Vincennes, the oldest city in Indiana, was established as a French fur trading post in the early 1700s. Inaugurated in 1800 as capital of the Indiana Territory, with William Henry Harrison as its first governor.
Old French House. Built circa 1806 for French fur trader Michel Brouillet. This house was built “posts-on-sill” which was typical of French settlers’ technique in the 18th and early 19th century.This chest opens up into a……bed!Display in the upstairs of the French House.Jefferson Academy, established by William Henry Harrison in 1801, became Vincennes University in 1806.Classroom.Indiana Territorial Capitol. This “Red House” served as capitol for only one month in 1811, but it is the only early capitol building that survives today.House of representatives room.Upstairs Senate room.Elihu Root Print Shop, established 1804. Published the Indiana Gazette.Sample Indiana Gazette.Article about the Hamilton-Burr duel.Historic building used as visitor center.Legend has it that over a hundred years ago a young Red Skelton was selling newspapers in front of the Pantheon Theater when a well-dressed man asked if he was planning to go to the show that evening. The boy said no, he had to sell all his papers to help his family. The man then bought all the papers and said if the boy came back tonight there would be a ticket waiting for him. The boy saw the show that night and realized the man who bought all the papers was the star of the show. When he saw the audience laughing, he was inspired to make people laugh.Historic Pantheon Theater, opened in 1921.Sugarloaf Mound is a natural landform but was used by Woodland Era Native Americans (1100 AD) as a burial mound.New housing for Vincennes University, pretty nice.
