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| economic history of the united states | |
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A boomtown is a Community that experiences sudden and rapid growth, normally attributed to the discovery of a precious resource such as Gold or Silver . During the Gold Rush fever in the American Southwest , many boomtowns arose. For most of these "overnight expansions", a pattern evolved that a small town or area would report the discovery of a highly sought-after resource, people would flock in droves to stake a Claim and then begin mining operations. Industries would set up shop to take advantage of the hordes of citizens and conduct business both related (mining equipment, mules, firearms, etc.) and unrelated (saloons, mercantile companies, livery stables, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to the actual mining. The downfall of many of these towns came about when the mined resources were depleted, resulting in the desertion of a significant portion of the town inhabitants. The town's economic strength would collapse and result in a Ghost Town . Other gold rush boomtowns have arisen in Canada and Australia , which followed similar patterns of boom and bust. The term still applies to rapidly growing communities today, but usually for many other different reasons, especially proximity to a major metropolitan area, where they often grow as large suburban areas, creating Sprawl . |
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