Dr. Darrel Bigham
Why Evansville? Survival of the Fittest AmongTowns and Villages of the Lower Ohio
Sunday, March 18, 2:00 p.m. • Old Gallery
Why did Evansville become a vibrant and growing town and then city on the banks of the Ohio River in the 19th century while other communities failed to reach this potential? In his lecture Why Evansville, Dr. Darrel E. Bigham, Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Southern Indiana, will explore this topic. This examination of Evansville’s growth is based on Bigham’s research for his 1998 book Images of America: Evansville; Towns and Villages of the Lower Ohio.
Since his arrival in Evansville in 1970, Dr. Bigham has written numerous books and articles focusing on regional, state and local history, including Images of America: Evansville; An Evansville Album: Perspectives on a River City; We Ask Only A Fair Trial: A History of the Black Community of Evansville, Indiana; Reflections on a Heritage: The German Americans in Southwestern Indiana; and On Jordan’s Banks: Emancipation and African American Community Development in the Ohio River Counties of Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, 1861-1880.
Currently a member of the Evansville Museum’s Advisory Council, Bigham served as President of the Museum’s Board of Trustees from 1979-1981. Bigham received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1970.
