Simpson (Ghost Town)

Simpson was platted in 1885 with 17 lots north of the former Chicago & Erie Railroad line and on the west side of 200E.

At one time Simpson was a thriving small railroad depot from which quantities of grain, hay, and livestock were shipped. It had a post office from 1886 to 1902 when mail was sent via Markle instead. The 1879 Atlas shows the beginning of a small unnamed community with a school and saw mill just north of where the village was soon to be platted. The 1903 map shows the small village. Like many small hamlets, Simpson died as the automobile made travel to larger villages and cities more feasible.

In 1914, besides the homes, the only business listed in the county history is a general store.  In 1933 this store, called “Simpson’s Grocery Store” was purchased by Dale and Georgia Crawford. The Crawford’s operated the store until 1943 when a combination of ration book paperwork and war privations caused them to sell. It continued to operate under other owners until 1971. Another notable business was a tile mill. The mill produced both tile and bricks, some of which were used in constructing the Hotel LaFontaine.

The largest business by far was a grain elevator business begun around 1904. The elevator burned down twice and was rebuilt both times, in 1937 and in 1958. Operating as Simpson Grain it was sold to Salamonie Mills in 2013. The latter shut it down without notice, but with much controversy, in 2020.

At its peak, Simpson had a population of around 50 people in perhaps 12 homes. Today, there are a couple of houses left on the original platted lands and the former grain elevator property is now owned by a company called Process Iron & Metal, LLC just south of the railroad track bed. The company processes scrap metal.

An interesting side note is that by 1914 the locations of Roche Station and Simpson were conflated into a single location. The period maps of 1879 and 1903 when used together show that they were actually about two miles apart.

1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, 2010. Original data: Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28. Washington, D.C.: National Archives
2. History of Huntington County, Indiana: A Narrative Account. 1914. Frank Sumner Bash. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 123, 168
3. Huntington County, Indiana: History & Families. 1993. Huntington County Historical Society. Paducah, Ky: Turner Pub. p
4. Huntington County, Indiana History: Township by Township. 2004-2005. Jean Gernand.
5. Combination Atlas Map of Huntington County, Indiana. 1879. Kingman Bros.
6. Huntington County, Indiana. 1903. Herman Taylor. Warsaw, Ind.: National Map Co.,. Rockford, Ill.: Hixson Map & Litho. Co.
7. Simpson. History file at the Keefer Center, Huntington City-Township Public Library.
8. “Elevator Marks Village of Simpson.” 12 Mar 1979. Herald-Press.
9. Beacon GIS. Property records for 1649 N 200 E (location of former grain elevator). Accessed 25 Jan 2022.