Vincennes, Indiana | ||
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City | ||
Vincennes' most recognizable landmark,
The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Rotunda |
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Location in the state of Indiana |
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Coordinates: 38°40′42″N 87°30′58″W / 38.67833°N 87.51611°WCoordinates: 38°40′42″N 87°30′58″W / 38.67833°N 87.51611°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Indiana | |
County | Knox | |
Township | Vincennes | |
Named for | François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Joe Yochum (D) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 7.48 sq mi (19.37 km2) | |
• Land | 7.41 sq mi (19.19 km2) | |
• Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2) 0.94% | |
Elevation | 420 ft (128 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 18,423 | |
• Estimate (2012) | 18,239 | |
• Density | 2,486.2/sq mi (959.9/km2) | |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
ZIP code | 47591 | |
Area code(s) | 812 & 930 | |
FIPS code | 18-79208 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0445300 | |
Website | www.vincennes.org |
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur traders, notably, François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes for whom the Fort was named, Vincennes is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in Indiana and one of the oldest settlements west of the Appalachians.
According to the 2010 census, its population was 18,423, a decrease of 1.5% from 18,701 in 2000.
The vicinity of Vincennes was inhabited for thousands of years by different cultures of indigenous peoples. During the Late Woodland period, some of these peoples used local loess hills as burial sites; some of the more prominent examples are the Sugar Loaf Mound and the Pyramid Mound. In historic times, prominent local native groups were the Shawnee, Wabash, and the Miami tribe.
The first European settlers were French, when Vincennes was founded as part of the French colony of New France. Later on, it would be transferred to the colony of Louisiana. Several years later, France lost the French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years' War), and as result ceded territory east of the Mississippi River, including Vincennes, to the victorious British.