Mexico Missouri message., 1912-08-01
FROM HoosIERDoM.
A Mexico Girls Visit-Tells Of
Past and Present-Farm
Conditions.

store OF history lnNOlNlng three |
great nations, France, England,
and the United States, is the inter
sting background of one of the
oldest towns on the continent,
Indiana. Taken thru
it's round of vicissitudes, from the
time of its beginning as a Jesuit
Mission and French Trading Post,
this famous old town furnishes a
wealth of material for historians
and writers of romance, and as
long as American people hold dear
those perilous days in which our
independence was won, the events
surrounding Nincennes will never
die. As a visitor / cannot help but
recall some of these events, i'm
mortalized in "Alice of Old Vim
cenncs" and "The Crossing" and
made doubly interesting now to
me because | am seeing every
day some place formerly the
scene of warlike activity.
1t was perhaps as early as 1902
that the fearless French Mis-
sionary saw the need and advan-
tage of a post at this site, as it
would serve as connection with
their missions in Canada and the
South. A settlement was made a
few years later (1732) when F.
Morgan de Nincennes arrived who
claimed this territory for the
French government, which was
held until 1863 when Canada
and the Northwest Territory were
coded to England. 1t thereupon
became a bone of contention be
tween Great Britain and the
American Colonies, having its cul-
minatiOn in 1879 when, thru the
skill of George Rodgers Clark, il
went under the control of Vir.
ginia.
After the British had gained
this Northwest territory, young
Clark was seized with a desire Il
reclaim the lost country. He dul!
presented the matter before tn
authorities and was provided will
men and money to materialize hi
plan. The first march was upol
| Kaskaskia where in fifteen min
utes this dashing young genera
had every street secured and b.
daylight the town disarmed. B,
level-headed strategy Vincenne
was secured almost as easily.
The stars and stripes foatet
over the fort which was thereafte
called Fort Patrick Henry. TIL
sight of the fort on a high blut
overlooking the Wabash is ideal
: In 1888 the United States an
| Great Britain were at peace. TIL
following year Virginia ceded tn
conquered territory to the Unite
States.
! In 1900 the Territory of Indian
was organized under the name c
Knox county, so named in hone
> OF John Knox. General Villa
' Henry Harrison, as the Goycrno
of the Territory, came TO Vn
. Cennes, the capitol. His mansio
is still standing and in a fair stat
of preservation. 1t is an interes
70 ingstructure with its twenty-five
spacious rooms. The basemen
with its brick floors and big fir,
= places, contained the servants
quarters, a wine cellar, a schoo
" room, and a magazine. 1t was hei
y that the family stayed in times {
. danger. From a hole in the foo
tunnel, supposedly leading {
1 the Wabash river a short distanC
| away, was secret means of e
cape. a visit to the upstairs an
| then to the attic reveals the mod
of pinning the rafters wit
wooden pins-nO nails in ii
house. The lathes were split b
hand and filed with mud and no
hair. The main material is bricl
it being the first brick house
Indiana. Doubly interesting al
L 4. l.