The lost city of Germantown resides under the Geist Reservoir and would still be around today if it had not been flooded. Learn all about the history of this forgotten place. Check it out:
Locals know it as the present upscale part of northern Indianapolis where the million-dollar homes reside and the place where celebrities are going to have a home if it’s in Indiana. Geist Reservoir has been part of an exclusive subdivision since the 1980s, but what lies beneath is one of the Hoosier State’s first towns.
Flickr/Trail Seeds
Germantown was established in 1834 and was a small town with a general store, a grist mill, and a shoemaker. It is known that modern-day Main Street in Indianapolis comes out of Germantown Road.
Flickr/Internet Archive Book Ima
In 1941, the Indianapolis Water Company built a dam across Fall Creek in order to supply clean water to residents of the city. In doing so, it flooded 1,900 acres of Germantown including 45 homes.
Flickr/Tom Britt
It took a few years before the reservoir began supplying water to residents. The area became a source of summer fun with locals visiting in order to use boats and go fishing on the new lake.
Flickr/Trail Seeds
It is rumored that when the water levels reach their lowest points, a church steeple can be seen poking out from the surface. Local lore says this is the final remains of Germantown but no church has ever been discovered below the water.
Flickr/Trail Seeds
Further, no record of a church existing in this long-forgotten town can be found either. The likelihood of a church steeple poking out from the Geist Reservoir is improbable. Those who have reported it were probably fooled by a tree branch or some other sunken and abandoned item.
Wikimedia Commons/Mingusboodle
Though Germantown will never be seen again, its presence will always be felt at the Geist Reservoir.
Wikimedia Commons/Muhraz
If you’ve ever heard about Germantown, we’d love to hear from you. Please share your stories with us below in the comments.
Flickr/Trail Seeds
Flickr/Internet Archive Book Ima
Flickr/Tom Britt
Wikimedia Commons/Mingusboodle
Wikimedia Commons/Muhraz
For more like this, check out 12 things you didn’t know about the history of Indiana.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Geist Reservoir, Indiana, USA
