Evansville, Indiana
Encyclopedia : E : EV : EVA : Evansville, Indiana
For other places named Evansville see Evansville (disambiguation).
Evansville (IPA: [ˈɛv.ɛnz.ˌvɪl]) is a city located in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,582, and a metropolitan population of 342,815. It is the third largest city in the state of Indiana. The city is the county seat of Vanderburgh County. In 2004 Evansville was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League.[Geographic references#6GR6]
The city is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River and often referred to as "River City." It was commonly referred to as "Stop Light City" before the city's Interstate 164 bypass was constructed. It serves as a regional hub for the Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois tri-state area.
Geography
Evansville is located at 37°58'38" North, 87°33'2" West (37.977166, -87.550566)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.6 km² (40.8 mi²). 105.4 km² (40.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.15% water. The city faces the Ohio River along its southern boundary.
Climate
Evansville has a moderate climate and four distinct seasons. Average temperatures range from 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual rainfall averages 42 inches and annual snowfall averages 13 inches.Demographics
According to the census of 2000, there are 121,582 people and 30,527 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,153.4/km² (2,987.0/mi²). There are 57,065 housing units at an average density of 541.3/km² (1,402.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the Evansville is 86.24% White, 10.92% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.There are 52,273 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% are married couples living together, 13.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 35.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population consists of 22.7% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,963, and the median income for a family is $41,091. Males have a median income of $30,922 compared to $21,776 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,388. 13.7% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Like the rest of Indiana, Evansville has long been noted for its hospitality and generosity. Following the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 the coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency noted, "I don't think I've ever seen a community of people come out so quickly to help each other. All communities come together after a disaster, but this one is exceptional." [link]
Cultural Features
Points of interest
Casino Aztar's entertainment facility includes a 2,700 passenger riverboat casino and a riverfront pavilion that houses pre-boarding facilities, retail shops, restaurants, and lounge area. An enclosed walkway links the pavilion to a 250 room hotel.
Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo opened in 1928. Set on a spacious 50-acre park, the zoo features over 500 animals roaming freely in natural habitats surrounded by exotic plants, wildflowers, and trees.
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is nationally recognized as one of the best preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the United States. From 1100 to 1450 A. D., a town on this site was home to people of the Middle Mississippian culture. Several thousand people lived in this town protected by a stockade made of wattle and daub. Because Angel Mounds was a chiefdom (the home of the chief) it was the regional center of a large community that grew outward from it for many miles. It is one of 16 state museums and historic sites in Indiana.
Bosse Field opened in 1915 and is the third oldest baseball stadium in the United States (the second and first being Chicago's Wrigley Field which opened in 1914 and Boston's Fenway Park which opened in 1912). Game scenes in A League Of Their Own were filmed at Bosse Field.
Festivals
Each July the city plays host to the [Evansville Freedom Festival]. It includes the "Thunder on the Ohio" hydroplane races, a firework extravaganza over the Ohio River, and more. The United States Navy's Blue Angels have also been a big crowd pleaser in recent years.
The Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair takes place in July at the 4-H fairgrounds and is the largest county fair in southern Indiana.
In the last weekend of August the popular Frog Follies takes place, when over 4,000 street rods converge on the Vanderburgh County 4-H fairgrounds just north of the city.
Arts & Museums
The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra (EPO) is the largest arts institution in the tri-state area. Founded in 1934, The EPO is a professional orchestra comprised of approximately 80 musicians led by Music Director Alfred Savia. Each year, the EPO presents a seven-concert classics series, 4 double pops performances, 2 Casual Classics Series concerts and special event concerts, as well as numerous educational and outreach performances.The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science is home to one of southern Indiana's most established and significant cultural centers. It holds the Koch Planetarium, the oldest in Indiana. Also on the campus is The Evansville Museum Transportation Center, which features transportation in southern Indiana from the latter part of the Nineteenth Century through the mid-Twentieth Century.
The Reitz Home Museum is Evansville's only Victorian House Museum. It is noted as one of the country's finest examples of Second French Empire architecture. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
During World War II Evansville produced 167 LSTs (and 35 other craft), making it the largest inland producer of LSTs in the nation. In October, 2005 USS LST 325 was moved to an Evansville dock and turned into a museum. It is the last navigable LST in operation today.
