Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city in Vigo County, Indiana 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. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and the self-proclaimed capital of the Wabash Valley. The federal death row is in Terre Haute at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex.

Geography
Terre Haute is at °N, °W (39.469586, -87.389762), alongside the eastern bank of the Wabash River in western Indiana. The city lies about 75 mi west of Indianapolis.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.1 km²), of which, 31.2 square miles (80.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) of it (2.68%) is water.

The physical geography of the city is dominated by the Wabash River, which forms the western border of the city. Small bluffs on the east side of city mark the edge of the historic flood plain. Lost Creek and Honey Creek drain the northern and southern sections of the city, respectively. In the late 19th century (particularly during the Terre Haute Oil Craze of 1889), several oil and mineral wells were productive in and near the center of the city. Those have not been tapped for many years.

Terre Haute is located at the intersection of two major roadways: the National Road from California to Maryland, and U.S. 41 from Michigan to Florida (locally named "3rd Street" and historically was "7th Street". Making "7th and Wabash" the Crossroads of America). Terre Haute is located 77 mi southwest of Indianapolis and within 185 mi of Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, and Cincinnati.

When Interstate 70 was built in the early 1970s, the community's major shopping area became centered near the interchange south of the city. U.S. 40 still runs through the downtown area as of 2005. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plans to transfer the route number to State Road 46 and Interstate 70 through the Terre Haute area once the new State Road 641 bypass is completed. The old US 40, known as Wabash Avenue, will be transferred to city and county control.

History


The name of the city has been derived from the French phrase terre haute (pronounced in French), meaning "High Ground". It was named by French explorers in the area in the early 18th century to describe the unique location in the Wabash Valley and beside the Wabash River (see French colonization of the Americas). When the area was claimed by the French and English, these highlands were considered the border between Canada and Louisiana.

During "Tecumseh's War" in 1811, the construction of Fort Harrison during an expedition led by William Henry Harrison marked the known beginning of a permanent population of European-Americans. A Wea village called Weautano (also known as "Rising Sun" and "Old Orchard Town") already existed near the fort. Captain Zachary Taylor defended the fort from a British–inspired attack by an estimated 600 Native Americans during the Battle of Fort Harrison on September 4, 1812. The orchards and meadows kept by the local Wea populations became the site of present–day Terre Haute, a few miles south of Fort Harrison. Before 1830, the few remaining Wea had departed under pressure from white settlement.

The village of Terre Haute, then a part of Knox County, Indiana, was platted in 1816. Its early identity was as an agricultural and pork-packing center and as a port on the then-navigable Wabash River for steamboats and other river-craft. Between 1835 and late 1839, Terre Haute served as the headquarters for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Major Cornelius A. Ogden during the construction of the National Road. As a result, a number of West Point graduates and other highly educated people located in the town. Wealthy Terre Haute entrepreneur Chauncey Rose built The Prairie House, a fancy hotel, in 1838 primarily to accommodate those families. In 1855, the name of The Prairie House was changed to the Terre Haute House.

Development in anticipation of completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal, the longest man-made body of water in the western hemisphere, also brought prosperity to the community. The canal finally reached Terre Haute in October 1849. Founded by Chauncey Rose, the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad began operations between Terre Haute and Indianapolis in February 1852 and its traffic soon surpassed that on the canal. The name of the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad (West of Indianapolis) soon was changed to the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad. It became the operating company of the Vandalia Railroad System. The community quickly gained the reputation as a transportation hub.

In 1832, Terre Haute became a town and, in May 1853, elected to become a city. After the American Civil War, it developed into an industrial and mining center, with iron and steel mills, hominy plants and, late in the 19th century, distilleries, breweries, coal mines and coal operating companies. Business boomed.

