# Entrepreneur rebuilds California ghost town after $1.4 million purchase 2026-08-15T13:01:35+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Entrepreneur Brent Underwood and business partner Jon Bier bought California’s abandoned Cerro Gordo mining town for $1.4 million in July 2018. The deal covered more than 300 acres and 22 surviving structures, including a 19th-century hotel. The property attracted about a dozen offers, but the sellers chose the pair because they planned to preserve its history and keep it accessible to the public. Cerro Gordo once housed about 4,000 people after silver and lead were discovered in 1865. Underwood moved there full time in March 2020, but a fire that June destroyed the American Hotel, an icehouse and a nearby residence. Rebuilding has been slowed by the remote location and lack of reliable water. The hotel was reportedly reconstructed by 2025, while restoration continues. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Brent Underwood, California, Jon Bier Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/entrepreneur-rebuilds-california-ghost-town-after-1-4-million-purchase/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/entrepreneur-rebuilds-california-ghost-town-after-1-4-million-purchase/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.