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Newspaper articles help bring our ancestors back to life,

and contain many clues as to where they lived, their neighbors,

friends, places they visited and so much more.

VINCENNES

CELEBRATES

HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY

VINCENNES, Int., Dec. 9, 1914— Although Vincennes celebrated today one

hundred years as an organized town and city, there were many towns people

here who would have frowned had Alice of Old Vincennes or George Rogers

Clark dropped in on the celebration.

The New Vincennes celebrated, and the Vincennes band — an energetic

one — even had to buy and practice "On the Banks of the Wabash" specially

for this event.

With only a lurking "sign of pride in the romance of Alice and the history

of Clark, Vincennes today threw out Its chest to boast of thirteen miles of paved streets,

 a storm sewer and the fact that two six-story buildings will

soon be erected. For Vincennes is peeved because all its visitors ask the

way to the house where Alice lived and the place where Clark knocked the

British cold at Fort Sackville.

This city was once the capital of the territory now embraced in Ohio, Indiana,

Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and part of Minnesota, and at the invitation

of Gov Samuel M. Ralston several of the governors of these states

"came home" today. They, too, asked to see the historic sights of the town.

Signs of the upheaval against olden times and things followed closely upon

the overthrow of democratic rule here. For ninety-eight years Vincennes

elected democratic mayors with monotonous regularity, but in 1913

 JamesM. House was chosen mayor.

Changes came rapidly then. •

© 2008 JRice 

Large Pear Tree

The western paper speak of  a Pear Tree in Knox County Indiana near Vincennes which measures, one foot above the ground,  ten feet in circumference, and has a top sixty nine feet in diameter, It was planted some 35 years ago by Mrs Ockletree and bears almost every year about 135 bushels of choice fruit. 4/ 17/ 1843

Died July 30, 1834.              In Knox County Indiana on his way home from Washington suddenly Charles Slade Represenative from Illinois

The Tippecanoe Family

There is a Mr John Donaldson Sr Living in Palymyra township, Knox County Indiana who has twenty three children: thirteen sons and ten daughters. they are all for Harrison and Tyler. The old gentleman and six of his sons voted for the Harrison ticket this August. His sons-in law to who all are Harrison men. the old gentleman has been married but once  and is only 58 years of age.

Sept 5 1840

Vincennes Indiana Nov 13, 1819

A  Horrid Story

A shot time since we adverted to the frequency of crime in the western country, and copied from and Illinois paper, and account of a murder committed at the United States Saline. We now have the disgusting task of recording another as brutal and barbarous as any which has stained the annals of the west. Unless more exertion is made for the conviction of the perpetrators of such deeds the great roads of Illinois will soon rival the most dangerous of Italy and Germany, and travelers as in those country's will be obliged to go in bands particularly armed against the murderous assaults of monsters in human shape, whose trade is robbery, and whose pastime is spilling human blood.. Three men were traveling on foot from St Louis to Vincennes. Their names were Squires, Morris and Wagner. At the persuasion of Wagner they passed Lewis's Tavern, about four miles , and encamped in a thicket  on Friday night last.  In the dead of the night Wagner rose and with a large knife cut the throat of Squires, who was a old man, without a struggle. the wretch then attempted the same act on Morris, but fortunately the first stab awakened him and in the struggle the murderer seized  the old mans cane and  beat Morris until he supposed him to be  dead. He then robbed them and left them Morris revived and was discovered by travelers  on Saturday as he was strolling about the prairie  in a deranged situation who humanely conveyed him to Lewis's where he soon  recovered so as to tell the shocking story. A party immediately started  in search of Squires, and found him in the thicket dead with his neck dreadfully mangled, and bathed in blood. He was buried as decently as circumstance would  permit. Travelers who have seen Morris, affirm that he cannot long survive.  Such is the plain narrative of this bloody business. Morris states that he had 70 dollars in notes on the bank of Chillicothe, and ten dollars in silver, which are all missing.  He knows nothing of the property of the old man. He describes Wagner as being a man about 160 pounds weight, dark hair and beard, prominent mouth and carpenter by trade; his clothing such as usually worn by boatmen; with a linen knapsack,. It is believed he passed through Vincennes on Saturday evening last.

Dec 14, 1819

An old gentleman aged 65 years was married a few days ago in Knox County Indiana  to his sixth wife and he has only married five women. His first wife is his last wife, and she is now in her 45th year . She has been married 3 times and her first husband is her last.

1/22/1855

Illiness of Dr Hubbard Smith

Father of Curtis P Smith is sick at Vincennes, Ind.

Curtis P Smith was called to the bedside of his sick venerable father. Dr. Hubbard Madison Smith who resides in Vincennes, Indiana. Dr Smith is a native of Kentucky, and is now in his eighty seventh year, and is one of the most eminent physicians of the middle states. He met with a serious accident monday. sustaining a fracture of the hip which will probably result fatally. Mr Smith left last night in hopes of reaching his father before the end.     AP   12 12 1907

Vincennes, IN. Sept. 21,1898. A post mortem was held in the body of John Silence, colored, who died yesterday by what was supposed to be blood poisoning, the result of a gunshot wound received in the Monroe County riot, and Drs. Hall & Arnold today reported that his death was due to atrophy of the heart and not pyemia. Prosecutor Goodman was not satisfied with the result and refused to allow the body to be buried and has order Coroner Caney to make a thorough and complete examination of the case. Some startling developments are expected.