Drought uncovers underwater town

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WLFI) - If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime summer activity, visiting a town that has been under water for nearly 50 years may be for you.

Four towns were submerged when the Salamonie Reservoir was created in 1967, southwest of Fort Wayne in Huntington County. Because of the drought, one of those four communities – or what’s left of it - is now revealed.

Wayne Lev, assistant manager at the reservoir, said people have been coming to what used to be Monument City and have found artifacts from the past.

"They've found old door knobs, different things you could find around a house, maybe a coin or two," Ley said.

Foundations of houses, roads and even the building blocks of an old school house can now be seen.

"They took away all the wood and anything like that and just left this for reservoir bottom," Ley said. "It's probably a good fish habitat when the water’s up over it, and normally this is under several feet of water. "

• PHOTO GALLERY | See pictures from the long-forgotten town

Ley said in addition to the four towns at the bottom of the reservoir, there used to be cemeteries in the area, too. All the graves were moved elsewhere, he said, but said 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.

Ley said he doesn't expect any of the communities to be above water again any time soon.

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

And officials are warning Salamonie boaters, too, because old house foundations, roads and other parts of the underwater towns not completely revealed could present an unseen danger to them.