A man who purchased a ghost town in California has spent the past four years living there, sharing his unique experiences with the world. The mining town of Cerro Gordo, once home to about 4,700 people, thrived during its peak, producing silver, lead, zinc, and occasionally gold. However, after the mines shut down in 1957, the town was largely abandoned.
Brent Underwood, along with his business partner Jon Bier, bought the town with the vision of transforming it into a tourist destination. In 2020, Brent started a YouTube channel, Ghost Town Living, to document his journey as he moved to Cerro Gordo and began restoring it.
Through his videos, Brent has provided a glimpse into his life in the desolate town. Early on, he was snowed in for days while trying to choose a house to live in. With little construction experience, he embarked on a “manageable” project to build a small, peaceful cabin. He also shared a chilling experience at the town’s bunkhouse, where he saw a face in a window.
Initially skeptical about ghosts, Brent later realized no contractors had been on site for weeks. In an eerie twist, after locking the building and turning off the lights, he found the lights back on despite the door still being locked. While not certain it was a ghost, Brent noted that one of the most common questions he receives is whether he’s seen any.
Now, years into the project, construction of a hotel is underway in the once-abandoned town. The biggest hurdle, according to Brent, has been the lack of running water. He is working to pump water from the mines below—a demanding and time-consuming task. Looking to the future, Brent hopes to develop Cerro Gordo into a thriving tourist destination, much like the ghost town of Bodie.