200th Anniversary of the First Steamboat down the Ohio River
This fall marks the bicentennial of the first steamboat, the New Orleans, to travel down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Nicholas Roosevelt and his family started the journey at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1811 and arrived at New Orleans in January of 1812.
Do you know what else happen that eventful year?
- It was the year of a great squirrel migration across the Ohio River from Indiana to Kentucky.
- There was the New Madrid Fault System earthquake of 1811 with a reading over 7.0
- The Battle of Tippecanoe began on November 7, 1811
- The Great Comet passed over North America
This year there will be numerous events about the steamboat and its impact on the Evansville and the Northwest Territory. You can read more about the history and the incredible journey of the Roosevelt family at the Hanover College River Institute, http://rivers.hanover.edu/ .
Here is a list of events happening in Evansville and surrounding areas.
Howard Steamboat Museum, Jeffersonville, IN September 23 – 25, 2011
University of Southern Indiana Colloquium
River Colloquium September 29, 2011
Indiana’s Historic Pathways Teacher’s Workshop 3rd and 4th grade teachers
October 4, 2011
Steamboat Celebration at Madison, Indiana
October 14-16, 2011
River Institute at Hanover College Steamboat Symposium
October 21, 2011
Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library
“Steamboat a Comin’: The Legacy of the New Orleans” Exhibit
October 25-November 30, 2011
Evansville Museum
“Evansville on the Ohio” Exhibit
November 6, 2011-February 26, 2012
Belle of Cincinnati at Evansville
Dinner Cruise – November 8, 2011 7:00pm to 9:00pm
