wild west
When production fell and prices went down mines were shut down and all that was left were ghost towns and land disaster. Cannons and explosives were used to expose gold and this left rocks and debris. The debris clogged the rivers, which caused flooding that destroyed towns and agriculture. Whole forests were used up for timbers that ended up filling the air with hazardous smoke. The Caminetti act was passed so states could regulate mines, but underground mining still continued and was unregulated. During the 1870’s shepherds and cattle ranchers fought over land because the cattle ate the tips of grass, but the sheep would eat it all the way down to the root leaving no more.