Fort Ritner, Indiana, Level 4 Ghost Town

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Fort Ritner, Indiana is a Level 4 ghost town located about 13 miles southeast of Bedford, Indiana. The town once had a population of about 1,000 people in the early 1900s but in the 2000 census the population was hovering around only 75 people. Today in 2023, the population could very well be south of the 75 residents that were living here in 2000. Here’s the story...
Fort Ritner was platted in 1857 and named for Michael Ritner, a foreman of the railroad that built the massive train tunnel just 1 mile west of town. When first platted, there were almost 290 available plots in town. Today, there might be about 20 homes inhabited.
One of the first merchants to open shop was William Holland who had a grocery store and a tavern. When he died in 1905 he was one of the wealthiest men in Lawrence County and owned quite a bit of land as shown in the plat book.
In its heyday, the early 1900s, Fort Ritner was home to two saloons, a railroad depot, at least 2 churches, possibly 3, a flour mill, a blacksmith shop, a saw mill, 2 grocery stores, a hotel, a telephone exchange, a post office, a doctors office, a grist mill, a barbers shop, a dress maker shop and a justice of the Peace. In 2023, all that remains of the commercial entities is the former Holland General Store built in 1913 which is now a private residence. Which places Ft. Ritner in the “Level 4 Ghost Town” category.
With the East Fork of the White River just 1/2 mile south of Fort Ritner, floods have always played a major roll in the history of the town. The 1913 Flood somehow triggered a fire in the grocery store of William Holland which resulted in his first store burning down to the waterline. The 1937 Flood was even worse forcing all of the residents to leave town or seek refuge in the Ft. Ritner Methodist Episcopal Church which sat on high ground.
A 2 story hotel once stood on Front Street almost directly across from the former Holland General Store. This was one of the oldest buildings in town, constructed in the 1800s. Unfortunately it burned to the ground in 1977.
On the morning of Monday, December 27, 1909, two freight trains traveling east and west on the same set of tracks approached the sharp curve just 1/2 mile east of Ft. Ritner. Due to the curve and the cliff on the north side of the tracks, neither engineer could see the other train coming until it was too late. Some trainmen were able to jump to safety before the collision but unfortunately 5 were killed in the accident making it the deadliest train wreck in Lawrence County history.
Four schools have been built in Fort Ritner but only one remains.
In 1855 the “Wildcat School” was constructed one mile north of Fort Ritner on the head of Wildcat Creek. The land was deeded by William & Sarah Foster on June 9, 1855 for school purposes. The school was in use for only 3 years until 1858.
In 1858 the Town School was built at the corner of Depot & Third Street on Lots 112-113 & 114 which were deeded by Edwin B. Fanning for school purposes. This school was in use until 1883. I couldn’t find any remains of the building.
In 1883 the two story, two room Clay Hill College was built and sat o the hillside and slightly west and north of the Winfred and Maggie Dixon home. The 1 and a half acres of land for the school was deeded by Martin & Mary Dixon. This school was in operation until 1911. It looks as if a newer home has been built on the site of where the school may have once stood.
In 1911 the last Ft. Ritner school was built on Lots 83-84-85 & 86. The one story, two room school was in operation until 1952. In 2023 it is being used as a private residence.
A post office once stood on the west side of the 1913 Holland General Store and then was moved inside the store. In 2023 the remains of the Post Office can be found at the Lawrence County Museum of History in Bedford, Indiana.
Today Fort Ritner, Indiana is only a shell of it’s former self. Less than two dozen houses make up Fort Ritner with a population of only about 50-65 people. Will anything be left in Fort Ritner 100 years from now? Only time will tell.
GPS Location: 38°46'14.2"N 86°16'50.2"W
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Пікірлер: 78

@alanbrooke3237 3 ай бұрын

Adamsboro in Indiana had a post office in the little store next to where the railroad tracks use to be has 9 or 10 homes.

@conniekingery4837 3 ай бұрын

It's neat that you drive It's like you going for a drive Nice for people can't get out

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 3 ай бұрын

Glad you like that!

@WilliamBAckeret Ай бұрын

For sure I am watching from a nursing home. I sewed some wild oats in Ft. Ritner

@musclecarmitch908 11 ай бұрын

Cool ghost town, seeing the old photos of what it used to look like is awesome! Thanks for sharing this wonderful place and its history with us! 👍

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@acgillespie 11 ай бұрын

Imagine all the life that began and ended in this sweet little town over the past 140 years

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Exactly!

