Ghost towns were once bustling communities that now sit empty.  Walking through one is an eerie reminder of how quickly things can change.

The Eerie Presence of Ghost Towns

Ghost towns are once thriving communities that have been essentially abandoned by the people living there.

Britannica describes a ghost town as:

ghost town, town that was once an active community but has since been abandoned by all or nearly all of its residents. Ghost towns are found on every continent. The reasons for abandonment of a town include economic or resource issues, natural disasters, extreme climates, war and other armed conflicts, the building of dams, pollution, and nuclear disasters.

While some towns have since been leveled, there are many ghost towns still standing. Many of the structures in these abandoned towns have sat empty and deteriorating, looking more like something from a post-apocalyptic movie than a once quaint town filled with people.

These Towns Serve as a Stark Reminder

I think part of the fascination with ghost towns is that they serve as a sobering reminder that nothing is forever.  Many of the ghost towns you see today are like time capsules, a moment of time frozen.  It's so eerie to see a place that was once full of people and community sitting empty as nature begins to take back over.

The Ghost Towns of Southern Indiana

According to Story Maps, there are approximately 41 ghost towns across the Hoosier State. However, the ghost towns we're talking about today are all located in Southern Indiana.

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I recently came across a fascinating video on YouTube from Adventures With Roger, and the video highlights 12 ghost towns with fascinating stories behind them.  Some of these towns look like people were just there a day ago, but some look like there has been no life there in decades.

In the video Adventures with Roger shares the roadmap he used to get to each ghost town.  The 13 towns featured in the video are:

• English
• Youngs Creek
• Marengo
• Greenville
• Borden
• Campbellsburg
• Fort Ritner
• Tunnelton
• Mitchell
• Ootlic
• Silverville
• Scotland
• Worthington

You can see the video below, and learn a little bit about each town. The stories Roger shares about these places are fascinating, and the footage he captured at each town is hauntingly beautiful.