USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 28
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* Quebec Annals.
+ Quebec Records.
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
seen that Fort Wayne and Vincennes stand on an equal foot- ing in the important point of antiquity. The first fort, or more properly stockade, was established at both places in the same year, and it is said by the same man.
There was not, however, any considerable settlement around Post Vincennes until 1745. In the latter year quite a number of traders were found there, who, under the protection of the slight garrison, conducted a profitable commerce with the Indians, -rum and tobacco being the chief articles of mer- chandise on the one side, and peltries on the other.
There is no authentic record of the affairs at Vincennes from its first settlement down to 1749-a period of about forty years-outside of the government records at Quebec. From the latter date, however, a very complete record has been preserved by the Catholics of the place.
While Vincennes may be regarded as one of the first settle- ments in Indiana, Knox county must be looked upon as the oldest county. As Virginia has been called the mother of States, so may Knox county be called the mother of Indiana counties. Its organization dates back to a period anterior to the territorial government, and finds a place among the earliest acts of the government formed for the territory northwest of the Ohio river. Its original boundaries extended from the Ohio river on the south to the lakes on the north, and from the Wabash river on the west eastwardly to a line bisecting the State east and west. Its original area embraced one-third the territory of the entire State, and from it have been carved, from time to time, thirty of the richest and most prosperous counties of the State.
The site of the present city of Vincennes was for a long time only a trading post, and improved but slowly in wealth and population, as the traders were generally transient parties, permanently investing the means elsewhere acquired at this point. The organization of the territorial government and the location of its capital at Vincennes, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, added greatly, for a time, to its prosperity, and from that time down to a period as late as 1818 it promised to become one of the great centres of trade and
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wealth and population in the Northwest. But the removal of the territorial capital to Corydon, prematurely and unexpect- edly, was a fatal blow, for the time, to its progress. Although it lost the stimulating impetus of political favor and the expenditure of public money - the creative powers of trade and commerce of late years - from its own intrinsic resources it has more than met the hopes of its people, and fully demon- strated the sagacity of the early French, who years ago visited its site in the then wilderness, and with prophetic vision marked it as a future seat of empire, wealth and power.
Although the name of Vincennes is a household word throughout the State, and even the whole land, and in a his- torical sense it is an old place, yet the present city of Vin- cennes is but the child of yesterday, and is just springing into vigorous and active life. The mud-thatched hut and the two- wheeled cart of the early settlers, both constructed without the use of any metal implement whatever, have entirely dis- appeared within a very few years before the advancing wave of civilized progress, and the material appearance of Vin- cennes to-day will compare with that of any city in the State. The old-time business houses have all given place to fine business blocks, three and four stories high, of brick and stone, and of improved architecture. And only a few old-time resi- dences remain as landmarks, as it were, to remind us of the days of yore. The private residences of the citizens are among the finest in the State. Among them we may mention the splendid and costly mansions of Dr. Robb, Captain Ross and Mr. Pollock, built of wood, in a magnificent style, and those of Messrs. Mckinney, Bayard and Wise, of brick and stone. The residence of General William H. Harrison, the first Governor of the territory, is still standing, and is one of the most substantial buildings in the State. It is built of brick, and was constructed in 1804, and its walls and inside finish are as good and perfect in all respects as when first put up.
The public buildings of Vincennes are numerous, and some of them are fine specimens of architecture. Among them may be mentioned the city hall, a substantial brick building,
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
two stories high, erected in the centre of the city square, in the heart of the business portion of the city, containing rooms for the mayor's office, city clerk, engineer, and treasurer, and a hall for the meetings of the common council. The Knox county court-house, erected on the square owned by the county, and being the most elevated site in the city, is one of the finest buildings in the West, and, excepting the one at Indianapolis, the grandest, finest and costliest structure of the kind in the State. It was built after designs and plans furnished by Edwin May, architect, and Frank L. Tarman, builder, and, unlike most other public buildings, its finished appearance surpasses the best representation that can be given of it on paper. It is built of a beautiful light-colored and durable limestone. It has a front of ninety-three feet on Seventh street, and extends back between Broadway and Busseron street one hundred and thirty-one feet. It is three stories high, and each corner is ornamented with a tower of beautiful proportion and design, each differing from the other. The tower on the west corner is the principal one, and is one hundred and forty-eight feet high, and has a clock with a dial fronting each point of the compass, and a large bell, of eighteen hundred pounds, of a fine and musical tone. The outside face of the walls are beautifully and elaborately carved, and ornamented with marble statues, in appropriate niches, representing the celebrated General George Rogers Clark,* the Goddess of Liberty, and a Federal soldier, and also two large monumental tablets of marble on the Seventh street front.
