City of Evansville-Vanderburgh County history

The first election was held in August, 1818, when twenty five votes were polled.

The value of taxable property is not given in the records, but the total of tax duplicate for that year amounted to $191.28..; On the twentieth of March, 1819, the first meeting of the board of town trustees was held.

The first church in Evansville was built in 1821, under the auspices of Rev.

Robert's somewhat remarkable pamphlet this authentic information concerning the early schools of Evansville: "The first school house was erected in 1824.

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.

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 advanced to high and fancy speculative rates, and the town appeared to have again taken a hold on prosperity, and determined to prove Phoenix like.

The completion of the canal became 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.

Wharf improvements were made, and in 1850 the Crawfordsville and Evansville railroad was commenced.

The city public schools of Evansville were established in 1853.

The university’s history began in 1854 with the founding of Moores Hill Male and Female Collegiate Institute in Dearborn county in southeastern Indiana.

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.

In 1857 the limits of Evansville were extended by the annexation of Lamasco, then an adjoining town.

[Not from the Clements Collection] Once the Old National Bank tower was completed the 1916 bank was demolished

The school moved to Evansville in 1919 and was renamed Evansville College.

On Saturday December 4, 6:00 PM, at the Evansville Museum, there will be a special screening of the 1953 classic movie From Here to Eternity.

In 1967 it began plans for a new bank next door on Main St They had the old Lincoln Hotel and several other old buildings at the corner of 5th and Main demolished.

With the site cleared, construction began in earnest in 1968.

Old National Bank moved to its new riverfront building in 2004, and the 420 Building sat mostly vacant.

Coures has been Evansville’s Director of Metropolitan Development since 2014.

Coures has been an Emeritus member of River City Pride from 2019 to the present.