In 1804, Gov. Harrison brought Elihu Stout to Vincennes. Stout had been a journeyman printer with the Kentucky Gazette in Lexington, Kentucky.

Harrison asked Stout to come to Vincennes to print the laws of the Territory. One can hardly have a government if the laws are not printed.

When the paper was first published in 1804, it was called the Indiana Gazette. A fire destroyed the shop in 1806, and when Stout started the paper up again the following year, he renamed it the Western Sun.

The newspaper came out once a week. It was printed on both sides of a single sheet of paper and was folded into four pages. The price of a subscription was $2.50 a year.

Unlike newspapers of today, there were no headlines and only a few illustrations. The first two pages were given over to advertising from the territorial government, which largely subsidized the paper.

The kind of press Stout used is like the one preserved in the print shop. It is an original Ramage Press, named for Adam Ramage who made presses like this in Philadelphia, Pa. The press is an outstanding example of sturdiness. Ramage presses were made of solid mahogany and contained several improvements on earlier wooden presses. These presses were sought after by small publishers because they were portable and were easier to repair

Founded in 1732, it was George Rogers Clark and his small army who took the largest land conquest in the revolutionary war away from the British in 1779. Greatly disadvantaged in number of troops compared to those inside Fort Sackville, Clark relied on the marksmanship of his troops and the ability to convince the British of a larger army to win the fort.

Built in 1838, the Old State Bank is the oldest bank building in Indiana.

On 13 February 1834, the Indiana General Assembly chartered the Second State Bank. The bank’s headquarters was in Indianapolis and had a total of twelve branches across the state. In addition to Vincennes the other branches were Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Richmond, New Albany, Madison, Evansville, Bedford, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Fort Wayne and South Bend.

Before the creation of a state banking system, anyone with a strongbox could open a bank. These were known as “wildcat banks” and when one failed many people lost all of their money  In those days, banks issued their own money. How much a bank’s money was worth depended on how much money it had in its vault. The money from many banks was worth less than its face value. This bank also served as a depository for money collected by the local land office. In Vincennes, the bank began business immediately in a rented building located on First Street between Main and Vigo Streets. The bank was robbed on January 26, 1838. The robbers made off with more than $20,000—quite a princely sum in those days.

Construction of this building was begun in July 1838. The bank moved into this building upon its completion in November 1838. The bank’s facade is an imitation of the front of a Greek temple. This is known as the Greek Revival Style. The design was chosen for many banks because it made them look dignified and secure. The style is carried over into the main room of the bank where six fluted columns, more than 30 feet tall, support a bell-shaped cupola. The cupola admitted light into the main room.

Also of interest in the main room is the original hand-riveted steel vault. The vault measures six feet by eight feet and is seven feet high. It is encased in stone walls two and a half feet thick. Two keys were required to open and lock the vault. More than likely one key was kept by the president of the bank and the other by the cashier. Bank officers were David S. Bonner, president; John Ross, cashier; and George W. Rathbone, clerk.

The room directly behind the main room was also used in conducting bank business. The bank’s charter allowed it to take furs and produce in exchange for cash. This room may have been used for those transactions. The stone step outside the side door is well-worn from many heavy boots. The brick used to construct the building was typical of the handmade brick in use at the time. John Moore, a local contractor, was the builder of this structure. Moore was later elected the first mayor of Vincennes.

The bank’s charter expired in 1859. The building was then rented and used for private banking. From 1886 to 1889 it housed the Vincennes Post Office. After that it was a warehouse, grocery store, museum and apartment house among other things. The Old State Bank is located at 112 N. Second Street, Vincennes, Indiana.

Fort Knox II

One of the early military posts built and garrisoned in the Indiana territory. The fort served as the staging area for the troops that fought at the battle of Tippecanoe. It is also significant for its association with William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor, who later became presidents of the United States and with Tecumseh, the Indian chief. The fort is outlined with short posts and interpretive markers tell the story of the site. It is located three miles north of Vincennes on Fort Knox Road. Picnic and restroom facilities are available/

Basilica of St. Francis Xavier and French & Indian cemetery. The current "Old Cathedral" was built in 1826, and stands on the site of three previous churches. The first was a crude log structure built about 1732, where the first Catholic parish in Indiana was formed. Four bishops are buried in the crypt of the current Cathedral, and the adjoining cemetery is the final resting place of over 4,000 early citizens of Vincennes. Located behind the Old Cathedral is the oldest library in Indiana, which contains ten thousand rare volumes dating back to 1319

The Indiana Military Museum located  at 2074 N. Old Bruceville Road and,  is dedicated to fostering the memory, understanding and appreciation of U.S. military history. The museum has one of the most outstanding displays of vintage vehicles, weaponry, uniforms and artifacts from the Civil War through WWI, II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. The IMM includes both outdoor displays featuring tanks, artillery, and aircraft and an indoor museum with uniforms, flags, battlefield relics, captured enemy souvenirs, and WWII toys, home front items and vehicles.

Knox County Public Library’s history/genealogy center. It is the repository for four genealogy collections. Housed in the facility are the library’s Historical Collection, genealogy materials from the Byron R. Lewis Historical library, the Francis Vigo chapter DAR library, and original records from the Knox County Records library. The majority of Knox County’s records can be found in the building, as well as extensive published sources on other Indiana and Illinois counties, and on states such as Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina, that fed the migration to this area. The McGrady-Brockman House opened to the public on March 18, 200

Built in 1805 as a tailor shop, the Red House is a small two-story building whose frame is held together with wooden pegs. The building originally had only one stairway on the outside of the building. Of particular note are the exposed ceiling beams with the grooved decoration carved into the lower edges. The upstairs floor planks form the ceiling.

The House chamber is arranged as it might have been when the Legislature met here. The Speaker of the House sat in a tall chair in the middle of the room and conducted the meetings. The secretary sat at a small desk and recorded the bills. Legislators sat on the benches on either side of the Speaker.

The second session of the Third General Assembly which met in this building from November 11 through December 19, 1811, passed several important laws. Property tax was enacted during this session. The tax rate was not to exceed one cent per acre on first-rate land, three-fourths cent per acre on second-rate land and one-half cent per acre on third-rate land. Another law passed during this time provided that all single men above the age of 21 without taxable property should be subject to a poll tax.

The Legislative Council chamber is also arranged as it might have been in 1811. The five members of the Legislative Council met here as did the judiciary.

The outside stairway was reached by the door on the west wall. A doorkeeper had the job of running messages up and down between the two houses. He was also responsible for heating the building and lighting the candles.

In addition to the Indiana Territory, Vincennes also served as the capital of the Louisiana Purchase for nine months in 1804. That means more land was governed out of Vincennes than any other capitol except Washington, D.C.

In 1804 the Michigan Territory was separated. In 1809 the Illinois Territory was created and Indiana was reduced almost to its present size.

In 1813 the territory capital was moved to Corydon along the Ohio River. The move was a master political strategy devised by Jonathan Jennings. Jennings was the territorial delegate to Congress and a bitter political foe of Harrison. Jennings later became the first governor of the state of Indiana.

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