@michaeldaulton7858 3 ай бұрын

I've been working on 43 years

@Rebel9668 10 ай бұрын

Don't know how long that store has been closed, but I'm sure I remember it being a dark brown building and having stopped there for a coke back in the late 1980's.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 8 ай бұрын

That's about when I discovered it.

@jeffs5093 11 ай бұрын

Great video, I love the then and now photos.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Thanks! I like them too.

@davidkimmel4216 8 ай бұрын

Liked the explanation. Thanks

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 8 ай бұрын

Good! Glad it made sense.

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

You might check out Willow Valley as well. It’s about 5 miles east of Shoals and 3 miles west of Huron on US 50. There’s a couple of homes and the gypsum plant is still going (I think) and there’s a cool railroad tunnel to check out. The railroad is still there but is out of service between Washington and Mitchell as of July 2024.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 2 ай бұрын

Can you give me a GPS Location?

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

@@historyinyourownbackyard2363 I’ll check on google maps in a bit and see if I can. I never really used those before. I guess I’m old fashioned lol. I just drove US 50 a lot in the 1990’s and being a train fan found a lot of “out of the way places”.

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

@@historyinyourownbackyard2363 here’s what google maps has: 38.6875265, -86.7209649 It’s “Deep Cut Lake Road” off US 50 about 3 miles west of Huron.

@Blr57 2 ай бұрын

@@historyinyourownbackyard2363here it is. The tunnel is located at 38.68493° N, 86.72289° W. It’s directly to the northwest of the gypsum plant. Southern Indiana has some of the greatest abandoned and historic railroad areas. The old B&B railroad lines are getting harder and harder to find and navigate. ✌🏻

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

Located along the B&O (CSX) railroad this is an interesting place. There used to be a rail line from Rivervale (4 miles west) up to Bedford that carried freight and passenger trains until the 1920’s. Turners (located where the recently removed Monon railroad crossed Indiana highway 60) would qualify as a ghost town for sure. Nothing left except a house or two. At one time it had a depot, post office and general store. I’m really enjoying these videos as that’s why I go on vacation alone. If I see something interesting I stop and check it out and I avoid interstates as they’re boring.

@Blr57 2 ай бұрын

I’ve been looking for where the turntables were on this line. Haven’t been able to locate them or where it crosses Indiana 60 either. Where are the approximate locations if you don’t mind my asking? I’m addicted to the history of the early railroad in general but mostly southern Indiana.

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

@@Blr57 the turntable on the B&O line was located at Shops which is on the west side of Washington Indiana.

@Blr57 2 ай бұрын

@@ChadQuick270W thanks for the quick reply. So there’s another turntable near Washington? Or are you talking about the one that’s in Washington? Sorry I’m a little confused 😂

@ChadQuick270W 2 ай бұрын

@@Blr57 no worries. This one is in Washington proper. On the west side around milepost 171 or so. Also a little history, the mileposts on this line are measured from 2nd & Smith Streets in Cincinnati where the original line began from. There’s not a trace of that left as urban renewal changed a lot of the area in Cincinnati. I’m always glad to answer questions :)

@Blr57 2 ай бұрын

@@ChadQuick270W ok I was thinking I missed one in my travels but I’ve been there to check it out. 😂. Have you been to the Howell yard in Evansville? Really cool place. It has the roundhouse and turntable intact. I’m sure you probably know all about it. I live right by a train trestle that goes over Lake Lemon in Unionville, Indiana. Also next to the tracks below the ridge it runs along before going over the trestle there’s an old dirt county road called “Goose Hollow Road”. You can drive this road legally but it’s rough and 4wd with a little ground clearance is definitely necessary. Anyway there are two tunnels through the ridge underneath the rail bed that allows streams to flow underneath as to avoid track washouts. The first tunnel is long and a Jeep will fit into it. The second one is hard to get to and shorter. Really cool place to visit. My friends and I had dirt bike trails all over down there when we were kids. There’s a tunnel about a half mile from there as well that goes underneath Tunnel Road and there’s a water tower above it too. I can hear the train from my house.

@jamesf4405 11 ай бұрын

Where's Susie Selleck? I hope she's doing OK. Great video! Love what you guys do!

