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61-529: Southwestern Indiana's topography is considerably more varied and complex than most of Indiana, from large tracts of forest, marshes, rolling fields, large flat valleys in the west and south, to several chains of low mountains, high hills, and sharp valleys towards the north and east. Every county in Southwestern Indiana is bounded by a river at one point, whether it be the Wabash River along

122-591: A change back to Eastern Time. The resulting chain reaction resulted in all of the former Eastern Time counties, along with two Central Time counties, Gibson and Spencer, petitioning for a change to Eastern Time. On September 20, 2007, after only 15 months and only one winter on Central Time, the DOT returned only five of the eight applicants to the Eastern Time Zone. Gibson, Perry, and Spencer counties did not have enough support to be placed there. However, three of

183-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age in the town was 39.4 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

244-462: A maze-like quality in the first seventeen-mile (27 km) stretch as it enters Indiana. At mile forty-five, the river becomes straighter with few sharp bends. An additional seventeen tributaries raise the depth of the river considerably, making it navigable for larger vessels. At mile fifty-nine, the river passes through Ouabache State Park , where it begins to widen and become more shallow. The white limestone river bottom can sometimes be seen in

305-462: A panhandle between the river and Posey County . From the tail southward there are several cut-offs from the river, resulting in several natural exclaves between Indiana and Illinois, the largest of which is at Grayville . A flood caused the river to change course, disconnecting a two-mile (3 km) long stretch of the river and creating a lake entirely on the Illinois side. Between these exclaves

366-505: A standard grid. Evansville is laid out in both modes of survey, with its downtown being mapped out from the river and the rest of the city being laid out in the standard grid. Southwestern Indiana, like most of Southern Indiana as a whole contains several of the oldest counties in Indiana, including Knox County, the states's oldest county. In addition, four other area counties; Gibson, Perry, Posey, and Warrick, predate Indiana's statehood and

427-524: A state boundary line with Indiana for the remainder of its course. At Darwin , a farmer's cooperative operates the Wabash's only ferry service. It is used to take heavy farm equipment across the river. South of Darwin, beginning at mile 410 a large bluff gradually rises, eventually towering two-hundred feet over the river. The area is one of the most remote of the river, and it generally gives onto open land. The area becomes more densely populated as it nears

488-583: Is a winding two-lane road in the eastern half of the region which becomes a four-lane road in the western half, near Washington, before joining US 41 in the bypass around Vincennes. It intersects with I-69 just east of Washington. It leaves Indiana on the Red Skelton Bridge. [REDACTED] U.S. Route 150 Coterminous with US 50 from Vincennnes to Shoals , it breaks off and heads eastward while US 50 continues northeast. [REDACTED] U.S. Route 231 This now mostly new four-lane road serves

549-651: Is geared towards the Central Time Zone, where Owensboro, Kentucky , and Spencer County, and the Huntingburg area's largest employers, AK Steel and Holiday World , are located. Jasper, though, stated that the majority of its business activity is aimed at the Eastern Seaboard and that returning to the Eastern Time Zone would be in the best interest of the county. The final result was that Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, and Pike counties returned to

610-733: Is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville except for Perry County and Spencer County's Harrison Township , which are in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis . Southwestern Indiana makes up realtor region 12 in Indiana, while nine of the counties make up Economic Growth Region 11 with Daviess and Martin in Region 8. In addition, the southern third of Southwestern Indiana exists within the Ohio River Valley American Viticultural Area ,

671-480: Is the historic town of New Harmony , a settlement created by Utopians during the 1810s. It is joined by the Black River on the Indiana side. At mile 460, the river again splits into several channels. The area features sandy beaches and the largest islands in the river, some a mile in length. The Little Wabash River , another major tributary, joins at mile 482 on the Illinois side, near New Haven . At mile 491

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732-621: Is the largest topographical feature in Allen County, Indiana . When the ice melted completely from the region, new outlets for Lake Maumee's water opened up at elevations lower than the Wabash-Erie Channel. While the St. Joseph and St. Marys Rivers continued to flow through the channel, Lake Maumee no longer did. Now a low-lying, probably marshy bit of terrain lay in between. It is not known for certain when, but at some point in

