As we often find ourselves in peril of flooding in many parts of the Tar Heel State, we’re taking a look today at an entire town that was literally wiped away by a tremendous flood that swept through North Carolina in 1940. All that remains now is a vacant ghost town that Mother Nature has been working to reclaim for decades.
As time has a way of doing, many have long forgotten the small town of Mortimer (shown here, c. 1900), once home to approximately 800 people.
Facebook/Caldwell Heritage Museum
The flood of 1940 ravaged parts of North Carolina as it swept through in the middle of the night on August 13th. The Town of Boone, a mere 30 miles to the north of Mortimer, still considers it one of the worst floods in the history of the town. Unlike Boone, Mortimer never recovered or rebuilt after that great flood.
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
By 1940, Mortimer had become a big textile town. The railroad had a large depot in town and there was ample infrastructure to support the 800 or so people living in the town, most of which worked in the mills.
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
Today the concrete ruins of the mills jut up out of the ground covered in vines and smothered in the overwhelming sense of great loss.
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
The great flood of ‘40 swept through this narrow valley filling it up to completely cover the ruins you’ll presently find in this ghost town. Those wooden frame mill worker homes seen in the first photo above were swept away; many with the people still inside or clinging to their roof.
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
A visit to Mortimer is a stark reminder of the power of Mother Nature and flash floods in the Carolinas. All it takes… is one flood.
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
Visiting the ghost town of Mortimer is as easy as traveling to this point on a Google map. By the time you get to Brown Mountain Beach Road, you’ll be driving on dirt. In certain weather conditions, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended.
Google Maps [satellite view] Want to see more of Mortimer? Check out this YouTube video from user James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
What other ghost towns are you aware of in North Carolina? We’d love to know about them too!
Facebook/Caldwell Heritage Museum
YouTube/James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
Google Maps [satellite view]
Want to see more of Mortimer? Check out this YouTube video from user James Smith, The Quiet Hiker
Feel like hiking to an old ghost town in the mountains? Keep reading here to learn more!
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