Sports
Although high school athletics are a constant source of local patronage, the University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana regularly draw thousands of spectators to NCAA Division I and Division II sporting events. University of Evansville plays at Roberts Municipal Stadium. University of Southern Indiana plays at the USI PAC.The city has had an indoor football team since the 2002-03 season called the BlueCats which also plays at Roberts Stadium, and, since 1995, a baseball team called the Evansville Otters which plays in the Frontier League at Bosse Field.
Evansville also offers modern sports facilities for both soccer and ice skating events. The Goebel Soccer Complex is a $3.4 million project that opened in the spring of 2004 on 70 acres of land and features nine Olympic-size irrigated Bermuda grass fields and one Olympic-size AstroPlay turf field. Swonder Ice Rink is a $12.5 million double-rink facility that opened in the fall of 2002 and features a fitness center, a skate park, and party rooms.
Parks
The city oversees the operation of 65 parks and 21 special facilities encompassing more than 2,300 acres of land in the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Among these are three popular 18-hole public golf courses and one 9-hole golf course.Located on nearly 200 acres of rolling hills in western Vanderburgh County, Burdette Park features an aquatic center with water slides, three pools, and a snack bar. It also offers a BMX racing track, batting cages, softball diamonds, miniature golf, tennis courts, and locations for fishing.
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve is a National Natural Landmark with nearly 200 acres of virgin bottomland hardwood forest. It is the largest tract of virgin forest located inside any city limits within the United States. The Nature Center features exhibits, events, wildlife observation areas, meeting rooms, library, and gift shop.
Law & Government
The Mayor of Evansville, Jonathan Weinzapfel, serves as the chief executive officer and a nine-member elected City Council is the legislative branch of city government. The City of Evansville is the county seat for Vanderburgh County. In recent years there has been a considerable push to unify the Evansville city and Vanderburgh county governments. [link] The current proposal calls for a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who would be appointed by the mayor; and a 15 member Metro Council composed of three at-large members and 12 members elected by the public. The proposal will be a referendom on the general election ballots in either the 2007 city elections or the 2008 county elections.
Vanderburgh County's delegation to the Indiana State House of Representatives is comprised of four representatives: Dennis Avery (District 75), Trent van Haaften (District 76), Phil Hoy (District 77), and Suzanne Crouch (District 78). Evansville and Vanderburgh County are represented by two state senators. In general, the southern third of the county and Armstrong Township are part of District 49, currently held by Larry Lutz. The county's west side is also in District 49. Most of the county is in District 50, which extends to the east, by a seat held by Vaneta Becker.
The region is located in the 8th District of Indiana ([map]) and served by U.S. Representative John Hostettler.
Education
K-12
The city and county are divided into a nationally recognized public school system of 20 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, and five public high schools. In addition there are two Catholic high schools, one private, and a charter school. Signature School was listed as the 54th best high school in the nation on Newsweek's Top 100 High School list. It was the only school in Indiana to break the top 100.
| High schools | Type | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| North High School | Public | 1,515 |
| William Henry Harrison High School | Public | 1,455 |
| FJ Reitz High School | Public | 1,352 |
| Central High School | Public | 1,347 |
| Benjamin Bosse High School | Public | 873 |
| Reitz Memorial High School | Catholic | 864 |
| Mater Dei High School | Catholic | 638 |
| Signature School* | Charter | 273 |
| Evansville Day School** | Private | 101 |
Higher Education
The city is home to two major universities, the University of Southern Indiana (USI) and the University of Evansville. The Indiana University School of Medicine also has a presence in the city with the [Evansville Center for Medical Education] located on the campus of USI. Other campuses in the city include Ivy Tech Community College, [ITT Tech], and [Oakland City University School of Adult and Extended Learning]. Located nearby, just north of the city, is the main campus of [Oakland City University].Transportation
Immediate access to all major forms of transportation makes Evansville an important factor in Indiana's global economy. The city boasts an excellent road, rail, water, and air transportation system.It is bounded on the north by Interstate 64, extending west to St. Louis, Missouri and east to Louisville, Kentucky. Interstate 164 provides a convenient link from Interstate 64 to the city's thriving eastside retail district and a direct route to the downtown business district. Interstate 69 will soon be extended to Evansville, creating a new international trade corridor from Canada to the Rio Grande Valley. Engineering design began in 1997 and construction schedules are currently being finalized.