793-628: The Attack on Fort Recovery (1794), the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811), and the Siege of Fort Harrison (1812). Several different conflicts have been referred to as the " Battle of the Wabash ". A 329-acre (133 ha) remnant of the old-growth forests that once bordered the Wabash can be found at Beall Woods State Park , near Mount Carmel, Illinois . In the mid-19th century, the Wabash and Erie Canal , one of

854-602: The Gulf of Mexico via the Wabash; it served as a vital trade route for North American-French trade and was the river they knew best. In the 18th century, the profitable 8-mile portage between the Maumee River and the Wabash was controlled by the Miami people at Kekionga . The United States has fought five colonial and frontier-era battles on or near the river: the Battle of Vincennes (1779), St. Clair's Defeat (1791),

915-585: The St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers. Their combined discharge was probably the primary source of water for the proglacial Wabash River system. As the Erie Lobe of the glacier continued to retreat, its meltwater was temporarily trapped between the ice front to the east and the Fort Wayne Moraine to the west, and formed pro glacial Lake Maumee , the ancestor of modern Lake Erie . Around 11,000 years ago

976-815: The United States . It flows from the headwaters in Ohio , near the Indiana border, then southwest across northern Indiana turning south near the Illinois border, where the southern portion forms the Indiana-Illinois border before flowing into the Ohio River . It is the largest northern tributary of the Ohio River and third largest overall, behind the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. From

1037-620: The White River at Mount Carmel, Illinois , significantly increasing its size, to over 750 feet wide. Roughly a mile downstream, near the Gibson Generating Station , another large tributary, the Patoka River , also joins. During low water, there are rapids at the confluence, caused by an old canal lock that was abandoned after flooding. Further downstream, the river zig-zags, creating the "tail" of Gibson County,

1098-524: The state song " On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away " by Paul Dresser . Two counties (in Indiana and Illinois ); eight townships in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio; one Illinois precinct , one city , one town , two colleges , one high school , one canal , one former class I railroad , several bridges and avenues are all named for the river itself while four US Navy warships are either named for

1159-554: The 2010 census. Elnora was platted in 1885 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Elnora Griffith, wife of an early merchant. According to the 2010 census, Elnora has a total area of 0.95 square miles (2.46 km ), all land. As of the census of 2010, there were 640 people, 249 households, and 164 families living in the town. The population density was 673.7 inhabitants per square mile (260.1/km ). There were 308 housing units at an average density of 324.2 per square mile (125.2/km ). The racial makeup of

1220-606: The Central Time Zone. Not even a month after the change, people began to complain about some of the same problems that people who lived in the original Central Daylight Time counties had been complaining about for years. Most prevalent was the complaint that the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center had become a "time island". The workers' union of the base subsequently petitioned the Martin County Commissioners to repetition for

1281-408: The Eastern Time Zone on November 4, 2007, once again dividing Southwestern Indiana. 38°30′N 87°0′W  /  38.500°N 87.000°W  / 38.500; -87.000 Wabash River The Wabash River / ˈ w ɔː b æ ʃ / ( French : Ouabache ) is a 503-mile-long (810 km) river that drains most of the state of Indiana , and a significant part of Illinois , in

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1342-649: The Fort Wayne Outlet into the Maumee River since it was at a lower elevation than that of the sluiceway. This meant that when the flood waters receded, the sluiceway was permanently abandoned by the two rivers. As a result of capturing them both, the Maumee was converted from a minor creek to a large river. Once again, river waters flowed through the Fort Wayne Outlet, but now they flowed eastward, toward Lake Erie, instead of westward. Following this event,

1403-594: The Indiana-Ohio border. The water source is farmland drainage. A half mile downstream (i.e. east), at a roadside park on Ohio 49 at the Mercer County line, is a historical marker that announces the river's start. This land is also the portage for headwaters of the Mississinewa River , Stillwater River and West Fork of the White River , which lie just a few miles away. Between the start of

1464-538: The Wabash at this point. Because of the dams on the Wabash, the Little River often carries more water than the Wabash. Additional minor tributaries raise the water level between Huntington and the city of Wabash . As the river passes Wabash and moves toward Peru , it splits, creating a series of islands; sandbars are common in the stretch. The river returns to a single channel at Peru, and flows through one of its most gentle stretches until reaching Logansport . Here

