1784 |
Northwest Territory was established
April
23, 1784 |
| 1784 |
The Northwest Territory Ordinance April 23,
1784 |
| 1789 |
John Severns locates 1 mile northeast of Princeton he was the first white settler in the area. |
| 1800 |
July 4, The Indiana Territory was created |
| 1804 |
March 26, Land office opened in Vincennes, IN Treaty with the Indians
and they ceded the area |
| 1810 |
The Battle of Tippecanoe |
| 1810 |
Three forts established Fort Branch, Fort Hopkins (near Archer
Cemetery) Stockade at William Harrington's (west of Princeton) 1811 |
| 1811 |
A Fort was constructed just north of were Ft. Branch sits
today |
| 1812 |
War of 1812 |
| 1813 |
Territorial Capital moved from Vincennes to Corydon. |
| 1813 |
Patoka Township organized at William
Harrington's. |
| 1814 |
"Black Plague" kills many Patoka citizens (which would
have become the County seat) |
| 1814 |
February 14 the first commissioners locate the county seat and named the town Prince town by drawing names, the town could have been named after any of the commissioners in attendance that day. |
| 1814 |
(March 28) Princeton was platted by Robert Evans |
| 1814 |
Contract for the construction of the first Courthouse was let. |
| 1814 |
First Store locates in Princeton |
| 1814 |
Tornado hit Halls Hill in June |
| 1814 |
(June 19) First Courthouse was dedicated |
| 1816 |
The First Princeton Post Office was established March 3, 1816 |
| 1816 |
Indiana becomes a State |
| 1818 |
Princeton was incorporated as a town and for the next
sixty plus years was governed mostly by a board of trustees. |
| 1818 |
A lot on east State St. was deeded to the county for use as a school. |
| ?? |
Evansville to Terre Haute stage line was established. Not sure of the date. |
| 1821 |
(June 9) A Dinner was held for Governor General William Henry Harrison at Browns Tavern located at 101 S Hart. The tavern burned about 1830. |
| 1822 |
Providence Church was built, it is now the
oldest church in Gibson County |
| 1824 |
Death of William Prince. |
| 1825 |
Log Inn and Stagecoach Stop was constructed
and is still a restaurant today |
| 1827 |
First sketch of the Courthouse Square drawn by French artist Alexander Lesure while on an overnight stay in Princeton |
| 1827 |
Abraham Lincoln stayed overnight in Princeton |
| 1827 |
Wabash and Erie Canal was constructed |
| 1839 |
Tornado hits north of Princeton near Patoka
in the spring of 1839 |
| 1843 |
The Second Courthouse to be built on the square was constructed of brick at a cost of $9,000 to the taxpayers. |
| 1846 |
First newspaper - Democratic Clarion August 13, |
| 1852 |
The scourge of Asiatic cholera struck Gibson County in 1852 and
claimed more than eighty people and in 1873 sixteen more were claimed by cholera. |
| 1852 |
The Evansville and Terre Haute railroad was completed - residents gather at the Legion to view the first locomotive |
| 1852 |
May 30, First Train Arrives in Princeton |
| 1852 |
The first fair was held around the Courthouse Square on November 11 |
| 1853 |
October 4th was the second fair and there was no fair in 1854 1855 |
| 1857 |
Fairgrounds were purchased |
| 1857 |
Tornado near the Erie Canal reservoir in
November |
| 1861 |
Beginning of the Civil War 2200 soldiers from Gibson County fought (500 died) |
| 1861 |
In October Camp Gibson was established at the fairgrounds |
| 1861 |
58th, 65th and
the 80th REGIMENT INFANTRY Organized at Princeton and Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 1861 |
From the Journal of James Alexander Sprowl |
| 1865 |
July 4th the 58th Regiment monument was dedicated, the 1st monument in the State of Indiana here in Princeton |
| 1865 |
In March of this year the schools were closed due to the lack of money. The tax for education was raised from ten cents to sixteen cents on all taxable property. |
| 1866 |
A new gymnasium was built. |
| 1867 |
Tornado hits Princeton |
| 1871 |
Irving School was built on "Seminary Hill" at a cost of $40,000. |
| 1872 |
The Gibson County Brick and Tile Works was located in the southern part of the town and employed twenty-five men. Dr. W. G. Kidd was the owner. |
| 1873 |
1873 sixteen more in Princeton were claimed by
cholera. |
| 1874 |
A School for African Americans was built on North Race. |
| 1875 |
Princeton Depot was built |
| 1876 |
Tornado rips though Princeton; the top story of Irving School House was destroyed
in February |
| 1881 |
The Princeton Library Association was formed in August |
| 1883 |
New Courthouse contract was let. |
| 1884 |
Princeton was incorporated as a City with a population below
10,500. Princeton was classified as a fifth class city. John W. Ewing was
elected, as the first mayor. |