The Evansville Regional Airport, housed in a 140,000 sq. ft. terminal, offers over 50 flights a day to destinations around the country. A complimentary shuttle service is offered from the airport to major hotels. The Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS) provides bus transportation to all sections of the city.
Business & Employment
Evansville is the regional center for a large trade area in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The broad economic base of the region have helped to build an economy which is known for its stability, diversity, and vitality. Major industries today include manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, retailing, health care, and finance and business services.Corporate headquarters include Accuride, Atlas Van Lines, Berry Plastics, Old National Bank, Shoe Carnival, and Vectren. The city is also home to American General Finance, a division of AIG, and Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Major manufacturing operations in and around the city include AK Steel, Alcoa, GE Plastics, Toyota, and Whirlpool Corporation.
The City of Evansville offers a unique pro-business tax structure for companies locating inside the Evansville Urban Enterprise Zone. Established in 1983 as one of only six enterprise zones in the State of Indiana, the 2.1 square mile Evansville Urban Enterprise Zone offers inventory tax credits and other tax credits to eligible businesses.
Media
The only daily newspaper is the Evansville Courier & Press, which is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company. The newspaper also publishes the monthly Evansville Business Journal for the region and owns the paper in neighboring Henderson, Kentucky. [Evansville Living], a bi-monthly city magazine published by the Tucker Publishing Group, showcases the people, businesses, and community. Other publications include News4U, a free monthly entertainment magazine, and Our Times, a monthly newspaper aimed at the African-American community.The city has 32 radio stations that include adult contemporary, big band, classical, jazz, rock, country, oldies, and easy listening formats. The University of Evansville's WUEV FM is a non-commercial station that plays a variety of alternative, classical, and jazz music.
Evansville is the 100th-largest television market in the United States according to Nielsen Media Research. The local broadcast television stations are:
- WEHT ABC Channel 25
- WEVV CBS Channel 44
- WTVW FOX Channel 7
- WFIE NBC Channel 14
- WTSN UPN Channel 63
- WNIN PBS Channel 9
- WAZE WB Channel 19
History
Settled by pioneer immigrants some 200 years ago, the city of Evansville is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River. The first cabin built in Evansville was built in 1809, home of George Miller. As testament to the Ohio's grandeur, the early French explorers named it La Belle Riviere ("The Beautiful River"). Before the pioneers, Evansville was home first to an ancient community of Native Americans called the Mississippians. Evansville was laid out in 1817, and was named in honor of Robert Morgan Evans (1783-1844), one of its founders, who was an officer under then General William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812.
It soon became a thriving commercial town, with an extensive river trade, was incorporated in 1819, and received a city charter in 1847. The completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, greatly accelerated the city's growth. Evansville's first railroad company, Evansville & Crawfordsville Railroad, was built in 1850. By the U.S. census of 1890 Evansville ranked as the 56th largest urban area in the United States. A rank it gradually fell from in the early 1900's. [link]The first bridge to cross the Ohio River and connect Evansville with Henderson, Kentucky was built in 1932. After the devastating Ohio River Flood of 1937, the city established the Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District which built a system of earth levees, concrete walls, and pumping stations designed to protect the city.
During World War II, Evansville was the largest inland producer of LSTs (Tank Landing Ships). Evansville also produced a specific line of the P-47 thunderbolt known as the P-47Ds. The type of plane was also produced in Farmingdale on Long Island, New York. The Evansville craft were given the suffix "-Ra" while the Farmingdale were given the suffix "-Re". Evansville produced a total 110 P-47s and 167 LSTs during the war.
In the early 1950s, industrial production in the city expanded at a rapid pace. Culturally, Evansville also evolved in the 1950s with the construction of subdivisions on the outer reaches of the community. This shift in population led to other developments as shopping started to shift from the downtown area into suburban shopping centers.