1525-553: The Wabash flows into the Ohio River near Hovey Lake . The Wabash is the 24th largest by discharge volume and 38th longest river in the United States. The major tributaries of the Wabash River include: right tributaries left tributaries The Wabash River supports an abundant and diverse wildlife population. At least 150 species of birds have been sighted around the river. The waterfowl are most dependent on

1586-587: The Wabash or the White River and its West Fork, essentially making the county a river peninsula. Additionally, over half of the area is located within the Wabash Valley seismic zone along with neighboring Southeastern Illinois . Southwestern Indiana has clusters of separate towns of varying sizes and layouts. Vincennes is laid out in the French quadrangular, while Jasper and Princeton are laid out in

1647-568: The area also contains Pike County, the first county created after statehood. The youngest county, Martin, was created in January, 1820, was the state's 30th county overall of the states's 92 counties. In addition to various media definitions, Southwestern Indiana is also defined by most Indiana state agencies, as well as various commercial and economic regions, as an entire area. All of Southwestern Indiana's counties are in Indiana's 8th Congressional District as of 2013. Most of Southwestern Indiana

1708-451: The area, whereas it is not visible due to pollution elsewhere downstream. As the river exits the park and flows toward the city of Bluffton near mile sixty-six, it widens further, becoming more shallow; only a narrow channel is navigable by larger vessels. The river remains shallow and somewhat rocky with minor rapids until mile seventy-one near the community of Murray . There the river becomes calm and deeper until mile eighty-one, due to

1769-403: The average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the town

1830-487: The branch of the Wabash River that originates along the Wabash Moraine near Bluffton became the system's main course and source. For part of its course, the Wabash follows the path of the pre-glacial Teays River . The river has shifted course several times along the Indiana and Illinois border, creating cutoffs where parts of the river are entirely in either Indiana or Illinois. However, both states generally regard

1891-472: The city of Covington , the river begins flowing due south. The river is deep at this point, but there are several gravel bars between Covington and Terre Haute . Terre Haute, beginning at mile 300, is among the largest cities in Indiana. Although navigable by large ships in the past, the remainder of the river becomes shallow in places due to erosion and silt . The river gradually widens moving south. It borders Illinois beginning at mile 316, and serves as

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1952-615: The city of Vincennes at mile 441. Founded by the French about 1720, Vincennes is the oldest European settlement in Indiana, and among the oldest in the American Midwest . The city is sited on a strategic bend in the river that allowed it to control river traffic. Four miles west, as the river turns southward, another major tributary, the Embarras River joins. Past Vincennes, the Wabash is joined by its largest tributary,

2013-632: The clarity of the river in Huntington County, Indiana , where the river bottom is limestone . As the Laurentide Ice Sheet began to retreat from present-day Northern Indiana and Northwest Ohio between 14,000 and 15,000 years ago, it receded into three distinct lobes. The eastern or Erie Lobe sat atop and behind the Fort Wayne Moraine . Meltwater from the glacier fed into two ice-marginal streams, which became

2074-401: The dam and levee at the town of Markle . The lock that was formerly at the site is abandoned and a narrow washout is the only means to bypass the dam. In the rocky washout the river level drops four feet, making it one of the most dangerous points on the river. Boaters are advised to exit the river and reembark on the other side of the dam rather than traverse the washout. At mile eighty-nine,

2135-422: The dam near Huntington, Indiana , to its terminus at the Ohio River, the Wabash flows freely for 411 miles (661 km) The Tippecanoe River , White River , Embarras River and Little Wabash River are major tributaries. The river's name comes from a Miami word meaning "water over white stones", as its bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud. The Wabash is the state river of Indiana , and subject of

2196-408: The distant past the St. Joseph and St. Marys Rivers jumped their banks and flooded the marshy ground of the Fort Wayne Outlet. The discharge of this unusual flood was enough to cut across the outlet and come into contact with the headwaters of the Maumee River. Once this happened, the flood waters rushed to the east into the Maumee River, and their erosive force was enough that the new channel cut across