The building is furnished in the finest style throughout. It was commenced in the spring of 1872, and completed in the spring of 1875, and cost over $275,000.
The public high school edifice is another of Vincennes' splendid buildings. It is of brick, three stories high, built on an elevated plateau, and can be seen from all parts of the city, and for a considerable distance on approaching it. The German Catholics have also a very large and commodious
* See General History to find account of Clark's operations at Vincennes in 1778.
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KNOX COUNTY - HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.
school building, of brick, of modern architecture, two stories high. The school building of the Cathedral congregation is another fine edifice of brick, two stories high, and of fine ap- pearance. The buildings of the Vincennes University, for the accommodation of males and females, are also fine looking structures. The St. Rose Academy, for females, under the charge of the Sisters of Providence, is a commodious and neat building. The various school buildings of the city are suffi- cient to accommodate 1,500 pupils, and are all supplied with excellent schools in the proper seasons. So high in the public estimation are the schools of the city, that children from a radius of thirty miles around, in both Illinois and Indiana, are sent to Vincennes to receive the benefit of them.
The churches of the city are numerous, and many of them are of beautiful design; and on approaching it from the elevated points in the vicinity, a dozen lofty spires, sur- mounting churches of various denominations in different parts of the city, meet the eye, and present a beautiful appear- ance. The Catholic Cathedral is as fine a church edifice as can be found anywhere. It is built of brick, and was commenced in 1835, and improved from time to time, and ornamented elaborately, until, to-day, it is a perfect gem. The interior decorations are costly, and it is ornamented with splendid paintings. This church building is surmounted by a spire one hundred and sixty-eight feet high, of beautiful propor- tions, and contains a clock and the largest bell in the State. The German Catholics have also a splendid church edifice, built of brick, in a cruciform, and capable of accommodating 1,500 worshipers. Its walls are beautifully frescoed, and it is also surmounted by a spire about one hundred and twenty- five feet high. The Presbyterians have two large and fine churches, finished within and without in the finest style. The one on Main street was built in 1863, and is in the most approved style of architecture. The Methodists, Baptists, and Christians have each fine church edifices.
The buildings of the banking and business houses in the city are among the finest in the State. The city possesses many superior advantages, which cannot fail to make it one
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
of the most prominent and important places in the west. It has unrivaled advantages for trade, manufactures, and com- merce combined, such as are possessed by no other single point in the State, and only need the talismanic touch of capital and labor to make them tell upon the future of the place. It is situated in the midst of the finest timbered region in the west, where all kinds of wood material for manufactur- ing are at hand, in inexhaustible quantities. It is also in the centre of the finest coal region in the State-the coal fields of Daviess, Pike and Knox counties being the richest and most productive in Indiana. It is also situated on a gravel founda- tion, and is blessed with the best streets and sidewalks and the finest water. The streets are never muddy, and the natural gravel foundation makes a better sidewalk than either brick or stone. Vincennes is also situated in the midst of one of the most fertile agricultural districts in the West. The county of Knox is bounded on all sides, except the north, by natural boundaries-the Wabash and White rivers-and the pocket of land enclosed between them forming the county, contains a vast area of rich alluvial bottom land, unsurpassed for fertility anywhere. The annual rise of the Wabash and White rivers overflowed a large extent of territory tributary to Vincennes, and prevented its settlement and development. The Wabash river opposite Vincennes has often, from overflow, been eight or nine miles wide, but, within the past few years, the con- struction of levees in Illinois and Indiana, have effectually restrained the water and protected these lands from overflow, and they are rapidly being brought into cultivation, thus in- creasing the agricultural products that find a market at Vin- cennes. The levee on the Illinois side, extending from the high land some ten miles above Vincennes, to a point four or five miles below, will effectually protect from the overflow of the Wabash river a rich prairie, some ten miles long and six miles broad, immediately adjoining the city and the west, which heretofore could not be cultivated with profit, on account of the annual overflow of the river, and will make it the finest agricultural district in either of the States. Vin-
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cennes, of course, will become the depot for the accumulation of the products of these improved lands.
