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 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 Excerpt: ...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 village." However, it was not destined to remain long in obscurity. 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 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 removed 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 Evansville. 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 appoin...