2257-491: The eastern half of the region. The route is in a process of relocation, as a new four-lane road is under construction from Rockport to Greene County, where it will intersect with Interstate 69. From 1966 to 2006, the five southwesternmost counties—Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick—observed Central Daylight Time . The six northern and eastern counties—Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Perry, and Pike, since 1982—observed year-round Eastern Standard Time as did much of

2318-583: The five counties, Daviess, Knox, and Pike, had little support either, but "convenience of commerce" was given as the reason for their time changes, despite commute patterns into Evansville and the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana plant in Gibson County, the region's largest employer. In Dubois County, a heated disagreement between Huntingburg and Jasper occurred over the topic. Most of Huntingburg's industry and economy

2379-682: The highway approaches Crane and leaves the area into Greene County. [REDACTED] U.S. Route 41 US 41 extends from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . This four-lane highway serves the western half of the region. US 41 goes through the city of Evansville, becoming six lanes between the Lloyd Expressway and Diamond Avenue. It bypasses Princeton and Vincennes before continuing north towards Terre Haute . [REDACTED] U.S. Route 50 US 50 extends from Baltimore, Maryland , to Sacramento, California . It

2440-530: The large Huntington Dam blocks the river. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers to make a reservoir, the dam creates the J. Edward Roush Lake . The lake is surrounded by park land and recreation areas and is about five miles (8 km) in length and a mile wide at its widest point. The mile-long stretch after the Huntington Dam is rarely navigable. No lock connects the two sections of the river, and

2501-512: The late 19th century, erosion due to farming and runoff made the Wabash impassable to such ships. Dredging could have resolved the problem, but was not undertaken because railroads had become the preferred form of transport. The 200-mile stretch south of Terre Haute includes several inoperable swing bridges . The Wabash River rises 4 miles south of Fort Recovery, Ohio , very near the Darke-Mercer County line about 1.5 miles east of

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2562-421: The longest canals in the world, was built along much of the river. Portions are still accessible in modern times, but most of the abandoned canal no longer exists. Its contribution to transportation was surpassed by construction of competing railroads. The Wabash River between Terre Haute and the Ohio River was navigable by large ships during much of the 19th century, and was a regular stop for steamships. By

2623-524: The middle of the river as the state border. The Wabash was first mapped by French explorers to the Mississippi in the latter half of the 17th century, including the sections now known as the Ohio River . The Wabash is considered a tributary of the Ohio River. Until the mid-18th century, however, the Ohio was considered a tributary of the Wabash. French traders had traveled north and south from Canada to

2684-407: The population. There were 294 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and

2745-673: The primary artery of east-west traffic since entering service around 1983. While relatively flat in Posey, Vanderburgh, and Gibson counties, its terrain becomes hillier as it passes through the 25.5-mile (41.0 km) stretch in Warrick County. By the time it approaches U.S. 231 , the hills and valleys are sharper, transitioning into the low mountainous conditions found in Perry County as the highway leaves into Crawford County. [REDACTED] Interstate 69 The newer interstate in

2806-626: The region, this stretch of I-69 provides interstate access to Bloomington and Indianapolis. Like I-64, the terrain around Evansville is relatively flat, but becomes hillier in northeastern Gibson County, and becomes progressively hillier through Pike County. The stretch of I-69 in Daviess County between Washington and Elnora is actually flatter than the stretch in Vanderburgh County, while containing some hilly sections south of Washington, but becomes very hilly northeast of Elnora as

2867-618: The rest of the state. In 2006, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels pushed through legislation for all Indiana counties to observe Daylight Timeon Eastern Time onto Eastern Daylight Time . This action threw both Southwestern and Northwestern Indiana into chaos as counties started to debate whether to return to the Central Time Zone or remain in the Eastern Time Zone and start observing daylight time. This resulted, on April 2, 2006, in all of Southwestern Indiana being in

2928-477: The river again splits into multiple channels, divided by islands. Some of the channels are narrow and rocky, while the larger channels are navigable. Between Logansport and Delphi , at mile 176, is one of the few remaining stretches of the Wabash and Erie canal. It can be accessed at Delphi. Just past Delphi, the Wabash's second major tributary, the Tippecanoe River , joins the river. The confluence of

