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When Once Destroyed 

​A town was erased. But its story refuses to disappear.
In the mid-20th century, a small Indiana community named Somerset was wiped from the map—its homes abandoned, its land flooded, its people scattered. Progress demanded sacrifice. And Somerset paid the price.
When Once Destroyed is the true story of that loss—told not as distant history, but as a deeply personal letter from a grandfather to his grandson. Through memory, reflection, and careful research, Sid Shroyer reconstructs a vanished world: its people, its rhythms, and the quiet dignity of a place that once mattered.
But this is more than a story about one town.
It is a meditation on what happens when communities are displaced in the name of progress… and what we lose when history is buried along with them.
Blending memoir, cultural history, and moral reflection, When Once Destroyed asks a question that still resonates today:
What is the true cost of progress—and who gets to decide?
Perfect for readers who appreciate:
-Thoughtful American history
-Stories of small-town life and legacy
-Authors like Wendell Berry and Marilynne Robinson
If you care about the stories that shaped America—and the ones we’ve forgotten—this book belongs on your shelf.