Ernie's Ghost Town PhotosErnie Lombard is a retired Boise architect who has probably visited more ghost towns and mining areas that anyone else in Idaho. During the last 33 years, Lombard has logged thousands of miles on his dirt bike as he's traveled to every corner of the state on a photographic mission. Years ago he decided he'd like to record as many of Idaho's ghost towns and mining artifacts as he could. Each year Ernie has added to his collection until he now has entire room of his house filled with boxes of historic images. Some of his shots include buildings you can longer see because they've since fallen down or been destroyed by fire. Below, you can see a small sample of some of the photographs Ernie has taken over the last three decades.
"I realized that what I could do for these old buildings was record them. I maybe couldn't save them physically but I could record them. So I started, it really kind of became a quest, why don't you record them all or try to record them all. And I might have hit 130 different towns or sites, mill sites, and historic sites. So I've covered most of Idaho. I haven't got it all. And I probably never will get every one but I've gotten a great deal of them. So I combine my love of photography, combine my love history, and combine my love of riding trail bikes to get there, which really works out very well."
Ernie Lombard, Ghost Town photographer
Click on thumbnail to see larger version of photo.
Idaho City, Cemetery
Lost Ranger Mine
Pierce, County Courthouse
Rabbit Foots Mine
Bayhorse, Ramshorn Mill
Birch Creek, Kilns
Cinibar Bunkhouse
Elk City Dredge
Gilmore, Jaggers Hotel
Rocky Bar Residence
Silver City, Idaho Hotel
Three Creek, Wagon
Lost Turtle Mine
