Drought uncovers town in Salamonie

HUNTINGTON — The drought gripping Indiana is offering visitors to Salamonie Reservoir their first glimpse of a town submerged for nearly half a century.

Declining water levels at reservoir have revealed the remnants of a town that was submerged when the reservoir was created in 1967.

Wayne Ley, assistant reservoir manager, said people have been visiting what used to be Monument City and have found artifacts.

“They’ve found old doorknobs, different things you could find around a house, maybe a coin or two,” Ley said.

Foundations of houses and the building blocks of a former schoolhouse also are visible.

“Normally, this is under several feet of water,” he said.

Four towns were submerged when the reservoir was created. Graves located in area cemeteries were moved elsewhere, he said, but some unmarked graves were washed away and are now being discovered in strange places.

“Usually, bones are found by fishermen who are fishing along the shore, and they’ll look down and they’ll see some bones,” Ley said.

Boaters using the reservoir are being warned to use caution because old house foundations, roads and other parts of the underwater towns not completely visible could present an unseen danger.

Ley said he has worked at the reservoir for three decades and has never seen the towns until now.

“We do not expect this to happen again. I’ve worked here 34 years, and this has never happened before,” he said.