Explore Indiana’s Abandoned World War II Army Ammunition Plant
In Southern Indiana, Evansville's contributions to the military during World War II are well-known and documented. What you may not know (I sure didn't) is that there is another city in this part of the state that played a major role in the war effort, and for many years after.
Indiana Army Ammunition Plant
Charlestown, Indiana, located in Clark County, was the home of a massive manufacturing plant, built to produce ammunition for the U.S. Army during World War II. Construction began in August 1940, and by April 1941, more than 800 buildings were already being used to produce propellant charges for artillery shells. Once completed, the facility, which included three separate plants, covered more than 18,000 acres and included over 1,700 buildings, 190 miles of roads, and 92 miles of railroad track.
The Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP) would go on to be the largest gunpowder and ordinance facility of its type in the United States. According to AbandonedOnline.net, the INAAP produced 3.2 billion pounds of black powder from 1941-1992.
The plant has long been closed and abandoned and has slowly been dismantled over the years. It probably won't be long until nothing is left of the plant. Before that happens, though, a couple of urban explorers (that's the best name I could think of) were able to tour the facility (with permission).
The drone footage they captured shows how massive the facility was.
The couple was also able to get footage while walking through some of the remaining buildings.
They put all of their footage into the YouTube video below. If you have some time to spare, you might want to check it out. It's a really neat piece of Indiana history that may not be around much longer.
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