In the 1940s, the United States Army chose to build a massive ammunition manufacturing complex near Charlestown, Indiana. It would produce a few particular items, including rocket propellant, propellant charge bags, and, most notably, smokeless gunpowder. The news of the upcoming facility immediately spread, and individuals looking for work began flocking to the region.
Between 1940 and 1942, about 13,000 people moved to Charlestown and the surrounding area of the soon-to-be-completed ammunition plant.
Work was completed in 1942, and the facility opened just in time for World War II. The newly formed town went crazy, and job opportunities surged.
River Ridge became a community for high-ranking officers and their families on the grounds of the Ammunition Factory, and stores and facilities began to sprout nearby.
At this period, the River Ridge Post Office had a 300% increase in mail flow; the community soon had a baseball diamond, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a pool, and other amenities. It was alive and kicking.
The Army Ammunition Complex included around 800 structures at its peak, 17 of which were houses.
World War II and subsequent wars provided the facility with apparently limitless labor. The Indiana Army Ammunition Factory employed literally tens of thousands of people during its most prolific years.
The facility managed to continue in business for a long time after WWII, producing gunpowder for various foreign conflicts in which the United States was involved until the end of the Vietnam War.
After Vietnam, the plant’s output dropped substantially. Layoffs occurred around that time, signaling the beginning of the end. It wasn’t going away without a fight, and various concepts for repurposing the factory were hatched over the years, though none ever came to fruition.
There were less than 1,000 employees remained by 1987. The facility and the neighboring community were nearing the end of their lives.
River Ridge was steadily withering; people were leaving, and houses and businesses were closing their doors for good.
The US Army took the ultimate decision to end manufacturing in August 1991. The call would permanently change River Ridge’s fate.
Alright, so the abandonment of this once-thriving neighborhood wasn’t exactly “mystery,” but it’s always strange to see flourishing houses and entire villages becoming completely desolate in only a few years.
6,000 acres of plant grounds were formally given to the Clark County Reuse Authority in 1997. The remaining area, totaling nearly 4,000 acres, was donated to the Charlestown State Park.
Surprisingly, Charlestown State Park is also the location of an abandoned theme park, implying that River Ridge is not alone. The two long-forgotten locations aren’t far apart and make for an interesting afternoon of exploring. It is critical to emphasize that the structures that remain on these locations are not stable and should not be accessed for any purpose.