Man buys abandoned mining town and becomes its only resident

Brent Underwood lives surrounded by Californian mountains. There’s no running water or mobile phone service and the nearest grocery store is about two hours away.

It was late one night in 2018 when a friend sent him the listing for Cerro Gordo, an abandoned silver mining town above Death Valley.

“He sent it in a text in the middle of the night, mostly as a joke,” Underwood, 39, told People.

“He sent the listing with a ‘haha, this might be your next thing.’ I woke up in the morning, researched everything I could about the town, and booked a flight out to see it.”

Underwood ultimately bought Cerro Gordo for $US1.4 million ($1.94 million).

Founded in 1865, the mining settlement was home to thousands of people at its peak before eventually being abandoned.

Underwood initially had no plans to live there permanently. Then the pandemic hit.

In March 2020, he relocated to the property expecting to stay for a few weeks. Six years later, he is still there.

“I left a comfortable life with a decent apartment, great friend group and supportive family to move to the middle of nowhere and try to figure it out,” he said.

His days are now spent looking after goats, alpacas and chickens and restoring the collection of ageing buildings across the town.

Cerro Gordo’s original American Hotel, which dated back to 1871, was destroyed by fire in 2020. Underwood is rebuilding it with plans for eight guest rooms, a bar and a restaurant.

Eventually, he hopes visitors will be able to stay in cabins and campsites across the property.

“I want people to be comfortable enough to enjoy the stay, but still feel the isolation, history and rough edges that make the experience here interesting,” he said.

Millions now follow his restoration online, while hundreds recently made the climb to Cerro Gordo for its annual footrace.

Despite snowstorms, frozen water lines and trips taking hours for basic supplies, he has no plans to return to his old life.

“I hope to be working on Cerro Gordo for the rest of my life,” he told the New York Post.