Thanks for sharing these scenes. I knew some about the proving grounds. My father's cousin worked there for many years. I had never heard of all the old bridges before. Good to see that part of the country again, my grandfather was from Madison, my grandmother from Seymour.
Very interesting video with good commentary. I have driven by here basically all of my life since my grandmother lived in Madison and we visited when I was a child. As an adult, I go to Clifty Falls to camp. The next time I drive by, the Proving Grounds will be even more interesting to me. Peace
My 2nd Great Grandfather had a farm near Marble Corner, which was a village inside JPG. He and his wife's graves were moved when the area was purchased by the government.
Thanks for this video, very good. My step father got stationed there at Jefferson Proving Grounds after. a tour in Vietnam in 1969 This was paradise for him. I loved the place and went to Madison HS
Used to drive to Old Timbers and hang out with friends in the 70s. What a beautiful and majestic lodge. Good to see they have not destroyed it! Good video, thank for posting
In the late '70's I was boating on Brookville Lake which is about 40 miles NE of Jefferson PG. We were relaxing and floating while drinking a beer. From the north came 2 A-10's at warp speed travelling southbound along the west shore of the lake. They were low enough that they pulled up to clear the Fairfield Causeway that crosses mid-lake then dropped back down heading towards the dam. Impressive to say the least. We figured they were training at jefferson.
I've always felt that the headquarters building there would make a wonderful museum or living history site if restored. It's like a step back into the 1940's at the proving grounds
My Grandfather's family was on the cover of Echoes of Jefferson proving ground book!! I grew up across 421 on Ringwald RD Thanks for the Video! It's a Beautiful area!
That Old Timbers lodge is very nice, Ive not ever heard of it. It reminds me of Giant City St.Pk. lodge in Illinois. Why hasnt it been opened to the public as a specific sort of Inn for people to visit? Make that area into a small state park to along with Clifty Falls or call it Old Timbers st. pk. and have the old lodge where people can stay but as a less ritzy version and more spartan and simple. I bet a lot of people would enjoy that.
Thanks for posting. I worked at the weather station from 1990 until the base closed in 1995. You actually drove by the weather station at the beginning of the video although the building is kind of plain now with the dome that housed the upper air equipment gone from atop of it.
Grew up south of the Papermill Gate. I remember the aircraft flying over the house, the artillery firings and night-time flare tests. Great footage of the Stone bridges.
Maybe I missed it but I don't think you explained why an escort is required and why the area can't go back to original use: danger of unexploded ordinance, correct?
There was an article on 12/2/2014 in the Louisville Courier Journal. Basically it says the army left over 160,000 lbs of depleted uranium projectiles and unexploded ordnance, then asked permission of the DOE to end their Nuclear Regulatory License so they don’t have to keep testing the soil and water.
I used to deliver there. At the gate/guard house, they had a little doe that they would give crackers too! My first time delivering was near the howitzers firing line. It scared the hell out of me the first time I heard them firing! During the time the National Air Guard used as a bombing target practice at JPG, those jets flew very low to the ground, maybe 200 foot above it. Scared the hell out of many people driving along highway 62.
Great Video!! I went there a few years back and had a great time. Did have a rough time finding our way back from Reyker Cloud, though. I think the iron truss that you listed as "Unknown" is probably the Kingfisher Crossing bridge. It was not completed when I visited. BridgeHunter states that the bridge is actually a slab using the trusses. Better than scarping them! Keep up the great work and will keep on viewing (Especially the bridge videos!)
So the US Army needed this place in the lead up to WW2 and took it from the state and it's residents for that purpose. Now they say there is no need for it so why has it not been returned? What is the current justification for keeping the land of Indiana out of the control of the people of Indiana? Does the Federal Government feel it has the right to control any property it wants for any purpose it can dream up?
A very interesting place. It was something that all those stone arch bridges and buildings were constructed here. They are amazing buildings, especially the lodge and school house. Too bad this place is still off limits to the general public.
I've passed the Proving Ground many of times. I actually at one point didn't live far from there at one point. I wonder if anyone back there is still living in some of those houses now and, if they ever opened up another restaurant back in there? You used to ride along there and see so many deer. Which was the exciting part. Once they closed Jefferson Proving Ground down the deer slowly went away and, then, once the fence was removed you barely now see any deer when you ride pass there.
The fence is 100% intact on the 50,000 plus acres of Big Oaks Refuge. I am one of several people who inspect it weekly. Deer, turkey, eagles, beaver otters and many other wildlife are abundant. It is a privilege to work There and help maintain the roads, right of ways and fencing.
Do you happen to know where they are held? I have Edwards ancestors that lived on or nearby the area prior to it becoming a military installation. Would love to learn more about them.
Would go up there and train while in the Army,talked to one old timer who said after the war they tested German planes,when they were done with them they just dug pits and buried them.So somewhere there are planes worth a fortune,just bulldozed into scrap.
My grandma told me about this they were barely offered money enough to be to buy new homes one lady threw hot water on them my great-grandfather welcome them in ate dinner with the guy and he got more money than anybody else I would love to be able to go back and see where my grandmother went to school at where my family lived at my family's property was there from the early 1800s until the 40s when the government bought them out and forced them to move
Unfortunately the fence will be needed for many many years to come at least for the majority of the 50,000 acres ann be ovrvthe firing line. It’s hard to fathom how much unexploded or otherwise ordinance is laying throughout the area. And then there is the DU Zone. A large area in the southeastern area where all the tank penetrators are. Tho the radioactivity is low. The concentration is high. The isotope is so heavy it won’t leach out but there’s no way I could imagine ever hitting all those out of there. It would be a monumental task and cost prohibitive. Not to mention the Indiana air guard still uses a 1000 acre area north central. For live fire almost Dailey some weeks.
@@ronaldschoolcraft8654 I respect your comment and do not care to spar all night. The Soviets Know Hitler was not amongst the rubble upon their entry and controll.
I love the video but wow what a waste of money and just letting things rot and left when so many Americans could have a place to live and call there own it just goes to show how you are either chosen to fit in and enjoy something like this and it simply does not matter if you deserve it or not.
This is absolutely disgusting what the government did here. Committing tyranny to stop tyranny doesn't make any sense. Using a once private home for target practice after giving the owners 30 days to vacate is tyrannical disrespect of the highest order. I know, there was a war going on. Refer to my second sentence.
@@shyman9023 yes, but not at the expense of Constitutional rights of American citizens. "To save freedom we're going to take away freedom". Sounds like a Democrat plan... Oh, wait! It was.
@@ronaldschoolcraft8654 They were compensated. There was a need to have another proving grounds. In Germany they would just take jews land and businesses at the start with no payment. Also, many folks made sacrifices during the war, including my dad's dad that made the ultimate sacrifice. Heck, I almost bought the farm during Desert storm.
I lived near this area for about 11 years and was always intrigued by the Jefferson proving grounds. There seems to be an air of mystery and a lot of folklore associated with this place. I was able to see pictures of a Saint Magdalene church that had to be vacated by the parishioners due to the acquisition. It was ornate and beautiful. The pictures I was shown belonged to older friends whose families were displaced by this acquisition and continue to hold a lot of hurt feelings associated with losing generations of family land along with other associated losses. Historically, many counties in this part of Indiana were the poorest in the state and disruption of this level was devastating. My understanding from these people is that it just wasn’t building and structures that were lost but smaller communities. Thank you for doing this video. It does a good job at satisfying a lot of my curiosity of this vast area.
