While returning from a visit to Glenwood Springs we stopped for gas in the sweet little Mountain town of Gypsum Colorado.  Gypsum is a relatively new city, which celebrated its centennial in 1982. Unlike most of the towns in the region, it is not a mining town. In fact, its primary industry is agriculture, specifically potatoes. 

I found this unique little two-story abandoned home captivating. You don’t normally see an abandoned home off a major intersection, next to a brand new service station. It turns out this property was occupied as soon as 2017. In fact, the last owner operated a taco truck off the land, it was appropriately “The Orange Taco Truck”. From what I understand it had amazing salsa, but the food trucks life was short lived. ​

The house dates back to the 1930’s; however; the adjacent cabin appears older. The cabin has been well kept and shows signs of recent restoration. While the home shows signs of neglect; buckling roof, ancient shingles, and likely filled with asbestos or led paint.

​My best guess is this property was sold for redevelopment or was condemned by the city. Judging by the byt the age of the property and the size of the lot, I feel this house has more of a story to tell.  Unfortunately, little records exist; however, I was glad to have captured the house before it is leveled and repurposed. If you know anything additional about the property and its history please comment below.

As we explored a local Canyon, an old homestead caught our eye and we decided to take a closer look. Needless to say, I was thrilled to find an expansive property, with many signs of American settlers and historic wagon trails. I was surprised at how much historical information was available about the property and how well preserved it was.

In 1894, Patrick and Margaret Lucas paid $10 for this 160-acre homestead. For nearly 50 years they lived and worked here, raising a family of eight children and building many structures that continue to give us clues and inspire stories about life on a historic western homestead. ​

The Lucas home is built of concrete, an unusual choice for the time when most homes were made of wood. However; it allows us to have a glimpse into the life of an 1800's homesteaders. Since Margaret left the property in 1941, the house was empty but intact. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed much of the house years ago, but what remains gives us an idea of its original size and hints about the interior and exterior. For example, the opening in the back wall gives historians insights into what the family ate, what they used to heat the house, and what types of local medicines were made.  ​

The Apple Tree planted by Patrick and his children can still be seen on the north side of the property. They still bear fruit in autumn and have been here for over 100 years. Each spring, On the eastern side of the property, you can see Margaret's lilacs bloom. Perfuming the air around rock outcroppings that her children once played on. 

The 160-acre estate fell into abandonment for more than 100 years. Eventually, the descendants of the Lucas family donated the land to an organization called "Friends of Castlewood Canyon". Later the property was sold to the state of Colorado and was added to the adjacent state park, "Castlewood Canyon State Park".

In the early 1980s, Mike Tyson owned a monstrous mansion in, Ohio. The world heavyweight champion boxer built this 13,500-square-foot mansion in order to be near the facility of his promoter, Don King.

By 1988, he was at the top of the boxing world and throughout those years he lived in this garish mansion. Purchasing cars, expensive clothing, and many other things, including a $2 million bathtub (featured below).

The Ohio estate included lavishly decorated rooms with imported crystal chandeliers; it had five-bedrooms, tigers in cages, a full kitchen, and a mini-kitchen. His pool was larger than most houses. On the floors stretched zebra print carpets. The structure was garish, the rooms were huge, and the light flooding through the windows was a relief from the fluorescent track lighting.

The later abandoned mansion was Tyson’s home until March 26, 1992, when he was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for the rap and sexual assault of a member of the “Miss Black America Pageant”. Tyson was 25 at the time of the crime. He was sent to the Plainfield Correctional Facility.

​Tyson was released three years later, but he was convicted again, this time for a traffic accident in 1998. Directly after the accident, he assaulted two motorists. He was sentenced to another year in prison. When he got out, he continued to struggle financially and was forced to put the Ohio mansion on the market.

In 2003, Tyson filed for bankruptcy. On the TV talk show The View, Tyson said he was “destitute and broke”. Tyson’s mansion sat abandoned throughout this time.

In 2010 Tyson’s mansion had a chance to be occupied. When it was purchased by the entrepreneur and businessman Paul Monea. For a steal at $1.3 million, but Monea never lived in the house. Monea was under investigation for money laundering. The FBI set up a sting by acting as a connection to a drug lord. Monea was arrested and eventually convicted of conspiracy and money laundering. He remained in prison until this year (2018).

Mike Tyson’s mansion sat abandoned partially due to its location and partly due to its size. Not many people wanted to spend this much to live in the Ohio countryside. The mansion remained empty until 2015 when a local church acquired the property through donation. Thankfully it has found a new use and did not go to waste.