Few People Realize How Much Hoosier History Is Preserved In The Small Town Of Vincennes, Indiana
By Tori Jane|Published March 24, 2023
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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.
Snuggled right up along the banks of the Wabash River in Knox County, Indiana is a little town that’s quite literally famous for just how much local history it’s got jam-packed into it. It’s a beautiful, historic town in Indiana known as Vincennes (yes, like the French city) and it’s a wonderful destination for anyone even a little interested in Indiana’s olden days. It was quite literally Indiana’s first city, and to this day, it’s filled with all sorts of interesting things to do, see, and experience. Check it out and see why it’s one of our all-time favorite small historical towns in Indiana.
The entire history of Vincennes is long - ridiculously long - and there's no way we could relay every detail here, but there are certainly some points of interest we find fascinating.
Vincennes was founded in 1732 by French fur traders. This makes the city nearly three centuries old, and it's definitely got the lengthy history to go with it.
Nowadays, it's both a modern Indiana town and a town steeped in a long, long history.
We also recommend checking out the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, which is situated along the river and it, too, is filled top-to-bottom with history.
Here, you'll find a statue dedicated to George Rogers Clark and seven gorgeous murals that depict notable moments in Vincennes' history.
Other must-see attractions in Vincennes Indiana include ones like the Indiana military museum, Ouabache Trails Park, the Vincennes State Historic site, and so much more (seriously... there's a LOT). Vincennes is definitely a great place for a day trip or, if you have the time, a whole vacation. You definitely couldn't pack all the historical sites in town into just one day, after all.
Who knew Indiana had such a long, long (and did we mention long) history?
After all, it's not every day you get to wander the streets of a 300-year-old city... but here in Indiana, you sure can.
For more information about the oldest city in Indiana, be sure to visit the official Visit Vincennes website! You never know just what you’ll find. What are your favorite historical towns in Indiana to meander around? Let us know!
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