Community:Evansville, IN

Education 357 Inquiry ProjectKelsey Mitsdarffer

WHY INDIANA?

I chose Indiana because this is where I grew up. I went to both public and private school in Evansville and hope to some day become a teacher here. In school I feel like I was never really taught about the history of Evansville, so I feel that it would be great to research it’s history to teach my future students.

WHY CONTINUED…

Evansville, has many historical places, especially around Franklin Street and the downtown area. As a student we took fieldtrips to these places, but I don’t think the focus was on the history. Learning about the history would be a fun way to teach my future students about their community.

I think that in any way that history can come to life for children the opportunity should be taken. By bring history to life, children can better experience it and learn from it.

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW:

• Major Events in Evansville’s History*What were some major events that have occurred in Evansville?

• Evansville’s Land*Who was here before it was settled?*Who settled the land?*What is the land used for?

• Buildings * What are some of the historical buildings in Evansville? * What are some of Evansville’s attractions?

STANDARDS

Social Studies- Community Standards:

2.1.1—Identify when the local community was established and identify its founders and early settlers.

2.1.2—Explain changes in daily life in the community over time using maps, photographs, news stories, Web sites or video images.

2.1.5—Develop a simple timeline of important events in the history of the school and/or community.

2.1.7—Read about and summarize historical community events using libraries and a variety of information

HISTORY OF EVANSVILLE

•The first cabin built in Evansville was build in 1809.

•Became a thriving commercial town, with an extensive river trade.

•Received the city charter in 1847.

•By U.S. census of 1890, Evansville ranked 56th largest urban area in U.S.

•During World War II, Evansville was the largest inland producer of LST’s.

•In 1963, Washington Square Mall became the first enclosed mall in the state of Indiana.

RANDOM FACTS

EVANSVILLE FLOOD OF 1937

On January 18, 1937 residents of Evansville, IN experienced the Great Flood of the Ohio River. By January 24, Evansville was under martial law because of this tragic flood. The Ohio River was measured to be as high as 54 feet! In the end there was over $13,000,000 worth of damage.

http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/wpa/flood.html

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

In 1992 the blockbuster, A League Of Their Own, was filmed in Evansville, Indiana at Bosse Field. This brought stars such as Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O’donell to the community of Evansville. This movie is a comedy about the real life girls baseball league.

ROSEANNE SHOW

The popular 1990’s sitcom, Roseanne, made Evansville famous as well! The house shown on the opening of the show is located in Evansville, IN.

During World War II, Evansville was the largest inland producer of LSTs (Tank Landing Ships).

Evansville currently has a LST located in the Ohio River. This would be a perfect fieldtrip opportunity for the classroom. Students could visit the LST while studying about World War II.

LST’s In Evansville

WHO WAS IN EVANSVILLE BEFORE IT WAS SETTLED?

The “Mississippian” people is a term used for the Native American people who occupied most of the Southeastern United States thousands of years ago. They occupied from the Mississippi River all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. They were a hunter gather society

WHO SETTLED EVANSVILLE?•Founded in 1812 by Hugh McGary.Called McGary’s Landing but the name didn’t catch on.In 1814 it was renamed Evansville after Colonels Evan.

•Received its charter in 1847.

•Became a trade center in 1817 because it was so close to the Ohio River.

AGRICULTURE IN EVANSVILLE

Agriculture is a big part of Evansville, Indiana, especially if you are on the west or northwest side of town. Crops include:•Corn•Wheat•Soybeans

EVANSVILLE COLLEGES

University of

Evansville

USI

CASINO AZTAR Casino Aztar, Evansville, owned and operated by Las Vegas-based Tropicana Casinos and Resorts, is located on an 841,848 square foot area at Riverfront Park on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville, Indiana. The $110 million entertainment facility includes a 2,700 passenger riverboat casino, a 250 room hotel, a 1,660 vehicle parking garage and Riverfront Pavilion housing pre-boarding facilities, retail shops, restaurants, and lounge area.

FALL FESTIVALEvansville's West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is held the first full week of every October on Franklin street in Evansville, Indiana by Evansville's West Side Nut Club. It draws approximately 150,000 people each year.The West Side Nut Club cordons off four blocks of West Franklin Street for rides and 126 booths. Paul Harvey once remarked that only Mardi Gras in New Orleans is larger than the Fall Festival.The main attraction of the festival is the food, with offerings of standards like corn dogs and corn fritters to the more unusual such as chocolate-covered grasshoppers, brain sandwiches, and alligator stew. All but one booth are run by non-profit organizations.

MUSEUMSReitz Home Museum Evansville Museum of Arts, History and ScienceChildren's Museum of Evansville African American Museum

ANGEL MOUNDS

For over a thousand years, Southwestern Indiana was home to many Native Americans. Today, Angel Mounds State Historic Site is nationally recognized as one of the best preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the United States. From 1100 to 1450 A. D., a town on this site was home to people of the Middle Mississippian culture, who engaged in hunting and farming on the rich bottom lands of the Ohio River. Several thousand people lived in this town protected by a stockade made of wattle and daub. Because Angel Mounds was a chiefdom (the home of the chief) it was the regional center of a large community that grew outward from it for many miles.

FREEDOM FESTIVAL

The Evansville Freedom Festival is an annual festival in Evansville, Indiana that celebrates the Fourth of July. What began in 1970 with only a handful of events has grown to include unlimited boat racing, air shows, food booths, dances, and music culminating with a fireworks show over the Evansville riverfront.

THUNDER ON THE OHIO

Thunder on the Ohio is a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race is held each August on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville, Indiana. Evansville has hosted Thunder on the Ohio consecutively since 1979 (although the race was originally founded in 1938). The winner of Thunder on the Ohio receives the Four Freedoms Cup, which is named after the nearby Four Freedoms Monument which rests along the Ohio River.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Indy 500Colts FootballIndiana Hoosiers AthleticsLincoln State ParkNew HarmonyHoliday World

RESOURCES:

http://www.ohwy.com/in/e/evansvil.htmhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/charterhttp://www.downtownevansville.org/about/history.phphttp://www.angelmounds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=40http://www.google.com/search?q=history+of+downtown+Evansville+Indiana&hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=FOYbS7zjOY3AlAe55ujxCQ&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=12&ved=0CDEQ5wIwCwhttp://www.evansville.edu/aboutue/history.cfmhttp://www.willard.lib.in.us/about_willard_library/history.phphttp://cinematreasures.org/theater/232/