During the final third of the 20th century, the transition was made to a commercial, medical, and service hub for the entire tri-state region. A 1990s economic spurt was fueled by the growth of the University of Southern Indiana, which now has 10,000 students, and the arrival of giant Toyota and AK Steel plants as well as Casino Aztar, Indiana's first gaming boat.
On November 6, 2005, the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 caused 24 deaths in Evansville.
Famous People from Evansville
- Chic Anderson, sportscaster
- Alan Benes, baseball player
- Andy Benes, baseball player
- Budd Boetticher, director of western movies and Ohio State University football star
- Avery Brooks, actor, best known for ' and '
- Jamey Carroll, baseball player
- Rudy Charles, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling senior referee
- Calbert Cheaney, NBA basketball player
- Deke Cooper, NFL football player
- Elbert Frank Cox, mathematician
- Neal Doughty, keyboard player, REO Speedwagon
- George W. Edmunds, founder of Kappa Alpha Psi
- Bob Ford, basketball player
- Ron Glass, actor, best known for Barney Miller and Firefly
- Bob Griese, National Football League All-Star, All-Pro, Hall of Famer
- Roy Halston Frowick, fashion designer
- Bob Hamilton, professional golfer and winner of the 1944 PGA Championship
- Lee Hamilton, former U.S. Congressman
- Kevin Hardy, football player
- Steven Hostetler
- Louis J. Koch, creator of Holiday World
- Don Mattingly, baseball player
- Walter McCarty, NBA basketball player
- Arad McCutchan, basketball coach
- Michael Michele, actress, best known for ER
- Marilyn Miller, stage and screen actress of the 1920s and 30s
- Molly Newman, playwright and television producer
- Robert D. Orr, former governor of Indiana
- Paul Osborn, playwright, including screenplay for East of Eden
- Paul Splittorff, baseball player
- John Roach Straton, minister
- Michael Rosenbaum, actor Smallville
- Ray Ryan, gambler, an oilman, a promoter, and a developer
- Ruth Siems, Stove Top Stuffing creator
- Larry Stallings, NFL linebacker
- Scott Studwell, NFL linebacker
- Lynn Townsend, former CEO of Chrysler Corporation
- Geno Washington, soul singer
- Henry Babcock Veatch, philosopher and writer
- Matt Williams, producer of The Cosby Show, Home Improvement, and Roseanne
Trivia
- The first Sears department store was opened on October 5, 1925 in Evansville.
- The Evansville Crimson Giants were a National Football League team from 1921-1922.
- The MLB Triple A Evansville Triplets played in Evansville from 1970-1984.
- The city is a popular test market. Procter & Gamble seleted the city as a test market for Pringles and Tide. McDonalds also test marketed pizza and the McDonald's Diner in Evansville.
- The national headquarters of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is located in Evansville.
- Two ships have been named after Evansville, including the Tacoma-class ship, USS Evansville (PF-70), and the USS Evansville (2296).
- Game scenes in A League Of Their Own were filmed at Bosse Field.
- Bosse Field is the third oldest baseball stadium still in use in the United States (behind Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago).
- All exterior shots on the show Roseanne are still pictures taken from in and around Evansville. The house on the show is on Runnymeade Avenue and the Lobo Lounge is the exterior of Fred's Bar on Reed & Virginia.
- Washington Square Mall was the first enclosed mall in the state of Indiana.
- The monkey boat at Mesker Park Zoo was mentioned in Vladimir Nabokov's book, Lolita.
- Fashion designer and frequent Studio 54 attendee, Halston, whose real name is Roy Halston Frowick, graduated from Benjamin Bosse High School.
- The Daily Show featured the city and past mayor, Russ Lloyd, Jr., on one episode. The episode poked fun at Lloyd Jr. for skipping out on city meeting to attend Cher's Farewell Tour concert being performed on the same night.
- Evansville is home to one of Indiana's two IMAX theaters.
See also
External links
- [Official City Government Website]
- [Evansville Convention & Visitor's Bureau]
- [Evansville's museum]
- [Evansville BlueCats]
- [Evansville Otters]
- [Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library]
- [Frog Follies]
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