Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city located in Vigo County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,614. It is located at latitude 39°28' North, longitude 87°23' West. The city is the county seat of Vigo County{{GR|6}}.The current Mayor of Terre Haute is Kevin Burke.

History

The name Terre Haute (pronounced as {{IPA|/tɛɹ.ə.hoʊt/}} in English and {{IPA|/ter.ot/}} in French) is a French phrase meaning high land, and was used by the French explorers in the area in the mid 18th century to describe the plateau-like rise of the land next to the Wabash River (See French colonization of the Americas). During "Tecumseh's War" in 1811, the construction of Fort Harrison during an expedition led by William Henry Harrison marked the known beginning of a permanent population of European-Americans—a Wea village called Weautano (also known as "Rising Sun" and "Old Orchard Town") already existed near the fort. The orchards and meadows kept by the local Wea populations became the site of present-day Terre Haute, a few miles south of Fort Harrison. By the 1830, the few Wea had left under pressure from white settlement.

Related Topics:
French colonization of the Americas - Tecumseh's War - 1811 - Fort Harrison - William Henry Harrison - European-American - Wea

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Terre Haute's first success as a city came as a port for steamboats and other river-craft, but was quickly overtaken by the railroads. The construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, and the National Road also brought prosperity to the young community. When coal was discovered, Terre Haute became a mining and industry town and business boomed. This led to institutes of higher education, culture, and a tradition of strong union activity which produced leaders like Eugene V. Debs. The town also had a reputation for being "wide open", with gambling and a well-developed "Red Light District" that was not fully eliminated until urban renewal of the riverfront in the 1960s. Coupled with famously crooked politicians, at the turn of the century Terre Haute was labeled Sin City by the press. Although it has had different nicknames ("The Crossroads of America," for one), it was "Sin City" that stuck.

Related Topics:
Eugene V. Debs - Sin City

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While the city was booming in the mid-1920s, the owners of a downtown hotel, the Terre Haute House, decided to demolish their existing building and erect a grand edifice befitting such a modern city as Terre Haute, and in 1928, the new Terre Haute House opened, attracting the wealthy—famous and infamous alike—to its luxurious splendor. No less of a figure than Al Capone is rumored to have been a guest in the new hotel's early years. The beloved hotel, which closed in 1970, has been the subject of repeated debate in the community. It was recently sold by a prominent local family to a local developer, who plans to demolish it.

Related Topics:
Terre Haute House - Al Capone

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Eventually, however, the coal mines were spent, the importance of the railroads declined, the town was labeled a "bad labor town" and the city began a decline from which it never fully recovered. Although some remnants of its glory days remain and Terre Haute is home to some national events, it was recently called "A Model of Stagnation" by The Indianapolis Star, a moniker not easily disputed by its citizens and is best known today by the general public for the June 11, 2001, execution of Timothy McVeigh at the Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Related Topics:
June 11 - 2001 - Timothy McVeigh - Oklahoma City bombing

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Historical figures who called Terre Haute their birthplace or home include: author Theodore Dreiser, his brother, songwriter Paul Dresser (On the Banks of the Wabash Far Away), actor Scatman Crothers, baseball pitcher Tommy John, Lawyer-poet Max Ehrmann (A Prayer and Desiderata), and left-wing politician and Socialist candidate for president Eugene V. Debs.

Related Topics:
Theodore Dreiser - Paul Dresser - Scatman Crothers - Tommy John - Max Ehrmann - Socialist - Eugene V. Debs

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Terre Haute's history is the subject of a weekly public radio program based in Bloomington, Indiana, called "Hometown with Tom Roznowski," which describes various aspects of Terre Haute in the summer of 1926.

Related Topics:
Bloomington, Indiana - 1926

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