles to Fallon, a small city with a naval air station, to buy groceries and supplies, but otherwise, they enjoy the quiet life in their historic home. Although eight other families still own property in Ione, they do not reside there full-time, leaving the Harps to themselves in this living ghost town.

Visitors intrigued by Ione’s history can take a short detour from Highway 50 to explore the remnants of the town. Many of the original buildings, including the old courthouse and abandoned homes, still stand, offering a haunting glimpse into the past. Ione is close to accommodations at Berlin-Icthyosaur State Park and the nearby town of Gabbs, Nevada, where travelers can find RV hookups and campsites. The town is a testament to Nevada’s rich mining history and a must-see destination for those fascinated by ghost towns and the Old West.

While Ione may have faded from its former glory, it remains a symbol of perseverance, living up to its title as “The Town That Refused to Die.”

Could you live somewhere like this?