Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America

A beloved hospital in the Big Easy was once the site of heroic efforts by medical staff and volunteers to evacuate patients after Hurricane Katrina. Now the historic Charity Hospital is being revitalized by another major New Orleans institution.

An upstart mining town fuels the American war effort in both World Wars with its bountiful deposits of lead and zinc. Yet the dusty remains of the mining efforts that put Picher on the map would condemn the city to abandonment years later.

A railroad enterprise once built this "company town" for its workers to live in, but when thousands of employees went on strike, the military intervened. Today, the history of the complex remains as relevant as ever.

At a nondescript bowling alley in South Carolina, evidence of a peaceful student protest that turned deadly comes to light. A series of tunnels in L.A. becomes a shady place for resourceful people in this sunny city.

The notorious owner of this Georgia plantation once held a sale of nearly 450 enslaved people. Appalled at her husband's cruelty, the man's wife wrote and published a journal about the atrocities she witnessed, helping turn public opinion against slavery.

An unassuming factory marks a revolutionary leap forward -- and upward -- in how humans travel. But due to ongoing legal battles and innovative designs from their many competitors, these historic upstarts would soon be grounded.