Westside in Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Evansville Shipyard/Joan Marchand Bridge/Ohio River

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

1. Evansville Shipyard/Joan Marchand Bridge/Ohio River Marker

Inscription. Just down river from this bridge was the location of the Evansville Shipyard, which constructed L.S.T.s (Landing Ship Tanks) and 35 other vessels during World War II. Looking up river, you can see the L.S.T. 325, the last navigable LST in existence and one of few remaining examples of this class of ship. Collection of the Evansville Convention and Visitor Bureau

The Joan Marchand Bridge was built by the Pittsburgh Bridge Company in 1891 and is the third bridge built at this location. It has a span of 198 feet and is the longest and oldest single-span steel truss bridge in Indiana. If you look at the banks of Pigeon Creek, you can see the foundations of the previous two bridges. Courtesy of the Willard Library Archives

During extreme winters, 1913 and 1936 for example, ice piled up at the bend of the Ohio River. This 1936 photograph illustrates the destructive force of nature. Residents could walk across the ice-covered Ohio River all the way to Kentucky. Courtesy of the Willard Library Archives

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Industry & Commerce • War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.

Location. 37° 58.565′ N, 87° 35.253′ W. Marker

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is in Evansville, Indiana, in Vanderburgh County. It is in Westside. Marker is on Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage, 0.1 miles west of Ohio Street, on the left when traveling west. Marker is on the Joan Marchand Bridge along the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Evansville IN 47708, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Evansville's Riverfront (here, next to this marker); Pigeon Creek / Sweezer Pond (a few steps from this marker); Evansville Shipyard/Gibson Moore Mine/Evansville Marine Hospital (a few steps from this marker); Joan Marchand Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Evansville's German Heritage (approx. half a mile away); Underground Railway Station (approx. 0.7 miles away); Evansville Cotton Mill (approx. 0.7 miles away); YWCA (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Evansville.

Also see . . .
1. Evansville in World War II. Emperors didn't make those ships. Evansville did. (Yesterday's America, adapted from Evansville in World War II by James Lachlan MacLeod) (Submitted on June 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Ohio Street Bridge. National Register of Historic Places nomination (PDF) and photographs (separate PDF) submitted for the bridge, which was renamed after Marchand in 1996 and listed two

Marker closeup (Evansville Shipyard) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

2. Marker closeup (Evansville Shipyard)

years later. (National Park Service) (Submitted on June 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Marker closeup (Joan Marchand Bridge) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

3. Marker closeup (Joan Marchand Bridge)

Marker closeup (Ohio River) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

4. Marker closeup (Ohio River)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.