Towns That Never Were
The founders of Lockington and Port Jefferson
were rewarded for their efforts, but many other would-be boomtowns in Shelby County never
materialized. North Salem (Salem Township), North Port, Basinburg, and Cynthian (in
Cynthian Township), and New Bern (Washington Township) all existed for a short period of
time, and are now virtual ghost towns.
Owners of land along the canal in Washington
Township had ambitious plans when they platted the village of Trithena on August 19, 1837.
James Cook, the proprietor, laid out 34 lots and 3 streets. No houses or businesses were
ever built. It was most likely another casualty of the decline in the fortunes in the
canal after the arrival of the railroads. The plat was vacated in 1898. This farmland is
now owned by Nancy Davidson and Susan Wallace.
'Canal' segment written in
December, 1998 by Rich Wallace
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