Postcard of vanished attraction: Ed's Ghost Town in Indiana

This vintage postcard, made by Dexter of West Nyack, New York, and published by Van Buren Color of Indianapolis, highlights the ramshackle shoe, clock and barber shops at Ed's Ghost Town, a roadside attraction that was once located, according to the back of the postcard, 12 miles west of Bedford, Indiana, on U.S. Highway 50.

The postcard description further states: "Visit this unusual exhibit of Museum Antiques: Old buildings, Old vehicles, Old furniture, and many other interesting Showpieces. Located in the heart of Scenic Southern Indiana."

That dandy RoadsideAmerica.com website has an excellent page with details and memories of Ed's Ghost Town, which, sadly, burned down in 1981.

Back in the day, there were no-frills signs in both directions on Route 50, letting drivers know precisely how many miles remained until the Ghost Town. (That reminds me a bit of the Wall Drug signs.)

One person writes on RoadsideAmerica.com:

"I would give anything to visit Ed's as it was in the early 1970s -- the way I remember it as a young child with my mom and dad -- just one more time. We lived just outside Cincinnati, and my grandparents lived in Petersburg, Indiana, so we made the trip down Route 50 several times a year. I loved visiting Ed's gift shop: the candy, the toys and souvenirs, the geodes and polished rocks, the postcards."

But there's much more, so go check the stories and pictures on RoadsideAmerica.com.

And here's a YouTube video with home movies from the Ghost Town:



If you have your own memories of Ed's or similar roadside attractions, share them in the comments.

Note: This is the 1,800th Papergreat post.