New Digital Tour Explores History of Terre Haute – Discover Indiana Project Partners with Vigo County Historical Museum

New Digital Tour Explores History of Terre Haute – Discover Indiana Project Partners with Vigo County Historical Museum

In partnership with Vigo County Historical Museum, the Discover Indiana project is delighted to announce the release of interpretive stories about the history and people of Terre Haute on the web at https://publichistory.iupui.edu/tours/show/61. Made possible by a Digital Public Projects Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Vigo County Historical Museum developed a digital tour highlighting the rich history of Terre Haute.

French explorers named the area Terre Haute, meaning “Highland”, which describes its geological location above the river. It was the home of the peaceful Wea Native American tribe, which was later forced to relocate to Missouri and Arkansas in 1820. They found the rich soil perfect for planting and the river offered a plentiful supply of fish and water. This abundant region also caught the attention of William Henry Harrison, who was commissioned to build a fort overlooking the Wabash River. The stockade was critical in the War of 1812. The village of Terre Haute became the County seat of Vigo County in 1818, and was declared an official city in 1853. An expanding population led to growth in business, as well as industry. Terre Haute was an epicenter for prosperity and entrepreneurship. Topics discussed in this tour include National Road, the first interstate highway; Indiana State University’s beginnings as the Indiana State Normal School; and the invention of the Coca-Cola contour bottle.

“We are so pleased to welcome Vigo County Historical Museum to the Discover Indiana project. Suzy Quick has done extraordinary work in developing their tours,” said Dr. Rebecca Shrum, who leads the Discover Indiana project. “They join thirty-six other tours featuring history from around the state of Indiana that highlight our remarkable and unique local history.”

Discover Indiana is a project of the Public History Program at IUPUI, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, and the Indiana Historical Society. It uses the Omeka+Curatescape platform to distribute interpretive stories about the history, architecture, culture, and people of the state of Indiana on the web.

“Whether you are doing so from the comfort of your couch at home or as you stand outside a building viewing the tour on your cell phone, digital tours are a great way to extend knowledge to the public about the history and experiences of the county,” said Dr. Jennifer Guiliano, who contributes to the Discover Indiana project. “These types of tours can spur individuals to come visit these sites and learn about the people who lived here before us.”

For more information on, or to partner with, the Discover Indiana project, please visit discoverin.org.