Then, the Great Recession hit.
In January 2011, USG closed down the mine due to reduced demand for sheetrock, CNBC reported. The company installed a chain-link fence around the perimeter of the town, and its roughly 300 residents were told to pack up and leave.
Over the next five years, Empire became a ghost town.
Weeds grew rampant, and two llamas were brought in to keep the grass in check, according to the Reno-Gazette Journal.
The town s fate changed when another mining company purchased it
When mining executive David Hornsby first visited Empire in 2015 to scope out the possibility of revitalizing it, he was taken aback by the state of the buildings.
The true story of Empire, Nevada, the tiny desert town from Nomadland that shut down in 2011, forcing all of its residents out
msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The true story of Empire, Nevada, the tiny desert town from Nomadland that shut down in 2011, forcing all of its residents out
msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.