General Discussion

... I would suggest the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which had 11% of the state's population in the early 20th century but now has 3%. This shift is largely due to the decline of the copper mining industry. If you walk down a street in any of the old mining towns, you will see about a third of the houses occupied, a third vacant and falling into ruin, and a third nothing more than heaps of rubble. At least this was the case 12 years ago, which is the last time I was there.