How did ghost towns get their name?

A "ghost town" is settlement that was abandoned, leaving buildings still standing but unoccupied. The emptiness has a spooky appearance, especially as the buildings deteriorate, leading visitors to imagine that the only occupants are the ghosts of its former residents.

The term is most closely associated with towns in the American west that sprang up quickly, usually in response to mining or other boom-and-bust economic activity, flourished for a while, and then were abandoned when resources ran out. Many survive even after more than a century; it's sometimes possible to find things as mundane as tables, chairs, and Cooking Equipment that were simply left behind when the residents left.