Dugger is a town in Cass Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 797 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Dugger was settled in 1879, and was named after its founder, F.M. Dugger. The Dugger post office has been in operation since 1881.
thumb|Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.
Geography
Dugger is located at (39.070911, -87.260116).
According to the 2010 census, Dugger has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 920 people, 383 households, and 249 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 439 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.7% White and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.
There were 383 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the town was 38.8 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census
Arts and culture
Dugger is home to the Dugger Coal Museum, which contains local photographs and artifacts related to coal mining in and around Dugger and Sullivan County, Indiana.
Just east of Dugger is the Redbird State Riding Area which is owned and operated by the Indiana Department Of Natural Resources. The Redbird mining operation produced 2 million tons of coal, until Redbird closed operations in 1950. Today the former mining land has been converted into camping and for off-road sports.
The Redbird riding area features of professionally marked, managed and maintained OHV riding trails. Trails range from mild to wild and there is a trail that will fit anyone's skill level. Redbirdsra.com is owned and maintained by the Redbird Foundation.
Dead Turbo of Dugger
Dugger was home to an abandoned French-built RTG Turboliner formerly used by Amtrak from 1973 to 1981. Found along Indiana State Road 54, the power car (numbered 59) and 2 coaches were nicknamed "The Dead Turbo of Dugger."
It was supposed to be sent for scrap at the Beech Grove Shops in Indianapolis in the early 1990s, but Dugger resident and scrapyard owner Jesse Castle purchased the set to scrap on his property, but for unknown reasons, the set stayed there.
Before being cut up for scrap for unknown reasons in 2023, it sat covered in brush, occasionally visited by railroad history buffs and souvenir hunters. The two coaches (numbered 93 and 95) still sit on their own.
In the media
Dugger is one of the teams that plays against Hickory High in the motion picture Hoosiers.