Besides these advantages, Vincennes has available communi- cation with all parts of the country, both natural and artificial. The Wabash river is navigable six months of the year by steamboats of as large a draught as can navigate the Ohio river; besides, it has become, within the past two years, a great railroad centre, and from it the iron bands radiate in all directions, like the spokes of a wheel from the hub. The Ohio and Mississippi railroad gives an outlet to the markets of the East and the West, and connects the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at this central point by a direct line at the cities of Cincinnati and St. Louis. The Indianapolis and Vincennes railroad connects it with the State capital, the great railroad centre of the West, and the Cairo and Vincennes railroad, with the head waters of the continuous navigation on the Mis- sissippi. The Evansville and Crawfordsville railroad connects it with the Ohio river at Evansville, and with the northwest of the State by the way of Terre Haute; and the Chicago rail- road, now nearly completed, will give direct communication with the entire Northwest. The various advantages, both natural and artificial, are attracting the attention of capital and labor, and, in consequence, the city is improving rapidly in wealth and population. In 1860, it contained less than 2,000 inhabitants ; in 1870, about 4,000 ; and, to-day, Vin- cennes has a population of over 8,000. The city has an effi- cient fire department, and is in every respect a delightful, safe, comfortable, and healthy place to reside.
In the foregoing brief sketch of Vincennes and Knox county, the compiler has, no doubt, disappointed the reader, who, of course, expected to find only accounts of the thrilling incidents of war and pioneer life in the days of Clark and Bowman. Sufficient of this has been given in the general history of the State, in another part of this volume, and in this sketch the writer has given a history of the modern rather than the an- cient. This will be appreciated .*
* We are indebted to Mr. Henry Cauthorn, one of the leading attorneys -a very intelligent and affable gentleman - of Vincennes, for assistance in producing the above sketch.
CHAPTER LII.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
A N historical and descriptive sketch of Vanderburgh can be but little else than of Evansville. The county has but few attractions outside of that city. In 1812, Col. Hugh McGary, of Kentucky, settled on the site of Evansville, erecting a log house - the first white man's dwelling in that section. At the time of this settlement there was an Indian village, of the Shawanoe tribe, near Pigeon creek. "In 1813." says Mr. Robert, "Warrick county was formed out of that portion of Knox county lying south of 'Rector's Base Line,' and extending from the boundary of Harrison county to the Wabash river, and Col. McGary, who owned the lower part of the present site of Evansville, laid out a number of lots, and donated some land to Warrick county, provided they would fix on this place as the permanent seat of justice. In 1814, the territorial legislature of Indiana divided Warrick county, creating Posey county on the west and Perry county on the east, which left the site of Evansville near the southwest corner of the then existing county of Warrick; for which reason the legislature ordered 'that the seat of justice be removed from Evansville to a certain tract of land owned by Nathaniel Ewing,' which was afterwards called 'Darlington.' This removal came near nipping the existence of the embryo city in the bud, and from this period until 1817, Evansville made very little progress, hardly having an existence as a vil- lage." However, it was not destined to remain long in ob- scurity. In 1816 and 1817, Gen. Robert M. Evans and James W. Jones, united with Col. McGary, and established the town on an enlarged plan. They purchased additional land, and
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
made some general preparations for improvements. It is said that Col. McGary entered the land soon after his arrival, and endeavored to make a survey; but, when Gen. Evans arrived, he made another survey, and had the whole tract platted.
