The Starting Point for Terre Haute
Vigo County Information on Countyseat.Net
Greater Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce
Williams and Associates Realtors
Terre Haute Online and In Depth
The One-of a-Kind Terre Haute Intranet!
This Hometown.Net's Valley WebRing site is owned by APBHN, Inc. (HomeTown.Net). Want to join the Valley WebRing? |
|---|
| [Skip Prev] [Prev] [Next] [Skip Next] [Random] [Next 5] [List Sites] |
Terre Haute is beautifully situated above the high water mark on the east bank of the Wabash River in Vigo County, Indiana. Early explorers aptly bestowed the French words "terre haute"(pronounced tehr-uh-hoht), meaning "high ground," not so much due to its elevation as from the fact that it was the only high ground approaching the river for several miles.
The county is named for Col. Francis Vigo (1747-1836). An Italian by birth (hence the correct Latin pronounciation vee-go), he became a prosperous merchant-trader and financed the campaign of George Rogers Clark.
Since its beginning, Terre Haute has been a regional center, situated geographically almost equidistant from the cities of St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville. Terre Haute still holds as the major metropolitan area and hub of the Wabash Valley.
Famous citizens include song writer and publisher, Paul Dresser, who immortalized the city's location in his song,"On the Banks of the Wabash" which was made the Indiana state song in 1913. Paul's brother, Theodore Dreiser, is one of this century's most acclaimed novelists.
The masterpiece "Desiderata" was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945) who was a Terre Hautean.
Labor leader Eugene V. Debs , who ran for the U.S. Presidency five times, was a Terre Haute native, as well as Tony George of Indianapolis Motor Speedway fame. His grandfather, Tony Hulman, is one of our most well known and respected historical figures transcending business and sports.
Speaking of sports, Hall of Fame member Mordicai "Three Fingers" Brown hurled the Chicago Cubs to four pennants between 1905 and 1910. Olympic Broad Jump Champion Dr. Greg Bell, and basketball players Dr. Terry Dischinger, and Clyde Lovellette are all Hauteans. Indiana Pacer Coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird, Tommy John, Kurt Thomas, and Bruce Baumgartner (Flag bearer and Captain of the US Olympic Wrestling Team in Atlanta) all got their start in college athletics in Terre Haute. Larry, Kurt, and Bruce were all at ISU at the same time. Other major league stars from ISU include Zane Smith and Brian Dorsett, who were pitcher and catcher on the same college baseball team. Watch for Casey DeGroote now with the Tampa Yankees Farm Team. Tunch Ilkin (former Pittsburgh Steeler) and Vencie Glenn (former Minnesota Viking) played for ISU. Brian Evans , an NBA NY Nets Star, calls Terre Haute home as does Cincinatti Bengal Tight End Tony McGee. There are many other major sports stars from the past (like Don Lash ) and others currently playing professionally who are either from the Wabash Valley or attended school here.
The previous Governor of Indiana, Evan Bayh, is a Terre Hautean. He was also the Keynoter of the 1996 Democrat National Convention. A 1969 ISU Graduate you also should know is General Harry Barnes.
Click on the above graphic to go to Tom Rosnowski's site at WFIU. It is his PBS radio program about Terre Haute and we are pleased WFIU has allowed this link.
Terre Haute is fortunate to be home to five institutions of higher learning, which not only offer educational opportunities, but also serve as centers for entertainment, recreation, cultural activities and business assistance. Once you visit these sites, you will be thoroughly familiar with our city's educational resources.
You may access every educational institution in Indiana on the Internet by clicking here
This site last updated March 5, 1999.
Click
here to
begin your Indiana
adventure!
Click here for Hometown.net a rich resource that
will link you to the WGClient and Netscape© plugin browser
software allowing you to access the complete Wabash Valley
community access network.
