Evansville: Evolution of a City

February 19 – May 13

Evansville’s Name Source
GEN. ROBERT MORGAN EVANS (1783 – 1842)
Oil on Canvas, c. 1835 – 1840
John Brown West
Gift of Dr. Charles Leich

On March 27, 1812, Hugh McGary journeyed to the land office in Vincennes to purchase property located at a horseshoe bend in the Ohio River in southwest Indiana. At what is today the corner of Riverside Drive and Main Street, he built a log cabin. It is from these humble beginnings that what is today Evansville began. In the February 19 – May 13 Main Gallery exhibition, the founding of Evansville, originally known as McGary’s Landing, and its development over the next 200 years are chronicled.

Included in the exhibition will be historic documents and artifacts relating to the early years of Evansville, including a portrait of City namesake Robert Morgan Evans; material focusing on the industrial development of the City, including the furniture, stove and plow industries; the rise and decline of Evansville as refrigerator capital of the country; the city’s experiences during World War II; and key events of the latter 20th century.

A Century of Service:
Girl Scouts of the USA

March 11 – July 1

Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, Juliette Gordon Low, at right, with members of Troop #1
Collection of the Library of Congress

Presented in partnership with the
GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHWEST INDI ANA

The Girl Scouts of the USA trace their origin to a meeting organized by Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. Since this first gathering of 18 young women a century ago, the Girl Scouts of the USA has touched the lives of over 50 million alumni and today boasts 3.2 million members. A Century of Service : Girl Scouts of the USA will celebrate the centennial of an organization that has not only touched the lives of its alumni, but that has had an impact on American culture as a whole. Today, the Girls Scouts of the USA continue the vision of Juliette Gordon Low as girls continue to have the opportunity to grow physically, mentally and spiritually as the organization strives to reach “every girl everywhere”.

This March 11 – July 1 exhibition will focus on the history of Girl Scouting in this region of the State. The Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana originally organized as the Raintree Council in September of 1957 and was officially chartered by the Girl Scouts of the USA in March of 1958. Through a variety of material documenting their history – including uniform, images, badges, and, of course, cookies – the vibrant history of the Girl Scouts of the USA will be shared.