Woodville, Porter County, Indiana Explained

Woodville, Porter County, Indiana should not be confused with Woodville, Henry County, Indiana.

Official Name:Woodville
Pushpin Map:Indiana#USA
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Indiana
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Porter
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Liberty
Established Title:Platted/Incorporated
Established Date:1880
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Coordinates:41.5628°N -87.0414°W
Elevation Ft:715
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:46304
Area Code:219
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:446320

Woodville is an unincorporated community in Liberty Township, Porter County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.

History

In 1880, the village of Woodville was platted by John C. Cole and incorporated. It remained incorporated into the 20th century. The community had its start when the railroad was extended to that point.[1] A post office was established at Woodville in 1882, and remained in operation until 1914.[2]

A general store was established in Woodville that served as the passenger and freight depot for the B&O Railroad. Large quantities of milk, eggs, and other agricultural products were shipped from here to Chicago. The building remained standing until 2006 when it was razed. For a period of time from the 1920s until early in the 1940s Woodville boasted of two general stores, one on either side of the railway, serving a large portion of the rural countryside in a three-mile radius.

On May 24, 1946, a very intense tornado struck the community, where it obliterated two homes, three barns, and a gas station. The tornado was estimated to have been F3 on the Fujita scale by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and was noting to have caused “near-F4 damage” in the community.[3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests . Lewis Publishing Co.. 1912. 152.
  2. Web site: Porter County. Jim Forte Postal History. 19 October 2015.
  3. Book: Grazulis . Thomas P. . Significant tornadoes, 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events . 1993 . Environmental Films . St. Johnsbury, Vermont . 1-879362-03-1 . 922–925.
  4. Severe Local Storms for May 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . May 1946 . 74 . 5 . 90–91 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0090:SLSFM>2.0.CO;2 . April 16, 2023 . U.S. Weather Bureau . 1520-0493. free .