Centralia Pennsylvania documentary: There is a town in central Pennsylvania that has been slowly emptying since nineteen sixty-two. The roads are cracked. The zip code has been revoked by the United States Postal Service. And five people still refuse to leave. This is the story of Centralia. The town America forgot.
The Detail That Changes Everything
On February fourteenth, nineteen eighty-one, a twelve year old boy named Todd Domboski was walking through his grandmother’s backyard when the ground opened beneath his feet. The sinkhole was four feet wide and one hundred fifty feet deep, filled with carbon monoxide and steam from the fire below. His fourteen year old cousin Eric Wolfgang grabbed his arms and pulled him out.
Historical Context
This story spans 1890-present and is centered in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Understanding the broader historical context is essential to grasping why events unfolded as they did.
Key Figures
The central figures in this story include Todd Domboski, Eric Wolfgang, David Lamb, John Coddington, and Thomas Larkin. Each played a distinct role in the events documented in this episode.
What This Documentary Covers
- Discover how a single mining accident in 1962 changed Centralia forever
- Learn why the U.S. government spent millions on remediation efforts and ultimately gave up
- Explore the landscape of a town that went from 1,000 residents to fewer than ten
- Understand the legal battle that forced most residents to abandon their homes and lives
- Uncover why a few residents refuse to leave despite government relocation offers
Themes Explored
This episode examines interconnected themes including underground fire, coal mining, ghost town, environmental disaster, eminent domain. These themes recur across multiple episodes in our documentary collection, revealing patterns that connect seemingly unrelated stories.
Watch the Full Documentary
This companion article provides context and background for the full documentary. For the complete story with narration, original music, and archival imagery, watch the episode above or on YouTube.