This town, in its unsettled state, was called Evansville, in honor of one of its founders -General Evans. Gen. Evans was a Virginian, having been born in that State in 1783. He settled in or near Princeton, Gibson county, in 1805, and re- moved to Evansville to reside permanently, in 1824.
So soon as the town had been remodeled on its enlarged scale, a number of lots were sold and attention was attracted to the place as a convenient landing point for Vincennes (the Old French Fort), and other interior towns in the Wabash valley, which then gave promise of far outstripping Evans- ville. In 1818, Vanderburgh county was formed 'from the western portion of Warrick, and named in honor of Judge Henry Vanderburgh, one of the territorial judges and early settlers of Indiana. In the same year commissioners were appointed to fix the seat of justice of the new county, who reported to the county commissioners that, in consideration of the local advantages of Evansville, and of a liberal donation by the proprietors, of one hundred lots and five hundred dol- lars in cash, or such materials as will suit in the erection of the public buildings, they have established and fixed the per- manent seat of justice of Vanderburgh county at Evansville. The town for a while made considerable progress. The first election was held in August, 1818, when twenty-five votes were polled. In one year from its establishment as a county seat, it became an incorporated town, by the election of Hugh McGary, Isaac Fairchild, Everton Kinnerly, Alfred O. Warner, and Francis J. Bentley, trustees. Hugh McGary was chosen president; Elisha Harrison, secretary, and lister of taxable property; John Conner, treasurer; and Alpheus Fairchild, collector and marshal. The first tax levy was twenty cents on the one hundred dollars of real property, and a specific tax on several kinds of personal property. The value of taxable property is not given in the records, but the total of tax dup- licate for that year amounted to $191 288. On the twentieth
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
of March, 1819, the first meeting of the board of town trustees was held .*
In 1819, Evansville had a population of one hundred souls. A hotel, kept by Mr. Ansel Wood, was situated on the State road, now Main street, and stood in rear of the present site of Armstrong's furniture warerooms. In the same year. a Frenchman opened a store near the river bank. Other stores followed. "Their stocks were scant, but amply sufficient for the pioneers, with whom hard cash was a great rarity, indeed. Coon skins, and barter of that character, formed the medium of exchange, not only with themselves, but with the outside world." In this year, Amos Clark was made prosecuting attorney of the county; and Daniel Warner, postmaster of the new town. In 1820, John M. Dunham, David F. Gold- smith, Priestly Pritchett, William Mills, Jr., and John A. Chandler, were elected trustees; and James A. Boiss was appointed secretary; and Alanson Warner, treasurer. These early officers were, for many years, distinguished citizens of Evansville. They have all passed on to another stage of action. The first church in Evansville was built in 1821, under the auspices of Rev. D. C. Banks, of Ohio, a zealous Presbyterian clergyman.
We quote from Mr. Robert's somewhat remarkable pamphlet this authentic information concerning the early schools of Evansville: "The first school house was erected in 1824. It was a small brick building, and stood at the corner of Third and Main streets. Mr. Chute, an elderly gentleman, was ap- pointed and empowered to 'teach the young idea how to shoot.' As early as 1818, he had occasionally received pupils at his cabin; but now, for the first time, a school was instituted to which all could send children hitherto unprovided and un- afforded regular educational privileges. The school house was also regularly used for religious purposes. Rev. Mr. Wood, a Presbyterian minister, often preached there, as well as clergy- men of other denominations. From 1825 to 1830, Evansville was under a deep shadow of commercial depression; but, in
* Mr. Robert's work - Evansville and her Commerce and Manufactures.
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
the latter year, new hope and spirit seem to have possessed the people, and, as a consequence, improvement and develop- ·ment were visible. Produce began to find its way to southern markets in flat boats, on the Wabash and White rivers, and the convenient proximity of Evansville to these water-courses, made it a favorite landing place. During the spring and sum- mer months trade was quite lively, and hundreds of boatmen returning from the Lower Mississippi made Evansville their point of debarkation, and it thus became known and appre- ciated as the 'Landing for the Wabash.' Some lively 'scenes ' and gay fandangos characterized those times, but it grew to be a point of supply for much of the interior region of country watered by the Wabash and White rivers, and in this way laid the foundation for its present mercantile prosperity and im- portance.