2989-422: The river and Fort Recovery, the current is swift and the water remains very shallow and follows a poorly defined channel. The shallow depth and low bridge clearances make the section nearly impassable by boat except in the most ideal conditions. At mile seven and mile nine, two tributaries give the river a significant boost in volume, and at mile eleven the river flows past Fort Recovery. Two more tributaries add to

3050-489: The river or the numerous battles that took place on or near it. The name Wabash is an English transliteration spelling of the French name for the river, Ouabache . French traders had adopted the Miami-Illinois word for the river, waapaahšiiki , meaning 'it shines white', 'pure white', or 'water over white stones', and attempted to spell it according to their own phonetic system. The Miami name expressed

3111-404: The river's volume between Fort Recovery and Macedon at mile eighteen, making the river navigable for the remainder of its course. The river continues to flow northward passing the community of Wabash at mile twenty-three and then cutting sharply west, crossing into Indiana at mile twenty-eight. Upon entering Indiana, the river has many sharp turns; these regularly lead to log jams that can block

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3172-528: The river's watershed including the American bullfrog and the eastern newt . Crayfish are also common throughout the river. Notes Bibliography 37°47′53″N 88°1′38″W  /  37.79806°N 88.02722°W  / 37.79806; -88.02722 Elnora, Indiana Elnora is a town in Elmore Township , Daviess County , Indiana , United States. The population was 640 at

3233-402: The river. Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned night heron , and merlin inhabit the area. Several species of shorebirds build nest on or near the banks of the river. The river is home to many species of fish including species of bass , sunfish , crappie , catfish , carp , and others. Aquatic reptiles including snakes and turtles also occur in the river. A number of amphibians occur throughout

3294-429: The river. Because of the many turns in the river, during the 1830s, the state created several separate canal channels to shorten the journey between the state line and Fort Wayne as part of the Wabash and Erie Canal project. The canals were abandoned after competing railroads took over; this allowed the river to shift courses several times, resulting in the formation of many cut-offs and coves with no outlet. The river has

3355-423: The second-largest wine appellation in the United States . The Ohio River Valley AVA occupies all of Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh , and Warrick Counties, nearly 90% of Gibson County, and portions of Pike and Dubois Counties in Southwestern Indiana. (T) - Establishment Date - Indiana Territory County [REDACTED] Interstate 64 The older interstate in the region, this stretch of I-64 has been

3416-495: The town was 46.6% male and 53.4% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 721 people, 294 households, and 201 families living in the town. The population density was 761.7 inhabitants per square mile (294.1/km ). There were 330 housing units at an average density of 348.6 per square mile (134.6/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White , 0.28% Native American , 0.97% from other races , and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of

3477-418: The town was 96.9% White , 0.5% African American , 0.3% Native American , 0.6% Asian , 0.3% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 249 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had

3538-472: The two rivers is part of Prophetstown State Park , the site of the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe . The flow of the Tippecanoe into the Wabash raises its level dramatically. At this point, most large power boats can easily navigate the river at cruising speed. The river passes the city of Lafayette at mile 210 and gradually begins to end its westward flow, beginning a wide turn to the south. At mile 241, at

3599-465: The water is often very shallow. A second smaller dam at mile ninety-one presents a dangerous hazard, and the section between it and the Huntington Dam has been closed to boaters. At mile ninety-three the river is joined by its first major tributary, the Little River . The city of Huntington developed at the confluence of the two rivers. The tributary dramatically increases the volume of water in

3660-409: The waters of Lake Maumee became deep enough that it breached a " sag " or weak spot in the Fort Wayne Moraine. This caused a catastrophic draining of the lake, which in turn scoured a 1 to 2 mi (1.6 to 3.2 km) wide valley known as the Wabash-Erie Channel or "sluiceway". The Little (Wabash) River flows through this channel. U.S. 24 traverses it between Fort Wayne and Huntington. The valley

3721-406: The west, the Ohio River along the south, the White River , dividing the six northern counties between its two forks, or other smaller rivers. More than 50% of the boundaries of Daviess , Knox , Perry , Posey , and Spencer Counties are dictated by a river or a creek. Just under 50% of Gibson and Pike counties are dictated by a river. About 80% Knox County's boundaries are dictated by either

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