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 1879 > Part 30
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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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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 higli, 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 sutii- 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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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 arca 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, havo effectually restrained the water and protected these lands from overflow, and they are rapidly being brought into cultivation, thus in- ercasing 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 commini- 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. MeGary, and established the town on an enlarged plan. They purchased additional land, and
430
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
made some general preparations for improvements. It is said that Col. MeGary 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. IIe 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 MeGary, Isaac Fairchild, Everton Kinnerly, Alfred O. Warner, and Francis J. Bentley, trustees. Hugh MeGary 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 $191 284. 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 Frenchinan 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 carly 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 carly 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-S, 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 panse, 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 Eric 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 Eric 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 hier 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.
To-day, Evansville has a population of over 30,000, and is the second city in Indiana, in wealth and importance. Her public schools are fully up to an advanced metropolitan grade, and her religious and literary institutions do credit to the State. Evansville is believed by many to be the handsomest city in the State. It is certainly a very beautiful city, and the streets always present a scene of wholesome activity.
We will close our historical and descriptive sketch of Evans- ville with a brief notice of her public schools, for which we are in a great measure indebted to Mr. Charles E. Robert, of that city: Evansville has fostered her educational interests with peculiar care, and has sought by a liberal and judicious expen- diture of money, and by the employment of first-class educators to manage her institutes, to place her schools among the very first in the country. So well has she succeeded in attaining this desired object that the splendid facilities here offered for the free education of the young, more than any other canse has
* Robert's Evansville.
1
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
induced immigration to that point, from a large section of the surrounding country. This is a potent argument with those citizens from other states and countries who are invited to settle there. Many of them have families of growing children -all of them, it is hoped, education and tastes, or natural instincts that would make them prefer the elevated to the degraded, the moral to the immoral, in the intellectual atmos- phere of a new home. All that has been said in behalf of Evansville as a commercial centre, as an inviting field for new enterprises, for the investment of capital, and for the transfer of manufacturing or mechanical skill from the old to this new home of labor, would be unavailing with many, if something more could not be presented than mere appeals to selfish moneyed interests. Those whom Evansville most desires as citizens, hesitate to remove from Eastern cities to identify their interests with Western communities, no matter what the inducements for the employment of their capital, business exper- ience or skill, to new fields, because they fear it will be at the sacrifice of educational advantages, moral influences, a thousand individual comforts, the loss or practical deprivation of which might not be compensated for by the pecuniary advantages to be gained.
But the social and practical characteristics of the citizens of Evansville are in nothing more clearly and favorable mani- fested, than in their zealous support of their scholastic interests. The city abounds in public, semi-public and private schools and colleges. Yet the quantity of the instruction given is, perhaps, less noteworthy than its quality. Public teachers compete with private teachers, and vice versa; and the result is, a lively spirit of emulation has ensued and been productive of some very beneficial results. The central location, the fer- tility and beauty of the surrounding country and the salubrity and healthfulness of its climate, have doubtless been among the causes which have led to the concentration there of those Intellectual elements which have given tone and tenor to the society. And in addition to all this we may state that Indiana has the largest school fund of any State in the Union, and Evansville has taken full share of this great advantage, thus
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY - EVANSVILLE.
securing permanent and satisfactory basis for her scholastic structure.
From the report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction made in September, 1874, we glean the following valuable facts :
Estimated value of school property including grounds, seats,
$10,015,344.48 etc.
Estimated value of school apparatus 358,208.10
Total. $10,373,642.58
No. of pupils in attendance 489,044
" teachers 12,655
" " volumes in township libraries 265,029
Amount of revenue on hand September 1, 1874. $1,704,413.81
Amount special "
498,396.96
This admirable system of free public schools was established in 1853. They were organized under the assiduous efforts of H. Q. Wheeler, Esq., who having been made the first Superin- tendent, to his credit very much of their after success is to be set down. Each year, however, has witnessed additional growth and improvement, until at present the public school property will amount to $460,000, including fifteen supurb and costly buildings, erected in the most modern and excellent manner, finely ventilated and so located as to afford convenient school privileges to children in all quarters of the city.
The schools are under the supervision of a Board of Trustees, three in number, elected by the Common Council, and at pres- ent is as follows: Luke Wood, president; Dr. H. W. Cloud, treasurer; J. H. Polsdorfer, secretary. The direct manage- ment is under Prof. Alexander M. Gow, as Superintendent, with the following excellently appointed staff: Prof. Phil. Baker, first supernumery teacher; Prof. M. Z. Tinker, teacher of music; Prof. A. Bourgeois, teacher of writing; Prof. F. W. E. Peschau, teacher of German, and Simon Hecht and Miss Huldah Rahm, assistant teachers of German; assisted by a corps of one hundred and seven teachers, many of them ladies and gentlemen of superior talents and accomplishments for their work, and all laboring faithfully to build up this most important and fundamental interest of the city. The total
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
number of pupils enrolled December first, 1874, was 4,316; which was increased to 4,600 February first, 1875, when three new school buildings were completed. We can but congratu- late Evansville on the rare fortune which has placed her edu- cational interests in the hands of so able, experienced and suc- cessful an educator as Prof. Gow. Under the wise discipline of mind and conduct which he, during the past four years, has inaugurated, the schools are becoming nurseries of right and honorable principle, and diffusers of an invigorating atmos- phere of thoughtful study. Any community that builds up such a system of schools as, from personal knowledge, we know those of Evansville to be, is deserving of the credit of being known as a national benefactor-for it is to that extent helping to meet the greatest demand of the nation,-the demand for men of brains and honesty.
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