Hidden History Of Vincennes Knox County

The Battle of Fort Sackville appears in every history of Vincennes and Knox County, yet so much more defines this area. Everyone is familiar with George Rogers Clark, but few know about ordinary but accomplished figures like diplomat Hubbard Taylor Smith and Civil War veteran Joseph Roseman. The Stibbins murder of 1911 and other long-forgotten crimes once shocked the county, and visits by politicians and entertainers, including Buffalo Bill Cody, enthralled residents before quickly slipping from memory. Weather made history, too, such as the destructive hailstorm that pounded northern Knox County in 1907. With the help of rare photographs, local historian and Sun-Commercial columnist Brian Spangle brings to life these stories and more.

The closures of local stores, factories, schools, and movie theatres over the decades have left residents of Vincennes with only memories of what once was. Many fondly recall working at the Brown Shoe Factory, shopping at Gimbel-Bond, watching the latest movie at the Pantheon, or enjoying the rides at Uncle John's Kiddieland. Some significant buildings, such as the Pantheon, have survived and are now used for other purposes, but others have been razed, or otherwise destroyed, and disappeared with hardly a trace except for perhaps a historical marker. Collecting more than seventy period images, Sun-Commercial columnist Brian Spangle tells the story of these once thriving Vincennes landmarks that long ago passed from the scene.

History of Knox County.