page_title: Terre Haute, Indiana
section_title: History and economy
hierarchical_section_title: Terre Haute, Indiana / History and economy
caption_attribution_description: English: Downtown Terre Haute, taken from the roof of the Sycamore Building in downtown Terre Haute in July '06. --Simon Dodd 00:19, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
context_page_description: Terre Haute is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943.
  Located along the Wabash River, Terre Haute is the capital of the Wabash Valley. The city is home to several higher education institutions, including Indiana State University, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.
context_section_description: Terre Haute's name was derived from the French phrase terre haute (pronounced [tɛʁ ot] in French), meaning "Highland." It was named by French explorers and fur trappers to the area in the early 18th century to describe the unique location above the Wabash River (see French colonization of the Americas). At the time the area was claimed by the French and British, these highlands were considered the border between Canada and Louisiana.
  The construction of Fort Harrison in 1811 marked the known beginning of a permanent population of European-Americans. A Wea Indian village already existed near the fort, and the orchards and meadows they kept a few miles south of the fort became the site of the present-day city. (Terre Haute's currently affiliated Order of the Arrow lodge of the Boy Scouts of America is named after the last leader of the Wea village, Jacco Godfroy.) The village of Terre Haute, then a part of Knox County, Indiana, was platted in 1816.
  Terre Haute became the county seat of newly formed Vigo County in 1818, leading to increased population growth. The village's 1,000 residents voted to incorporate in 1832; the village was elevated to city status in 1853.
  Early Terre Haute was a center of farming, milling, and pork processing. However, the business and industrial expansion of the city prior to 1860 developed largely thanks to transportation. The Wabash River, the building of the National Road (now US 40) and the Wabash and Erie Canal linked Terre Haute to the world and broadened the city's range of influence. The economy was based on iron and steel mills, hominy plants and, late in the 19th century, distilleries, breweries and bottle makers. Coal mines and coal operating companies developed to support the railroads, yet agriculture remained predominant, largely due to the role of corn in making alcoholic beverages and food items.
  With steady growth and development in the later part of the 19th century, the vibrant neighborhoods of the city benefited from improved fire protection, the founding of two hospitals, dozens of churches and a number of outlets for amusement. Terre Haute's position as an educational hub was fostered as several institutions of higher education were established. The city developed a reputation for its arts and entertainment offerings. Grand opera houses were built that hosted hundreds of operas and theatrical performances. It became a stop on the popular vaudeville circuit. The development of the streetcar system and later the electric-powered trolleys in the 1890s made it possible for residents to travel with ease to baseball games, picnics, river excursions, amusement parks, and even horse racing. The famous "Four-Cornered" Racetrack, now the site of Memorial Stadium, was laid out in 1886 and drew the best of the country's trotters and drivers.
  On the evening of Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913, a major tornado struck Terre Haute at approximately 9:45 p.m., demolishing more than 300 homes, killing 21 people and injuring 250. Damage to local businesses and industries was estimated at $1 million to $2 million (in 1913 dollars). Up to that time it was the deadliest tornado to hit Indiana. Heavy rains followed the tornado, causing the Wabash River to rise. By midday on Tuesday, March 25, West Terre Haute (Taylorville) was three-quarters submerged.
  On Saturday June 16, 1923, and through to the following dawn, the largest Ku Klux Klan rally ever held in Indiana took place in Forest Park, five miles north of Terre Haute. A special train of eight coaches brought Klan members from Indianapolis, another came from Evansville and Vincennes, and another brought 1,000 Klansmen from Muncie. It was reported that Klansmen from throughout Indiana and many surrounding states attended, with an estimated crowd of 75,000. Proceeds from the rally were used to build a $100,000 Klan home just north of Terre Haute. At 9:00 p.m. 5,000 robed Klansmen paraded through the city. On their return to the park six 30-foot (9.1 m) tall crosses were burned. Fifteen hundred candidates were initiated into the Klan and 500 women j
caption: Downtown Terre Haute
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