Ghost Town Aficionado Tami Force Shares Her Experiences in New Book

   For more than 25 years, Tami Force has explored Nevada and Eastern California’s ghost towns and historic sites. In 2020, the Douglas County resident began sharing her discoveries on a website, Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond (https://nvtami.com/), which has grown into an enormously popular place for ghost town information.

   Now, she’s collected some of her best stories and photos in a pair of new books, In the Shadow of the Eastern Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Northern Region and In the Glow of the Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Southern Region.

   In Shadow of the Eastern Sierra, Force writes about more than 70 historic sites and places in Lassen County, including Peter Lassen’s Grave and Doyle, as well as at Lake Tahoe, and in Washoe County, Carson City, Douglas County, and Alpine County.

   In the Glow of the Sierra, Force turns her attention to more than 80 ghost towns, mines, wagon trails, and rail lines that can be found in the area between Mono County and Kern County.

   Each entry is lavishly illustrated with high-quality photos, some of which are full-page images. Additionally, Force provides useful historical information about each featured place.

   A large part of what makes Force’s books stand out is the fact that she profiles many of the more obscure spots; the places you might drive through but not really know their historic significance. For example, travelers to Amador County might not know the entire story about Maiden’s Grave, where two separate sites have been marked with that name, but no one knows for sure which is correct.

   In Carson City, there’s an unusual historic spot known as Ormsby Poor Farm Cemetery, where, beginning in the 1860s, down-and-out residents could work on the farm in exchange for room and board and a small salary. The farm remained open for more than a century, only closing in 1965.

   As part of the poor farm, a small cemetery was established in a grove of trees. Today, it’s still there, surrounded by a metal fence, next to the Carson City fairgrounds.

   In addition to the wonderful photographs, the books contain maps of the various locations.

   For anyone wanting to follow Force’s frequent travels throughout the state (which were the basis for her books), be sure to check out her Nevada Ghost Towns and Beyond website.

   There, you can find descriptions and photos of more than 800 ghost towns and historic sites throughout Nevada, eastern California, Utah and Arizona, organized by county. Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter, which keeps followers abreast of her most recent journeys.

   In the Shadow of the Eastern Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Northern Region and In the Glow of the Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Southern Region are available directly from Force on her website (at a 15 percent discount), in many Nevada bookstores, or from Amazon and many other online retailers.

   Both books come in hardcover (retail price of $65, not counting the discount) and softcover editions (retail price of $45, not including the discount).