| 1884 |
Cornerstone of the third Courthouse was laid |
| 1885 |
Oakland City College was founded |
| 1886 |
The first Labor Day Celebration |
| 1887 |
Wheeling Covered Bridge was built |
| 1890 |
Tornado west of Princeton in March |
| 1898 |
The fire department responded to ten calls with a total property loss of $82.50. |
| 1899 |
The largest industry in Gibson County was thought to be the
coal mine operated by the Princeton Coal and Mining Company. The mining company
employed 150 men. |
| 1891 |
Princeton Water and Lighting Company was granted a franchise. |
| 1891 |
The Princeton Fire Department consisted of one horse drawn wagon and eight men and the town had three and one-quarter miles of paving in the city. |
| 1893 |
Princeton Power and Light co. was founded by private investors. |
| 1893 |
Great fire of 1893 (July 12) consumed all the buildings on north and west side of the square. |
| 1894 |
A privately owned Water Works was Constructed. |
| 1894 |
Princeton was chosen as the sight of the Southern Railroad shops and construction begins |
| 1894 |
South Side School (Franklin) erected |
| 1895 |
Catholic Church moves to its current location on South Race St |
| 1899 |
Clock installed in Courthouse. 1900 - Population of Princeton 6,041 |
| 1901 |
Strong Storms in March |
| 1903 |
Lincoln School named after improvements are made to Race
Street Colored School |
| 1903 |
The Evansville and Princeton traction Line was completed and extended north to Patoka. |
| 1903 |
Land for the new Library was purchased |
| 1905 |
In the spring of 1905 the Princeton Library opened. |
| 1907 |
Old hospital opened on West State Street. This building is being used today as office space. |
| 1907 |
J.W. Hansen began clock manufacturing in the back room of his jewelry
store |
| 1910 |
Population of Princeton 6,448 |
| 1911 |
First Brick Laid
on South Main Street April 11, 1911 |
| 1912 |
On November 11th the Gibson County Soldier's Monument on the southeast side on the square was dedicated to the 500 soldiers' that gave their life in the Civil War. |
| 1913 |
The new High School on East State was completed. |
| 1913 |
May 13, Princeton Police Officer
Harrison Hitch was Killed in the line of duty. |
| 1913 |
Post Office at the corner of Broadway and Prince St. was constructed at a cost of $49,500. |
| 1914 |
The first Princeton High School Basketball Team was
organized on March 18, 1925 |
| 1919 |
Severe outbreak of influenza (people in
Gibson County were dying daily) |
| 1919 |
Mayor Ernest E. Noble dies in office (He
died from
influenza) |
| 1920 |
Tornado west of Princeton in March |
|
1925 |
One of the worst Tornado's in history struck Princeton and the Tri-State area.
Photo Gallery |
| 1927 |
Ex-Mayor Charles Niemeier was charged and pleaded guilty
to embezzling from the city, he was sentenced to five years in jail
and years later died at the poor farm |
| 1928 |
The Armory was dedication in 1928 and is now being used as a
Boys Center. |
| 1946 |
Princeton theater on W. State St. is consumed by fire |
| 1948 |
New Princeton theater was rebuilt at present location on West Broadway. |
| 1950 |
Mayor Walter G. Cox died in office |
| 1955 |
Winklers drive-in opened. It was the hot spot for teens in the fifty's, sixty's and seventy's. |
| 1955 |
The public swimming pool was built |
| 1955 |
Gibson Co. Fair Centennial celebration was held |
| 1956 |
Leslie Irvin Trial "killed six
Tri-State people" |
| 1959 |
Aug 12, Linda Ann Smith became the first
Gibson County Fair Queen |
| 1964 |
Princeton Sesquicentennial celebration |
| 1965 |
The first ever Princeton High School basketball team reaches Final Four of the high school state championships. Back in those days all schools irregardless of size played in
one class. |
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| 1977 |
"The Blizzard of 1977" and the Manhattan Tavern burned |
| 1978 |
"The Blizzard 1978" Princeton was under an emergency curfew for two or three days, everything was closed and only emergency vehicles were allowed on the streets. |
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| 1983 |
Boys Basketball Team makes it to the Final Four |
| |
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| 1996 |
Girls Basketball Team makes the Final Four |
| 2000 |
Shirley Robb was the first female to be elected
Mayor of
the City of Princeton |
| 2005 |
Snow storm of 2005 |
| 2005 |
Flood of 2005 |
| 2005 |
Mayor Shirley Robb died in
office Tuesday 2/1/05 |
| 2005 |
The Gibson County Fair
celebrated it's 150th fair July 8th - 16th |
| 2014 |
Feb 14, Princeton will
celebrate it's 200th birthday |
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