Terre Haute's Famous "Four-Cornered" Race Track was the site of more than 20 world harness racing records and helped trigger the city's reputation as a sporting center. The bustling economy also led to establishing several institutes of higher education: Saint Mary-of-the Woods Institute (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College), John Covert's Terre Haute Female College, Indiana State Normal School (now Indiana State University), Terre Haute School of Industrial Science (now Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Coates College for Women. The city developed culture and a reputation in the arts. As a base of industry, it also developed a strong tradition of union activity, which resulted in hosting a two-day conclave beginning on August 3, 1881, of the National Trade Union Congress, renamed the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the U.S. and Canada. In 1886, the Federation was renamed the American Federation of Labor. The city also produced labor leader Eugene V. Debs.

The city's river traffic contributed to its reputation for being "wide open", with gambling and a well-developed "red light district". The latter was not fully eliminated until urban renewal of the riverfront in the 1960s. During the second decade of the 20th century, Terre Haute was rocked by political scandal and that reputation persisted for several decades. In 1955, Terre Haute was labeled Sin City by the monthly magazine Stag.

Prohibition had a major adverse impact on the city's economy. It forced the closure of several distilleries and all but one brewery, which reduced its payroll by 70% and converted to produce root beer. Four large glass manufacturing firms drastically reduced production, and two eventually closed. The Root Glass Company survived, primarily because it had secured the patent for the Coca-Cola bottle in 1915. Two of the distilleries were sold to Commercial Solvents Corporation, which acquired the rights to produce acetone from Chaim Weizmann in exchange for royalties.

With some aspects of the economy booming in the mid-1920s, the owners of the Terre Haute House decided to demolish their older building and erect a grand edifice befitting such a modern city as Terre Haute. In 1928, the new Terre Haute House opened, attracting the wealthy – famous and infamous alike – to its luxurious splendor. Al Capone is rumored to have been a guest in the new hotel's early years. After closing in 1970, the structure remained nonoperational for 35 years until 2005 when it was sold to a local developer. He demolished it and two other properties on the same block and sold the property to Dora Brothers Hospitality for development of a Hilton Garden Inn.

Government
The current Mayor is Duke Bennett, a Republican (the first Republican mayor of Terre Haute in over 35 years). Businessman Kevin Burke was elected the city’s Mayor in 2003 and vowed to make cleaning up the city’s image and notorious smell one of his administration’s top priorities. The offensive odors that plagued the city were primarily emitted from a coal tar creosote railroad tie manufacturing facility, a waste water treatment facility, and a paper plant.

Duke Bennett was elected Mayor in late 2007, but Bennett's election was subsequently challenged by the losing incumbent, Kevin Burke, based on an alleged violation of the "Little Hatch Act" by Bennett (the violation of which would have made Bennett ineligible for office). Former Mayor Burke filed suit, and following a bench trial, the trial court rejected Burke's challenge and declared Bennett elected as the qualified candidate who received the highest number of votes. The Court of Appeals reversed and remanded for a new election. The Indiana Supreme Court, on June 16, 2009, unanimously affirmed the trial court's confirmation of Bennett's election as Mayor. Former Mayor Burke stated that he would not appeal the decision further to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The City Council has six members each representing a district and three members-at-large. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Terre Haute a "Tree City." The city is also home to a federally-sponsored AmeriCorps program called the Sycamore Service Corps.

Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex
Terre Haute is the location of the federal death row. Inmates are held at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex. Located on Highway 63, two miles (3 km) south of the city of Terre Haute, the complex includes the medium security Federal Correctional Institution and the high security United States Penitentiary. The penitentiary houses the Special Confinement Unit for inmates serving federal death sentences.

