Man Spent His Life Savings and Took Out a Loan to Buy a $1.4M Californian Ghost Town, Now He Lives There Alone

Brent Underwood turned a late-night joke from a friend into a $1.4M gamble on Cerro Gordo, an abandoned California mining town he bought in 2018.

The purchase put his life savings and a high-interest loan on the line, but what began as an impulsive idea has evolved into a years-long restoration project. Underwood has lived at the remote settlement full-time since March 2020 and is working to turn the historic site into a destination where visitors can stay overnight.

A Joke That Became a $1.4M Deal

'I've always had a love of history and hospitality,' Underwood told The Post, recalling watching the TV series Gunsmoke with his grandfather. 'There's a romanticism to the West that's pulled millions of people out here, and it had a hold on me early.'

He first learned about the town in 2018. Underwood said a friend sent him the Cerro Gordo real estate listing in a middle-of-the-night text, mostly as a joke, with a message suggesting it could be his 'next thing'. The next morning, Underwood researched everything he could about the town before booking a flight to California to see it for himself.

A Town Frozen in Time

Cerro Gordo was once a booming mining settlement, with a few thousand residents and hundreds of buildings at its peak in the 1870s. However, declining mining activity and destructive fires gradually emptied the town, leaving only a fraction of its original structures.

When Underwood bought Cerro Gordo in 2018, around 20 historic buildings remained, according to his account. 'You drive and drive and finally come around the last corner, and the town reveals itself, a beautiful collection of buildings that looks like it's frozen in time from the 1800s,' he said.

Today, Cerro Gordo features several surviving landmarks, including a former general store that Underwood has converted into a museum, the remains of an old brothel, and a historic bunkhouse. The Hoist House stands above the Union Mine, whose shaft drops about 900 feet underground. The property also has a former garage converted into a church and movie theatre.

'There Is Something Very Beautiful' About Isolation

Underwood has embraced life far from other people. 'I've always been a bit of an introvert, so the solitude doesn't bother me much,' he said.

'I don't have neighbours for dozens of miles in any direction, which means any way that I look there is an adventure to be had. I love that. There's something very beautiful about living so far away from (other people). There isn't the ambient noise that you have in cities, but don't really realise until you've left,' he added.

The lack of light pollution is another draw. 'The stars here are as bright as stars can be, because there is no light pollution to interfere. I feel much more in touch with nature and my thoughts since being here,' he said. 'I never run out of things to do, and even after six years, I feel like I'm just scratching the surface.'

A Fire Nearly Set Him Back

Restoring the town has come with major setbacks. The American Hotel was one of Cerro Gordo's most recognisable historic buildings, dating to the town's 19th-century silver-mining boom.

However, in June 2020, a fire destroyed the hotel while Underwood was working to restore the property. The cause of the fire was not immediately established, and the blaze meant the landmark would have to be rebuilt.

Restoring Cerro Gordo has also required Underwood to develop new skills, particularly when it comes to planning. With the nearest hardware store about two hours away, even a missing part can require careful preparation rather than a quick trip into town.

His Ghost Town Dream Continues

Underwood's long-term plans include a hotel with eight guest rooms, as well as a restaurant and bar, giving visitors the chance to stay overnight at Cerro Gordo. The shell of the new American Hotel is now complete, although work on the interior is still awaiting permits.

For now, Cerro Gordo welcomes day visitors, with free self-guided tours and paid guided tours available on weekends. Underwood continues documenting the restoration on his YouTube channel, Ghost Town Living, as he works to preserve the historic settlement and develop it as a destination for visitors.