"In 1834, on the establishment of the first State bank, Evansville was designated as one of the points for the organ- ization of its branches. This greatly enlarged its financial facilities, and gave additional and timely impetus to all de- partments of business. In 1835-6, the State legislature having passed the Internal Improvement Bill, Evansville was made the southern terminus of the Central and Wabash and Erie canals. The Wabash and Erie canal, commencing at Toledo, Ohio, was to strike the head waters of the Wabash river, and follow the rich and prolific valleys of that and White river, terminating on the Ohio at Evansville. The Central canal was intended to pass from Muncietown, through Indianapolis, to Point Commerce, on White river, where it would be united with the Wabash and Erie canal. Thus Evansville, by a grand scheme of hydrographical inosculation, was to be placed in con- trol of these stupendous works, commanding the outlet of two of the richest and most productive valleys on the globe. No wonder there was liberal impartment of new energy, new vigor and high hopes of the future. In June, 1836, the awarding of the contracts for the construction of the canal commenced, and a large immigration at once began to pour in; real estate ad- vanced to high and fancy speculative rates, and the town appeared to have again taken a hold on prosperity, and deter-
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
mined to prove Phoenix-like. , But here another drawback occurred, and energy was hampered and enterprise fettered. A great financial revulsion occurred in 1837-8, which caused- a suspension of specie payment by our banks, and a very con- siderable depreciation in the value of real estate. The crisis was general, and was severely felt all over the country in its sweeping damage, thus, for a time, blighting the fair prospects of Evansville. The work of internal improvement was aban- doned, general stagnation in trade was prevalent, and the town not only ceased to prosper, but actually decreased in popula- tion. Much of the property of Evansville passed into the hands of Eastern creditors, in payment of the indebtedness of merchants and speculators, and for several years possessed very little market value. In 1840, the number of inhabitants had increased to 2,121, which shows quite a substantial gain for the time.
"Some time about the year 1845-6, Evansville began to recover from the prostration occasioned by the failure of the internal improvement system and the commercial crisis of the country, and business generally began to revive. The natural advantages of location which it possessed, attracted to it the trade of the surrounding country, and its mercantile interests re-began to advance and thrive. From that period the growth of Evansville has been steady and substantial; for many years, it is true, laggard and hardly perceptible, but never stationary or receding. Her course and career has been nothing less than a succession of progress and pause, but the latter seemed to have given strength rather than detriment; and if the ability of our people to recover after such damaging and discouraging impediments were repeatedly thrown in their way be any criteria, certainly such trials are brightly prognostic of an attainable power and excellence commensurate with what we to-day proudly claim for her. During the legislative session of 1856-7, a grant of land was obtained to extend the Wabash and Erie canal to Terre Haute, and subsequently another grant was obtained to aid in the construction of this work to the Ohio river at Evansville. This concession was made the basis of an arrangement by the State with her bondholders for
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
the sale of the Wabash and Erie canal, and a resumption of payment of State interest. The completion of the canal be- came a fixed fact, and the anticipation of the benefits to be derived from its successful workings did much to strengthen confidence in our future." *
In 1847, Evansville was incorporated as a city. This was another stroke in favor of her progress. Wharf improvements were made, and in 1850 the Crawfordsville and Evansville railroad was commenced. In 1857 the limits of Evansville were extended by the annexation of Lamasco, then an adjoining town. The city public schools of Evansville were established in 1853. Thus, it will be seen that during these years the city was growing rapidly, and also preparing for continual advance- ment. Nor was her interests, commercially, injured in 1861. The civil war proved a perfect God-send to her trade. Stand- ing as she did upon the verge and dividing line of the con- sumptive region and productive sections, her position was one of advantage, and, consequently, the growth during this period was decidedly great.
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