Downtown in Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Before 1800
The Ohio - The Beautiful River
⎯⎯⎯
Evansville
At the Bend of the River
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 30, 2025
1. Before 1800 side of marker
Before 1800. The Ohio - The Beautiful River. Around 3,000 years ago, Native Americans established villages and practiced intensive agriculture in areas like this along rivers and creeks in what is now Southern Indiana. They traveled great distances on foot and in dugout canoes to hunt and trade in the interior. Europeans who encountered Native People of the region in the mid-eighteenth century adopted the Indians' name for the river-l'oyo-and translated it as la belle riviθre, the beautiful river. By 1800, local river travel bad given a name co-41-mile long tributary-Pigeon Creek.
Evansville. At the Bend of the River. From its beginnings at the mouth of Pigeon Creek, Evansville has become a major commercial and cultural center on the banks of the Ohio River. Its industries, transportation, communities, and the way its citizens live have undergone big changes with the times and are still changing. Discover some of these milestones on the Evansville map and imagine achievements to come.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1800.
Location. 37° 58.636′ N, 87° 35.147′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-State Region and in Southern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1800 to 1850 (here, next to this marker); 1900 to 1950 / Orr Iron (a few steps from this marker); 2000 & Beyond (a few steps from this marker); 1950 to 2000 / General Waste (a few steps from this marker); Mary Harris Mother Jones / Activism in Indiana (within shouting distance of this marker); Joan Marchand Bridge (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pigeon Creek / Sweezer Pond (about 700 feet away); Evansville Shipyard/Joan Marchand Bridge/Ohio River (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Evansville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Joan Marchand Bridge (was about 600 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 30, 2025
2. Evansville side of marker
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 30, 2025
3. Before 1800 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 11, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
