Terre Haute, Indiana

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City of Terre Haute, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
County Vigo
Mayor Kevin D. Burke
Area  
 - City 83.1 km²
 - Land 80.9 km²
 - Water 2.2 km²
Population  
 - City (2000) 59,614
 - Density 736.8/km²
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Website: City of Terre Haute

Terre Haute (IPA: [ˈtɛɹ.ʌ ˌhoʊt]) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana near the state's western border with Illinois. It is the principal city of and is included in the Terre Haute, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 59,614. The city is the county seat of Vigo CountyGR6. Its current Mayor is Kevin W. Burke.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Terre Haute is at 39°28′11″N, 87°23′23″W (39.469586, -87.389762)GR1, alongside the eastern bank of the Wabash River in western Indiana.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 83.1 km² (32.1 mi²). 80.9 km² (31.2 mi²) of it is land and 2.2 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (2.68%) is water.

The city of Terre Haute has been called "The Crossroads of America" because it is located at the intersection of the two major roadways: the National Road and U.S. 41 (locally, "third street"). Terre Haute is located 77 miles southwest of Indianapolis and within 185 miles of Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, and Cincinnati.

In the early 1970s, Interstate 70 was built, and the community's major shopping area moved south to the interchange. U.S. 40 still runs through the downtown area as of 2005, but the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plans to transfer the route number to State Road 46 and Interstate 70 through the Terre Haute area once the new State Road 641 bypass is completed, with the old route, Wabash Avenue, passing into city and county hands.

In addition to the downtown business district and the south side, there are several other smaller business districts in the City. The first suburban shopping area was Twelve Points, on the northeast side of town; later, Idaho Station developed near Seventh Street and Lockport Road. In the post-WWII era, auto-centered shopping developed on the east side at Meadows. Plaza North is another important shopping area in the northern city neighborhoods. For more than 150 years Terre Haute has been the self-proclaimed capital of the Wabash Valley.

The physical geography of the city is dominated by the Wabash River, which forms the western border of the city. The city itself lies on a high, flat plain that rarely floods. Small bluffs on the east side of city mark the edge of the historic flood plain. Lost Creek and Honey Creek drain the northern and southern sections of the city, respectively. In the late 1800s (particularly during the Terre Haute Oil Craze of 1889), several oil and mineral wells were productive in and near the center of the city but those have not been tapped for many years.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 60,614 people, 30,870 households, and 20,035 families residing in the city. The population density is 736.8/km² (1,908.4/mi²). There are 25,636 housing units at an average density of 316.8/km² (820.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 86.26% White, 9.77% African American, 5.34% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 5.91% from two or more races. 10.58% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 22,870 households out of which 27.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% are married couples living together, 14.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% are non-families. 34.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,018, and the median income for a family is $37,618. Males have a median income of $29,375 versus $21,374 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,728. 19.2% of the population and 14.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.4% of those under the age of 18 and 11.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] History

Vigo County Courthouse
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Vigo County Courthouse
Terre Haute downtown area, looking southwest
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Terre Haute downtown area, looking southwest
Terre Haute downtown area, looking east
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Terre Haute downtown area, looking east
ISU Campus
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ISU Campus
Clabber Girl factory complex
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Clabber Girl factory complex

The name of the city is derived from the French phrase terre haute (pronounced /tɛʁ ot/ in French), meaning “high land,” and was used by the French explorers in the area in the early 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 fort was defended from a British-inspired attack by an estimated 600 Native Americans during the Battle of Fort Harrison on September 4, 1812 by Captain Zachary Taylor. 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. Before 1830, the few remaining Wea had departed under pressure from white settlement.

The village of Terre Haute, then a part of Knox County, Indiana was platted in 1816. Its early identity came as an agricultural and pork-packing center and as a port on the then-navigable Wabash River for steamboats and other river-craft. Between 1835 and late 1839, Terre Haute was headquarters for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Major Cornelius A. Ogden during the construction of the National Road. As a result a number of West Point graduates and other highly educated people located in the town. Wealthy Terre Haute entrepreneur Chauncey Rose built The Prairie House, a fancy hotel, in 1838 primarily to accommodate those families. In 1855, the name of The Prairie House was changed to the Terre Haute House.

