The River
As European settlement in the west gained momentum, the Ohio became the economic lifeline for the inhabitants and enterprises on both sides of the river. A focal point of this activity was the falls of the Ohio, a three-mile stretch of violent rapids created by an outcropping of limestone that spans the river between Kentucky and Indiana. The river drops approximately twenty-six feet over this short stretch, creating the only major natural obstruction in the Ohio’s 921-mile course from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi River.
It is probable that French traders, priests, and explorers passed through the Falls region during the 17th and early eighteenth century as they made their way between the Great Lakes and Louisiana. In the course of their adventures, they named the stream LaBelle Riviere, translating the Iroquois “Ohio” as the “Beautiful River”.
New Albany, Indiana, is a nearly 200 year old, scenic river town that lies along the banks of the river, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The city is approaching its bicentennial, having been founded in 1813 by Joel, Abner, and Nathaniel Scribner, who purchased land on which to found the town. The Scribner’s divided the land into lots and sold it, advertising New Albany as an ideal place for relocation. They touted its location below the treacherous Falls of the Ohio and the impending construction of a saw mill, a grist mill and a flour mill. New Albany soon became a bustling settlement, mostly due to shipping and boat-building interests, but other industries followed.
By 1820 the Ohio River became a major shipping and traveling route, but all river traffic had to stop at the falls for transfer of passengers and cargo. As a result, two separate steamboat lines developed – one up river to Pittsburg and one downriver to New Orleans.
New Albany evolved into an inland, commercial port with harbors, wharves and areas for boat repair because of her location just below the falls. The shipping and boat building industry developed together and created a river town atmosphere in New Albany.
The city officially incorporated in 1839. By the mid-1800’s, New Albany was the largest city in Indiana. Some of the city’s most notable residences were built in these years and are still standing along the city’s Main Street in downtown. The city’s first school was organized in 1822, thanks to a generous donation of $5,000 from the Scribner’s to start a public school.
Various church denominations followed, including Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists, helping to bolster the city’s population. In 1902, the city saw its first hospital constructed, St. Edward Hospital, and began building its first permanent library building, which was a Carnegie, both important milestones in the city’s history.
In 1913, with great fanfare, the city observed its centennial, which included a well-documented parade. Part of the celebration included the arrival of Scribner descendants, who traveled by boat down the Ohio River and were welcomed by thousands of locals.
Just four years after New Albany celebrated its centennial, the city was ravaged by a tornado in March 1917, which cut a swath through the town nearly three miles long and a half mile wide, killing 45 people. The city also survived its worst flood in 1937, bouncing back to become the small but bustling town it is today.
Earmarks of its past dot the town, with some of its most notable structures celebrated as museums, including the Carnegie Library, the Joel Scribner house, and the Culbertson Mansion. Though steeped in history, New Albany is a modern city with various industries, a reviving downtown, and a thriving university, Indiana University Southeast.
Sources:
Introduction to New Albany in Vintage Postcards, by David C. Barksdale and Robin Davis Sekula By the Rivers Edge Exhibit, Padgett Museum, New Albany, Indiana Historical Highlights Clark and Floyd Counties, Indiana, Carl E. Kramer, Ph.D.
New Albany
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