@valerieloeffler6174 3 ай бұрын

Is all of the land privately owned?

@jacobbrownthe2nd 2 ай бұрын

Yes. A guy bought up most of Fort Ritner for likely very little. Tweakers don't pay taxes.

@bevkern3858 2 ай бұрын

Just lived 15 min away

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 2 ай бұрын

Nice little town.

@joeanderson9852 11 ай бұрын

👍👍

@martymcfly930 6 ай бұрын

This my first time seeing one of your videos, you did an excellent job. Is the train tunnel there still used at all? I figure probably not but wanted to ask anyway.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 6 ай бұрын

Yes the trains run through the tunnel daily. Glad you liked the video.

@chriswooley1236 4 ай бұрын

Amazing research. How about scipio,,Hayden, brewersville,holten,Nebraska? I know, its a lot to research. However you did an amazing job on this little hometown. Frog legs on Thursday or Friday. All you can eat. Don't know if they are still in business but it was awesome the people were like family. Couple decades ago.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 4 ай бұрын

They are all on my list! It just takes time...

@jacobbrownthe2nd 11 ай бұрын

I live here and this place has lost its way for sure. My mom was the last postmaster there which I think was 2009 or 2011? Ether way there was a house fire in 2011 on the second floor of the post office and we moved out.

@jacobbrownthe2nd 11 ай бұрын

I just live further down fort ritner road.

@WilliamBAckeret Ай бұрын

Is this Rachelle?

@jonsheehan4715 4 ай бұрын

Deep Indiana....Thanks!

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 4 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@johnswigler6512 11 ай бұрын

Great job Satolli and crew.🧢🇺🇸

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Thanks John!

@WilliamBAckeret Ай бұрын

My best friend's Grandpa was Homer Haws. In the mid eighties there was a post office inside of the general store.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 Ай бұрын

Yes there was!

@danielthoman7324 Ай бұрын

It used to be like Walnut Grove.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 Ай бұрын

What was Walnut Grove?

@richrodeman 11 ай бұрын

I am a long time viewer, but I am a slacker in replying to your videos. I quietly have watched your videos for the past few years and totally enjoy them. The length of them are perfect and I truly enjoy the content that you put out. For instance, this Town is a very interesting Ghost Town. You can definitely see how at one time it was probably full of children and activities and it is just very intriguing to watch how you display the town as it is now compared to what it was. Keep up the great work. I will try to be more diligent in commenting and likes! I do have a question about this video. At the corner of Front St and Ft Ritner there was a raised foundation. It also had steps leading up to the foundation. Did you happen to find out what that foundation once was?

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments. That foundation belongs to the store that once stood there. At time stamp 6:08 you dan see the store in the center of the photo along with the steps and foundation.

@Daffmikeron 11 ай бұрын

EXCELLENT AS USUAL

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 8 ай бұрын

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

@jacobroyer4706 11 ай бұрын

Did you get to check out the abandoned ft ritner bridge ?

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Yes! I even did a video about that bridge a couple of years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHeUn2CNqbhleqs

@fr57ujf 3 ай бұрын

You said that a category 4 ghost town is completely gone. Ft. Ritner still has residents, yet you describe it as a category 4 ghost town. ???

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 3 ай бұрын

No, just the opposite. A level 1 Ghost Town is completely gone. Level 4 still has people living in town.

@fr57ujf 3 ай бұрын

Thanks. I got it backwards.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 3 ай бұрын

@@fr57ujf no problem.

@brandonbedford 11 ай бұрын

Great video as always Satolli!

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

Well I have to give you credit for giving me the inspiration to cover Fort Ritner. It was on my radar but it wasn't at the top of my list until you showed me those pictures. Thanks!

@brandonbedford 11 ай бұрын

@@historyinyourownbackyard2363 No problem! SHAARD has pictures and information about pretty much the entire state, it is a great resource

@togglebutton3312 Ай бұрын

8:25 "The Fort Ritner Museum"...I spit my drink out...LOL

@bevkern3858 2 ай бұрын

Lot of drinks there😅

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 2 ай бұрын

LOL!

@jerrykemp9603 11 ай бұрын

Enjoyed your video. What I also noticed were the lack of empty houses. How did they pay to have them removed? The small towns around here are littered with burnt out and abandoned buildings.

@historyinyourownbackyard2363 11 ай бұрын

I have no idea.