Terre Haute received attention for the June 11, 2001, execution of Timothy McVeigh at the Federal Correctional Complex for his role in the deadly Oklahoma City bombing.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 59,614 people, 22,870 households, and 13,025 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,908.3 people per square mile (736.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 86.3% White, 9.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 22,870 households out of which 27.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% are married couples living together, 14.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% are non-families. 34.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.95.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,018, and the median income for a family is $37,618. Males have a median income of $29,375 versus $21,374 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,728. 19.2% of the population and 14.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.4% of those under the age of 18 and 11.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy
Terre Haute entered a period of economic decline once the coal mines were spent and the importance of the railroads diminished. The town was labeled a "bad labor town" following the Terre Haute General Strike of 1935 and the city center began a steep decline from which it has just recently begun to recover. Once home to many large department stores and other retail establishments, the 1970's and 1980's witnessed the abandonment of downtown by the department stores and most retail businesses. However, in conjunction with the efforts of non-profit groups such as Downtown Terre Haute, the expansion of the campus of Indiana State University has begun to have a positive effect on growth downtown. Several new hotels and businesses have been added to the "Crossroads of America" near 7th & Wabash and outdoor events and festivals are area attractions nearly every weekend during the summer months. Overall, however, the downtown area of Terre Haute continues to be plagued by much blight and poverty.

In addition to the downtown business district and the south side, there are several smaller business districts in the city. The first suburban shopping area was Twelve Points, on the northeast side of town; later, Idaho Station developed near Seventh Street and Lockport Road. In the post-World War II era, auto-centered shopping developed on the east side at Meadows. Plaza North is another important shopping area in the northern city neighborhoods.

The original curved Coca-Cola bottle was designed and first produced by the Root Glass Company, which was based in Terre Haute. In the mid-1990s, Coca-Cola honored this part of its past by introducing a short-lived Coke bottle-shaped can that was sold only in Terre Haute and one other city. Terre Haute was also one of the primary test markets for Pringles Potato Chips. The city is a familiar address to many, as it was home to the Columbia House mail-order club. It also is the home of the largest disc production facility in the United States, Sony DADC, which was the first facility in the United States to manufacture Compact Discs.

Education
Terre Haute is served by the Vigo County School Corporation. McLean Education Center is located on Lafayette Avenue and serves 200-300 students.

Terre Haute is home to Indiana State University (ISU). Indiana State has a student population of approximately 10,500. The Princeton Review has named ISU one of the nation’s “best value” undergraduate institutions. The Princeton Review has also placed ISU on its “Best in the Midwest” list of colleges and universities. The private engineering school Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology is located just east of the city, and is consistently rated as the top undergraduate engineering school in the nation. The Wabash Valley region of Ivy Tech Community College, a full-service community college, and Harrison College are also located in the city. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a four-year, private Roman Catholic women's college, is north of West Terre Haute, Indiana.

The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of 240 acres (0.97 km2) that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center east of Terre Haute. The course itself is built on a reclaimed coal mine and consists of an external loop of 3 km and four internal loops that allow for circuits of varying lengths. Indiana State University's Cross-Country team uses the Gibson Course for its home meets.

Airports

 * Terre Haute International Airport - Hulman Field (HUF) serves Terre Haute and Vigo County. 2010, Most flights are from pilot school students from Ivy Tech and Indiana State and the F-16 fighter jets of the Indiana Air National Guard's 181st Fighter Wing, which has been recommended for realignment to non-flying status. A local unit of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol, also conducts operations out of Hulman Field.
 * Sky King Airport - public use airport situated about two miles (3 km) north of Terre Haute on U.S. Highway 41. Most flights into and out of the airport are training flights from Indiana State University.

Highways

 * Terre Haute is served by two exits on I-70. The easternmost, (Exit 11), connects with State Road 46, approximately four miles south of Rose-Hulman; the other one, (Exit 7), connects with U.S. 41 (which goes both north and south of the city) on the south-west area of the city. A third exit serves West Terre Haute, Indiana via Darwin Road and provides easy access to western Terre Haute.


 * U.S. Highway 40 enters from the west and travels with Interstate 70 to Exit 11 and heads north with SR 46 ,then it heads east to Brazil on Wabash Ave. US 40 ran through Terre Haute on Wabash Ave. ,but in January 2011 INDOT gave the road to the city and paid the city to take care of Wabash Ave.


