Jeff Eberle, 44, has lived in Colorado for his entire life. A Central City resident for the last eight years, he was originally born in Wheat Ridge. He describes himself as an author, photographer, and amateur historian. In the last decade, he has “covered over 10,000 miles of Colorado’s backroads, 4x4 trails and footpaths to photograph a few final images of the state’s rapidly vanishing ghost towns and historic sites.”

Some of these photos have made it into three titles that he has written under Arcadia Publishing for their America Through Time “Abandoned” series. These titles are Abandoned Western Colorado: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of the Rockies; Abandoned Northern Colorado: Ghosts of the Great High Plains; and Abandoned Southern Colorado and the San Luis Valley.

Eberle hopes that through these photos, a newfound appreciation can be gained for these historic buildings. He also hopes that public awareness about these sites and interest in their preservation can be increased through these titles. Of the sites, he says, “Where one person sees an eyesore or a potential site of a new apartment complex, I see the remnants of Colorado’s past, and the story of the pioneers whose hard work created the state we love today.”

You can buy Eberle’s books today through Arcadia Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, eBay, and all other major online book retailers.