The anticipation of the arrival of the Wabash and Erie Canal, the longest manmade body of water in the western hemisphere, also brought prosperity to the community. The canal finally reached Terre Haute in October 1849 but, founded by Chauncey Rose, the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad began operations between Terre Haute and Indianapolis in February 1852. The name of the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad (West of Indianapolis) soon was changed to the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad and it became the operating company of the Vandalia Railroad System. The community quickly gained the reputation as a transportation hub.

In 1832, Terre Haute became a town and, in May 1853, elected to become a city. After the American Civil War, it was an industrial and mining center with iron and steel mills, hominy plants and, late in the 19th Century, distilleries, breweries, coal mines and coal operating companies. Business boomed. Terre Haute's Famous "Four-Cornered" Race Track was the site of more than 20 world harness racing records and helped trigger the city's reputation as a sporting center. The bustling economy led to several institutes of higher education — Saint Mary-of-the Woods Institute (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College), John Covert's Terre Haute Female College, Indiana State Normal School (now Indiana State University), Rose Polytechnic Institute of Technology (now Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Coates College for Women — culture and a reputation in the arts, and a tradition of strong union activity which resulted in hosting a two-day conclave beginning on August 3, 1881 of the National Trade Union Congress, renamed the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the U.S. and Canada. In 1886, the Federation was renamed the American Federation of Labor. The city also produced labor leader Eugene V. Debs.

The city also developed 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. During the second decade of the 20th Century, Terre Haute was rocked by political scandal and that reputation persisted for several decades. In 1955, Terre Haute was labeled Sin City by the monthly magazine, Stag. Although Terre Haute has had different nicknames reflecting varying degrees of pride and/or sarcasm (such as "The Crossroads of America" and "The City of Seven Smells"), "Sin City" seemed to be its most popular moniker for several decades.

Prohibition had a major impact on the city's economy, closing several distilleries and all but one brewery, which reduced its payroll by 70% and converted to produce root beer. It also affected the four large glass manufacturing firms. Two eventually closed. The Root Glass Company survived, primarily because it secured the patent for the Coca-Cola bottle in 1915. Two of the distilleries were sold to Commercial Solvents Corporation, which acquired the rights to produce acetone from Chaim Weizmann in exchange for royalties. While some aspects of the economy seemed to be boom 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 demolished it and subsequently sold the property to Dora Brothers Hospitality group, which intends to build a new hotel on the site, Hilton Garden Inn: Terre Haute House, thus maintaining the history of a hotel on the intersection of 7th and Wabash.

Eventually, however, the coal mines were spent, the importance of the railroads declined, the town was labeled a "bad labor town" following the Terre Haute General Strike of 1935 and the city center began a decline from which it has never fully recovered. Although some remnants of its glory days remain and Terre Haute is home to some national events, The Indianapolis Star. recently called "A Model of Stagnation." The community also is known for the June 11, 2001, execution of Timothy McVeigh at the Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. In addition it has been referred to as the "Meth capital of the world" known for the disproportionate number of methamphetamine arrests in the town and surrounding area. There is a special depravity to Terre Haute that only long term residents can truly appreciate.

On the other hand, in 1998, Reader's Digest magazine named Terre Haute one of the 50 best places to raise a family based on a statistical and demographic review of 301 metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Terre Haute a "Tree City." Terre Haute has many fine residential areas and a fine public school system, thanks in part to the priority the employees of Indiana State University and of the city's several colleges place on education. The city has one of the highest per-capita number of restaurants in the nation. Many are chain restaurants, but several exceptional restaurants in the city are unique to Terre Haute. The city's residents have a passion for sports, especially basketball--most notably expressed during the "Larry Bird era" when the basketball superstar attended Indiana State.