 * U.S. Highway 41 is the main north-south thoroughfare on Terre Haute's west side. From Maple St. south to I-70, it is marked as 3rd St.; along this stretch is US-41's interchange with I-70. From the north, US-41 comes from Rockville. Traveling south, the highway passes Sullivan and Vincennes on its way to Evansville.


 * U.S. Highway 150 enters Terre Haute from the west on the same route as US-40. At 3rd St., US-150 turns south, following the path of US-41.


 * State Road 46's western terminus is located its intersection with US-40 just west of Rose-Hulman. From here, the highway runs south with US 40 to an interchange with I-70. The road then heads through Riley on its way to Bloomington.


 * State Road 63 enters Terre Haute on the city's north side crossing the Wabash River. SR 63 ends at the interchange with US 41 on the north side of town.


 * State Road 641, also known as the Terre Haute Bypass, is a project currently underway by INDOT. The bypass will be a limited access highway running from the interchange of IN-46 & I-70 to US-41 near the industrial park on the city's southside.

Bus Service

 * The Terre Haute Transit Utility provides bus service via seven day and three evening routes throughout the city. The system's ridership in 2009 was 299,949.
 * Greyhound Lines provides an intercity bus service (St.Louis—Indianapolis).

Culture
Terre Haute is often portrayed negatively in the media, such as a 2003 Indianapolis Star article that called the city a "model of stagnation," citing high unemployment rates, low retention rate of graduating students, odor from the town's industries, and general lack of culture. The city has a similar reputation in popular media. For instance, the satiric newspaper The Onion published an article on the local music scene in 2001 entitled "Garage Band Actually Believes there is a 'Terre Haute Sound.'"

However, more recently the town has worked to improve its image. Its revitalization efforts were recognized in 2010 when the Indiana Chamber of Commerce named Terre Haute Indiana's Community of the Year.

The Arts
The Swope Art Museum, open and free to the public since 1942, boasts a nationally recognized collection of American art including work by Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Janet Scudder, Andy Warhol, Ruth Pratt Bobbs, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg and many others.

The Turman Art Gallery at Indiana State University features rotating exhibitions by student and faculty artists. In 2007, the university was the recipient of nearly 150 Andy Warhol photographs and prints as part of the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program. These recent additions will be added to the other Andy Warhol prints already held in the university's permanent collection.

Located on Seventh Street between Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street, Terre Haute's Art Corridor includes the Swope Art Museum as well as two galleries: the Halcyon Contemporary Art Gallery and Gopalon Contemporary Art. The first Friday of every month features art openings, musical performances, and socializing.

Terre Haute is home to several arts non-profits, including Wabash Valley Art Spaces and Arts Illiana, as well as the long-running volunteer-based Community Theatre of Terre Haute, which put on its first shows in 1928.

Music
Terre Haute has multiple music venues and a strong music community. The Wabash Valley Musicians Hall of Fame recognizes local musicians yearly.

Recent prominent musicians from Terre Haute include Dave Frey, lead singer of the Dove Award-winning band Sidewalk Prophets, and the band Yearbook Committee, a 2011 showcasing artist at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

Terre Haute is also the birthplace of the Kiss Army, a fan club for the rock group Kiss.

Museums
The Vigo County Historical Society Museum, at the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Sixth Street, boasts an extraordinary collection of artifacts maintained in a 150+-year old former residence.

The three-story Children's Museum is at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and Eighth Street in downtown Terre Haute.

The CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center is run by Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor and has exhibits and artifacts related to the Holocaust, eugenics and forgiveness.

Sister City
Terre Haute has had a strong sister-city relationship with Tajimi, Japan, since the 1960s.

Legends
One well known Terre Haute legend is the story of Stiffy Green, a stone bulldog that allegedly at one time guarded the mausoleum of florist John G. Heinl, the brother-in-law of Eugene V. Debs and the father of esteemed journalist Robert Debs Heinl, which is located in Highland Lawn Cemetery. The statue is now housed in the Terre Haute Historical Society Museum.