The history of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Vincennes began in 1876 (another source indicates it was as early as 1867) when the organization was first founded in the city, housed in an existing building on the southwest corner of Second and Busseron Streets. For various re…

Are you already discouraged even to try to garden? Please don’t stop reading yet. If you feel like the gardening messages you see and hear are not for you because of your current limitations, I know how you feel. When you are in the right mood it’s fun to look at beautiful pictures of elabor…

Arborvitae can serve a nice role in many landscapes as a screen or windbreak.

I first wrote about today’s topic, President Warren Harding’s brief 1923 stop in Vincennes, back in 2010. In fact, I even used that column in my book “Hidden History of Vincennes & Knox County.” The reason I chose to revisit the subject now, is principally so that I could share the accom…

The Vincennes Public Library was established on second floor of City Hall on April 18, 1889. Thirty years later on April 15, 1919, the Carnegie Library was dedicated. This year we’re celebrating the 103rd birthday of the Carnegie library building.

In the beginning years of the 20th century, blacksmiths, harness-makers, carriage makers, and others who made their living crafting items to be used with the horse, still one of the chief means of transportation, had to gradually adapt to the coming of the automobile. One of these men locall…

Years ago, I read the book entitled “One Well: The Story of Water on Earth” by Rochelle Strauss. Strauss shared facts and figures of how much of the Earth’s water was drinkable (1/10) and how many people still didn’t have access to clean water or water at all. She made mention of the Ryan’s …

When I think back on my favorite parts of childhood, summertime is highlighted with a ray of sunshine.

There have been many lumber businesses in Vincennes over the years. One of the pioneer lumberyards was owned by M. A. Bosworth and operated in the city for nearly four decades, supplying lumber and other materials that went into the building of many structures in the city in the late 19th an…

It’s time to start another summer reading program. This year’s theme is Oceans of Possibilities. Registration began on May 27. This year you can sign up on the computer from home or through the “Beanstack” application. You need to go to kcpl.beanstack.com and register as a single person or a…

Bill and Vicki Dunn

While it is likely that most local people have never heard of the sculptor Raoul Josset, hundreds of Indiana and Illinois drivers pass by two of his major works every day. It was Josset who carved the pylons featuring Native Americans that flank the Indiana approach to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries all across the country stepped in to fill the gap created by the closing of government agencies. Library staff scrambled to help people navigate an online environment. Some of those people had never needed to use computers for every day needs. We learn…

May 21, 1936, was a landmark date in Vincennes history.

FamilySearch.org has the largest online family tree in the world, with information on more than 1.2 billion ancestors. It offers a free family tree template, featuring multiple tree and fan chart views, timeline, mapping tools, record hints, research helps, and access to billions of online records.

Doing the right thing may not be the easiest route to take. We all have been in that position at some point in our lives. There are those who continually embrace the difficult challenges to do the right thing and to help others. For those people, giving up is not an option. To those special …

Ed and Deanna Brian will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 20.

Early on the afternoon of Saturday, May 16, 1936, a group of Vincennes people were assembled at Union Depot, preparing to board the Baltimore & Ohio’s National Limited. The principal destination of the delegation was Quincy, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, to attend the launching of t…

After 56 years at its Third and Busseron streets location, Old National Bank will open at its new building at Sixth and Vigo streets next week. It was in 1966, that what was then the Security Bank and Trust Company moved from Main Street to its then brand-new building at 20 N. Third Street.

While it is difficult for us to envision today, E. Bierhaus & Sons Wholesale Grocers once had a large, elaborate warehouse in downtown Vincennes. The building stood on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, where Pioneer Oil Company now has their office building.

When I worked at the library I was constantly amazed at Dean’s enticing book displays, all so interesting and exciting. However, the one I found the most tantalizing was the beach display. This often followed the dead of winter. Now, no one knows the true meaning of “dead of winter” better t…

In 1896, increased enrollment in the Vincennes public schools led the Board of School Trustees to begin planning for construction of a new high school. At that time, Vincennes High School students attended the Central School, built in 1860, that stood on Buntin Street about where Adams Colis…

Earlier this month, PBS aired “Benjamin Franklin,” the latest documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns. The two-night, four-hour event profiled the man who author Walter Isaacson has called “the most approachable” of the Founding Fathers, meaning he comes across as less a remote figure c…

When Easter 1933 was celebrated, two big local events were focused on children.

“Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life” by Sutton Foster caught my eye as I was browsing the book stacks at the library last month.