Hindostan Falls – The Lost Jewel of the White River
Picture a town of over one thousand people vanishing within just four years, leaving only ruins and whispered legends behind. Hindostan Falls, located at the falls of the East Fork of the White River, boasted a population of 1,200 by 1820, making it one of the largest settlements on the Indiana frontier. Within a span of just four years, the majority of Hindostan Falls’ population had either perished or fled. The story begins in 1808 when Frederick Schultz traveled from Vincennes to purchase land and establish what he hoped would become a major settlement.
The town’s strategic position along the stagecoach route between New Albany and Vincennes initially fueled its rapid growth. In the early 1820s, a devastating outbreak – likely cholera combined with other illnesses like yellow fever – swept through the community. Court records paint a grim picture, noting that over 138 people died in a mere three-month period. Named by Captain Caleb Fellows, an English immigrant with ties to the British East India Company, this settlement seemed destined for greatness before disease brought its tragic end.
City West – Chicago’s Forgotten Rival
Along Lake Michigan’s southern shore lies the remnants of an ambitious dream that predates Chicago’s rise to prominence. City West was established in 1836 along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan, near the site of an old trading post called Petit Fort. Positioned directly opposite Chicago, its founders envisioned it as a rival metropolis ideally located for trade. The town initially flourished with 25 blocks, around 40 homes, a sawmill, a pier, and an impressive 22-room hotel serving travelers and investors alike.
While the idea of City West attracted attention at first, practical infrastructure such as schools and churches was neglected, leaving the town’s foundation unstable. Investor panic during the crisis of 1837 brought widespread economic collapse, halting City West’s development. Most residents abandoned the settlement by 1839, and its structures were left to the mercy of the elements. Today, nature has reclaimed this once-promising settlement, with shifting dunes covering most traces of what could have been the Midwest’s greatest port city. Indiana Dunes State Park spans over 2,000 acres of breathtaking white sand beaches, wetlands, woodlands, and dunes.
The Ghost Towns Count – Indiana’s Hidden Legacy
Indiana harbors more abandoned settlements than most people realize, each telling a unique story of Midwest expansion and decline. The United States state of Indiana has many former, abandoned, or ghost towns. A study concluded there were at least forty one, two of which were “drowned towns”. These forgotten places represent different eras of Indiana’s development, from early frontier settlements to industrial boom towns that couldn’t weather economic storms…