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 Knox
County, named in honor of General Henry Knox, of the Revolution, and the
first Secretary of War, was organized in 1802. It is bounded north by Sullivan
and Greene, east by the West Fork of White River, which separates it form
Daviess, south by White River, which separates it from Pike and Gibson, and
west by the Wabash, which separates it from Illinois. Its average length
from north to south is twenty-seven miles, and its average breadth is nineteen
miles, making the contents about 513 square miles. Knox County is divided
into ten civil townships, viz: Bussero, Decker, Harrison, Hunot, Johnson,
Palmyra, Vigo, Vincennes, Washington and Widener. The population in 1830
was 6,557, in 1840, 10,657, and at this time [1849] about 12,000. Most of
the county is either level or gently rolling, though there are some ridges
of low hills. There are several prairies, mostly near the Wabash, which are
very rich and productive; the timbered lands, too, which cover the largest
part of the county, are generally rich, but intermixed with them are sandy
barrens, and swamps, of little value, except that some of the latter are
well timbered. The bottoms are extensive and very fertile, but they suffer
occasionally from being overflowed.
Of the surplus products of Old Knox, the corn and pork equal in amount, probably, those of any other county in the State, and they both may and will be largely increased. Here was the first settlement in the State, and in many places there are appearances of wealth and improvement much beyond those parts more recently settled. The taxable land in the county amounts to 233,964 acres. |
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| Vincennes | ||
| Vincennes, the Seat of Justice of Knox County, is situated on the east
bank of the Wabash in north latitude 38 deg. 42 min. and in west longitude
10 deg. 28 min., and is 120 miles southwest of Indianapolis, 56 north of
Evansville, 60 south of Terre Haute, 160 east of St. Louis, 110 west northwest
of Louisville and 168 in a straight line west southwest of Cincinnati.
There is more historical interest about this place than in relation to any other in the State, and in fact, its history comprises that of the Indiana Territory mainly, until the removal of the Seat of Government to Corydon in 1813. It was first known as a Piankeshaw village by the name Chippe Coke, or Brushwood. It was then called Post St. Vincent, or Au Post, or Vinsenne, and finally Vincennes. This name was given as early as 1749, in honor of F. M. De Vinsenne, a brave and gallant French officer, who fell in a battle with the Chickasaws in the year 1736. In 1798, the population was all French extraction except twelve families, and though now they are much in the minority, their numbers are still considerable, and many of them are respectable and prosperous. The situation of Vincennes is very fine, and a large portion of the country around it is very fertile. The Roman Catholics are numerous in the vicinity, the Cathedral is spacious and well finished, and the Bishop who has charge of the State as a Dioceses, takes his title from Vincennes. The Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Christians and Africans have also flourishing churches. One of the branches of the State Bank is located at Vincennes. The City Hall is a commodious building. There are in the town about 400 houses and 2,000 inhabitants, and the prospects are now more favorable for its steady growth and permanent prosperity than at any time fro many years past. Two of the citizens, D. S. Bonner and H. D. Wheeler have now for about 20 years been extensively engaged in manufactures, sometimes with much success, and occasionally encountering difficulties, but never discouraged. The unpretending but energetic devotion to business and encouragement of industry by such persons in worthy of all praise. There are two printing offices in Vincennes, which publish Weekly Newspapers. E. Stout conducted one of them, the Western Sun, for about 40 years, and until the last five years. |
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