My uncle told me the story of this place when I was 13 and I didn't believe it until I saw it. The story goes that during WWII the US was worried that the Germans would try to bomb US airports, so they built a fake town just east of Richmond International Airport (then called Byrd Airport). The town is strange to see -- it consistes of roads, sidewalks, driveways that lead to nothing, streetlights, sewer covers, mailboxes, even the occasional park bench. It also had a runway with landing lights. All the lights were designed to be turned on in case of an air raid and at the same time, the real airport and all of Richmond would be blacked out in the hopes that the Germans would bomb the fake town.The only Virginia listing on ghosttowns.com (listed as Portugue Road), some research reveals that this construction project located on Portugee Road east of Richmond International Airport was better known as Elko tract (or Lost City to locals who used to park and party there) until some short-sighted bureaucrat decided that rural Virginia needs semiconductor plants more than it needs a fascinating historical and cultural landmark. I was excited for about 45 minutes this morning at the prospect of exploring and photographing the unusual site, but now that I know it's become the White Oak Technology Park, this aerial picture is probably as close as I'll come to Elko.
My uncle told me the
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