There’s a little township in southwestern Indiana that, despite still having a few residents, is widely considered to be a ghost town. The reason for its abandonment came not from disease or lack of work, but instead a violent series of explosions that took place in October of 1907. Countless Hoosiers were killed, entire livelihoods were obliterated, and a very dark day went down in the annals of Indiana history. Fontanet is one of those ghost towns in Indiana with a history so dark that many Hoosiers simply don’t speak of it any louder than in a hushed whisper.

Fontanet was established in 1870 under its original name of Fountain Station.

DemocraticLuntz/Wikimedia Within the decade, a mining boom arrived. Population rapidly exploded, climbing to more than 300 people in just a few years.

For a while, things were going well.

aiko vanhulsen/Flickr Mining in the area was a lucrative and productive industry. Life popped up around it, and many folks made a great living here.

Everything was great… until it wasn’t.

Randall McRoberts/Flickr On the morning of October 15, 1907, just after 9 a.m., a violent explosion rocked the powder mill in the center of town. This initial blast killed the superintendent and a visitor from Delaware he was hosting in the office. The explosion launched a large tree from the property, which landed on the superintendent’s nearby home - killing his wife and niece as well.

More than a half-hour later, as the fire burned and people panicked trying to get as far away as they could, a second blast occurred.

South Bend Tribune/Visit Indiana This blast was triggered by, and significantly more violent than, the first; it was the terrifying result of 31,000 kegs of dynamite going off all at once. This explosion enveloped homes, offices, businesses, and churches. Soon, the entire town of Fontanet was engulfed in flames.

The explosion was so remarkably powerful that it was felt in nearby towns.

Thomas Hawk/Flickr Bridgeton, Rockville, Brazil, Carbon, and Terre Haute all saw homes get windows blown out. Buildings in Bloomington were shifted on their foundations by the blast. Seismic instruments more than 200 miles away in Ohio registered the explosion. Overall, there were more than 1,000 injuries, and it’s believed that anywhere from 30 to 80 people were lost.

Today, there are just a handful of full-time residents.

Visit Indiana Much of the town was rebuilt, though survivors weren’t exactly in a hurry to return to a place so filled with sadness and grief. The only thing keeping Fontanet with a trace of a heartbeat is the annual Fontanet Bean Dinner Festival, which has been a tradition since 1890. The picnic was moved from Fontanet to Holloway Grove, but in decades since, it has been brought back.

If you’re interested in visiting this delightful living ghost town in Indiana, you’ll definitely want to do so during the festival! It’s the best time of year in Fontanet. Get lots more information about the festival on its official website. Do you know of any other ghost towns in Indiana you’d like to see us dive into someday? Tell us about it using this form. We love hearing your ideas!

DemocraticLuntz/Wikimedia

Within the decade, a mining boom arrived. Population rapidly exploded, climbing to more than 300 people in just a few years.

aiko vanhulsen/Flickr

Mining in the area was a lucrative and productive industry. Life popped up around it, and many folks made a great living here.

Randall McRoberts/Flickr

On the morning of October 15, 1907, just after 9 a.m., a violent explosion rocked the powder mill in the center of town. This initial blast killed the superintendent and a visitor from Delaware he was hosting in the office. The explosion launched a large tree from the property, which landed on the superintendent’s nearby home - killing his wife and niece as well.

South Bend Tribune/Visit Indiana

This blast was triggered by, and significantly more violent than, the first; it was the terrifying result of 31,000 kegs of dynamite going off all at once. This explosion enveloped homes, offices, businesses, and churches. Soon, the entire town of Fontanet was engulfed in flames.

Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Bridgeton, Rockville, Brazil, Carbon, and Terre Haute all saw homes get windows blown out. Buildings in Bloomington were shifted on their foundations by the blast. Seismic instruments more than 200 miles away in Ohio registered the explosion. Overall, there were more than 1,000 injuries, and it’s believed that anywhere from 30 to 80 people were lost.

Visit Indiana

Much of the town was rebuilt, though survivors weren’t exactly in a hurry to return to a place so filled with sadness and grief. The only thing keeping Fontanet with a trace of a heartbeat is the annual Fontanet Bean Dinner Festival, which has been a tradition since 1890. The picnic was moved from Fontanet to Holloway Grove, but in decades since, it has been brought back.

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Address: Fontanet, IN, USA