Historical figures who called Terre Haute their birthplace or home include:

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. "Terre Haute: Queen City of the Wabash," by Vigo County Historian Mike McCormick, is a concise history of the city published in November 2005 by Arcadia Publishing Company.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Airports

  • Terre Haute International Airport - Hulman Field (HUF) serves Terre Haute and Vigo County. However, there is currently no scheduled airline or charter service flying out of Hulman Field. Most flights are from pilot school students from Ivy Tech and Indiana State and the F-16 fighter jets of the Indiana Air National Guard's 181st Fighter Wing, which has been recommended for realignment to non-flying status. A local unit of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol also conducts operations out of Hulman Field.
  • Sky King Airport - public use airport situated about two miles north of Terre Haute on U.S. Highway 41. Most flights into and out of the airport is training flights from Indiana State University.

[edit] Highways

In addition, U.S. Highway 40 provides east-west access to, through and from Terre Haute and U.S. Highway 41, provides north-south access to, through and from Terre Haute.

[edit] Transit

[edit] Education

Terre Haute is home to Indiana State University, a public university with a student population just over 11,000. The Princeton Review has named ISU one of the nation’s “best value” undergraduate institutions. The Princeton Review has also placed ISU on its “Best in the Midwest” list of colleges and universities. The private engineering school Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is located just east of the city, and is consistently rated one of the top engineering schools in the nation. The vocational schools of Ivy Tech State College and Indiana Business College are also located in the city. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a four-year, private Catholic women's college is north of West Terre Haute, Indiana.

Terre Haute is served by the Vigo County School Corporation.

[edit] Other facts

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Terre Haute is a familiar address to many as it is home to the Columbia House mail-order club. It also is the home of Sony DADC.

The original curved Coca-Cola bottle was designed and first produced by the Root Glass Company, which was based in Terre Haute. In the mid-1990s, Coca-Cola honored this part of its past by introducing a short-lived Coke bottle-shaped can that was sold only in Terre Haute and one other city.

Terre Haute is the location of a large federal prison that is the location of the United States Government's Death Row.

Terre Haute is also home to the CANDLES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM [1]. CANDLES stands for Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiment Survivors and is the creation of a survivor from that deadly period of history - Eva Mozes Kor of Terre Haute. Her museum attracts visitors from around the world and is completely Ms. Kor's gift of her memories and her mission to never allow the world to forget what happened in that evil place during those dark years. In 2003 the CANDLES museum burned down in an arson attack by a young neo-nazi. The museum was rebuilt with the help of fundraising drives by a number of organizations in town and the surrounding area conducted several charity drives, but several pieces of irreplacable art and artifacts were destroyed.

Terre Haute was one of the primary test markets for Pringles Potato Chips For some reason Terre Haute was the target of the dastardly plot by Nazi stooges in the 1982 spoof noir movie Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

Terre Haute was the original home of Cissy, Jody, and Buffy Davis in the CBS sitcom Family Affair.

Terre Haute was mentioned in the Peter Yates film Breaking Away when the characters were deciding what to do and one asked if they "wanted to go to Terre Haute".

In Stephen King's post-apocalyptic horror novel The Stand, Donald Merwin Elbert (aka The Trashcan Man), after comitting several arsons due to his pyromania, was sent to a mental institution in Terre Haute before being incarcerated in a separate institution for teenage deliquents. In King's Wizard and Glass, the main protaganists stumble into a parallel universe version of the post-apocalypse world of The Stand in which all of Terre Haute was burned down.

A well-known horror story is based on this city: South of Terre Haute there is an abandoned road near a covered bridge that was the favorite parking spot of many young couples. For a time young people reported being approached in their cars by a woman in a purple velvet dress holding a dead baby. She would ask the couples to take the dead child and, if they refused, she would then place it under the wheels of the car so they would drive over it. This same event happened to several couples on several different occasions.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] The city

[edit] The history

[edit] College pages

[edit] Maps and aerial photos

State of Indiana
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