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 Vincennes, on the western boundary, is the oldest city in the state. Established in 1732 as a French fur trading post, it was strategically located on the banks of the Wabash River. It served as the capitol of the Indiana Territory from 1800 until 1813. The capitol was then moved to Corydon, which served as Territorial Capitol until 1816. Indiana became a state that year and Corydon served as the state capitol until 1825 when it was moved to the newly built city of Indianapolis. Madison, located along the beautiful Ohio River, was platted in 1810, and incorporated as a town in 1824. It was the terminus of the first railroad in the United States west of the Allegheny Mountains. Completed in 1847, this railroad featured the steepest grade in the United States as it climbed out of the river valley on its way to Indianapolis. Fort Wayne, at the confluence of the St. Mary, St. Joseph, and Maumee River in the northeastern region of the state, grew on the site of a fort constructed by orders of General Anthony Wayne to defend the region against Indian attack. The fort was occupied on October 21, 1794. The town grew up around the fort, and today is Indiana’s second largest city. Lafayette was platted near the site of an old French fort, Fort Ouiatenon, named after the Miami Indians who occupied the area. The tribe was called the Ouiatenon by the French. The town was platted in 1825. It was a major river transportation center at the time and grew rapidly. The Wabash and Erie canal and later the railroads helped establish the town further. There is a lot of rich history in Indiana cities and towns, from before the United States was a nation to the tumultuous times of the great Indian Wars of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. |