The Oldest Settler Town In Indiana Is Loaded With Fascinating History
By Tori Jane|Published March 21, 2022
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Indiana is a state with a very long human history. Centuries before European settlers ever came along, there were numerous cultures and peoples who called the region home. To this day, there are ancient burial mounds attributed to some of the area’s oldest dwellers within the town limits, like Sugar Loaf Mound and Pyramid Mound. Later, Native groups such as the Shawnee, Wabash, and Miami tribes drove those people out, only to be eventually driven out themselves by European colonizers. The earliest European colonizers were French fur traders, and they established the town of Vincennes in 1732. Let’s explore this historic town in Indiana and its intriguing story:
Today, Vincennes is Indiana's historical pride and joy, and it continues to thrive.
To visit Vincennes is to jump into Indiana's fascinating history feet-first, and there's plenty to learn.
Behind the charming architecture of centuries past lingering all over town are countless tales of strength, woe, triumph, cruelty, wrath, and nearly every other conceivable human experience.
Having been established by the fur traders initially as a French colony, the region was later transferred to the colony of Louisiana. Following this, the French would eventually go on to lose the French and Indian War; and as a result, the region fell under rule of the British.
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Vincennes spent a brief time as part of the Province of Quebec, but this didn't last either.
The Revolutionary War would come and turn everything on its head; following this, Vincennes was adopted as part of the Illinois Country of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia (what a mouthful). Finally, it became a piece of Knox County and was eventually incorporated as part of the Indiana Territory.
This timeline spanned from 1800 to 1813, when the capital of Indiana was moved to Corydon (where it obviously wouldn't stay either). Following the Revolutionary War, the "new" territory was still often plagued by (understandably furious) Native American attacks. The town would prevail and continue to grow into having much quieter days - days like today, when it feels like all of the tumultuous madness was distant history and irrelevant to our lives today.
Ultimately, though, our history is an enormous part of what makes us - and the town of Vincennes, in particular - who (and what) we are.
Nowadays, this town (you might even call it a city at this point, with a population of 17,304 in 2019) is a history buff's dream come true. Folks interested in the fascinating and tumultuous history of the area will love visiting landmarks like the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, the President William Henry Harrison Mansion (yep, this city's also been home to a U.S. President!), and the Indiana Military Museum.
Those with a bit of a morbid streak might be interested in visiting Greenlawn Cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in the region.
Come for the history, stay for the fun! There's plenty to do in Vincennes other than history-oriented things, too, like Ouabache Trails Park and the Windy Knoll Winery.
In all, Vincennes is the oldest town in Indiana and one of the oldest human settlements, period, west of the Appalachian mountains. It’s a fascinating place to visit and/or live, and it’s one of our favorite places in the Hoosier State! Which historic town in Indiana is your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments! For more info on Vincennes and ideas for planning your trip, check out the official Indiana State Museum website.
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