Princeton is the largest city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Patoka Township,
Gibson County,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, United States.
The population was 8,301 at the
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, and it is part of the greater
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
,
Metropolitan Area.
History
In 1800, the Indiana Territory was created with
Vincennes
Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...
(Knox County) as its capital. The rich farmlands in the southwest of the territory with access to the Ohio River attracted many pioneers and settlers to the area, one of whom was an Irish immigrant named
William Prince. Born in 1772, he immigrated to America at the age of 22. He later became a Gibson County Commissioner and the county seat of Princeton is named after him.
The year 1813 saw the move of the territorial capital east from Vincennes to
Corydon and the creation of Gibson County. Gibson had previously been part of the vast Knox County which covered all the land of southwestern Indiana, bordered by the Wabash and Ohio Rivers. By early 1814, settlers to this area were asking for a "seat of justice," or county seat. Captain William Prince was one of four commissioners who located the seat at the half-way stand on the Evansville and Vincennes stage line. By drawing of lots, commissioners decided to name the town after Captain Prince.
The iconic symbol of Princeton is the
Gibson County Courthouse, a structure built in the
Second Empire Second Empire may refer to:
* Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783
* Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396)
* Second French Empire (1852–1870)
** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...
style. It has been featured as a collectible figurine by the
Department 56
Department 56 is a U.S. manufacturer of holiday collectibles, ornaments and giftware, known for its lit Christmas village collections and Snowbabies collection. It is owned by Enesco and based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
History
Department 56 w ...
Original Snow Village. A post office was established in Princeton as early as 1816. The local newspaper, the Princeton Daily Clarion, was first published in 1846.
Lyles Station, a small community just west of Princeton, was founded by freed Tennessee slave Joshua Lyles in 1849. It served as a haven for runaway slaves who braved the Ohio River on a northern trek towards freedom.
The
Wabash and Erie Canal
The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...
ran through the nearby towns of
Francisco
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name '' Franciscus''.
Nicknames
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father o ...
and
Port Gibson, providing a means of reaching distant markets with goods from Princeton. The 1850s saw the advance of the railway system through Indiana, spelling doom for the canal system. The
Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad line was run through town in 1852 and the Princeton Depot was constructed in 1875. The railroad became a boon to Princeton's industry as the Southern Railway Shops were constructed on the edge of town in 1892. Other industry included the Heinz plant (because of the area's famed tomatoes being good for ketchup making) and the Princeton Coal Mine.
In 1925, the
Tri-State Tornado left its mark on the town. After hitting Griffin and narrowly missing Owensville to the southwest, the tornado devastated the southern side of Princeton, killing 44 people, injuring another 146 and leaving hundreds homeless. Princeton was the historic storm's final victim, as the tornado dissipated about 10 miles to the northeast near Petersburg. The deadliest tornado in US history claimed 95 lives in Indiana with almost half of those in Princeton.
Toyota Motor Company
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
opened a truck manufacturing plant between Princeton and
Fort Branch
Fort Branch was a fort built by the Confederate Army especially to defend against attacks from the Union Army along the Roanoke River in North Carolina.
The fort was originally built in 1862 along Rainbow Banks in Martin County, southeast of H ...
in 1998 to build a new full-size pickup and SUV. Toyota significantly increased production at the plant in 2000. As of 2016, the plant builds two SUVs and a van.
On April 18, 2008, Princeton was shaken by the
2008 Illinois earthquake
The 2008 Illinois earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the Midwest state of Illinois. This moderate strike-slip shock measured 5.2 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII ''(Very strong ...
, epicentered approximately away near
West Salem, Illinois
West Salem is a village in Edwards County, Illinois, United States. The population was 786 at the 2020 census, down from 897 at the 2010 census.
History
The West Salem area was settled in the 1830s and early 1840s by Moravians primarily from S ...
.
The Gibson County Courthouse and
Welborn-Ross House are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Geography
Princeton is located at (38.353617, -87.570541).
According to the 2010 census, Princeton has a total area of , of which (or 99.9%) is land and (or 0.1%) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Princeton has a
humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
In the 2020 census,
the population of Princeton was 8,301. There were 3,552 households. White population was 89.9%, of which 88.2% were not Hispanic or Latino; Black or African American alone 6.8%; two or more races 3.1%; Hispanic or Latino 1.7%; and Asian alone 0.1%.
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 8,644 people, 3,516 households, and 2,129 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,976 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 4.6%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 0.7%
Asian, 1.1% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 3,516 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 8,175 people, 3,451 households, and 2,146 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,806 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.36%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 5.36%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 1.26%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.39% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.44% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 3,451 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,689, and the median income for a family was $37,308. Males had a median income of $28,076 versus $19,825 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $15,049. About 15.0% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Major employers in Princeton include
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI), located 3 miles to the south, nearly halfway between Princeton and
Fort Branch
Fort Branch was a fort built by the Confederate Army especially to defend against attacks from the Union Army along the Roanoke River in North Carolina.
The fort was originally built in 1862 along Rainbow Banks in Martin County, southeast of H ...
, where the Toyota
Sequoia,
Sienna
Sienna (from it, terra di Siena, meaning "Siena earth") is an earth pigment containing iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural state, it is yellowish brown and is called raw sienna. When heated, it becomes a reddish brown and is call ...
and
Highlander are manufactured; and
Hansen Corporation. Many Toyota suppliers have facilities between the plant site and the city. These suppliers include EnovaPremier, Vuteq, TISA, Millennium Steel, Gibson County Quality Assurance, and Product Action International. All of these facilities were either built or converted from other uses to furnish supplies, part and services to TMMI.
Siemens at one point had research and manufacturing facilities in Princeton, but the manufacturing plant was closed in the early 1990s and the research facility was closed soon after. In 2008 the former Siemens property was acquired by
Menards
Menards is an American home improvement retail company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. It has 335 stores in 15 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ...
and demolished. A Menards store currently occupies the former Siemens site.
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
's announcement in late 1995 that it would be building a $1 billion manufacturing facility in Princeton created an economic boom, as many of Toyota's suppliers also built plants in or near Princeton to minimize shipping and logistical expenses. Additionally, many service businesses located in town to satisfy the needs of the employees, many of whom would be relocating to the Princeton area from elsewhere. However, the arrival of Toyota was not without controversy. Many objected to the ten-year
tax abatement
A tax holiday is a temporary reduction or elimination of a tax. It is synonymous with tax abatement, tax subsidy or tax reduction. Governments usually create tax holidays as incentives for business investment. Tax relief can be provided in the ...
offered as part of the incentive package to induce Toyota to locate in the area, and others were worried by the fact that it would likely not be unionized (as of 2019, it is not).
More recently, many retail and restaurant chains such as
Applebee's
Applebee's Restaurants LLC. is an American company that develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurant chain. The Applebee's concept focuses on casual dining, with mainstream American dishes such as salads ...
,
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
, and
Menards
Menards is an American home improvement retail company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. It has 335 stores in 15 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ...
have opened locations in Princeton. Analysts attribute much of this to the planned extension of
Interstate 69—at the time many of these businesses were sited in Princeton, the leading proposal for the project was to upgrade
U.S. 41 (it was later decided to build Interstate 69 over a new-terrain route, which would travel between nearby
Oakland City and
Francisco
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name '' Franciscus''.
Nicknames
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father o ...
).
Princeton is served by two freight rail lines:
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
and
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
. For people who enjoy watching trains online, Virtual Railfan, via
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, provides northbound and southbound cams along the tracks at W. Broadway St. for 24-hour viewing when the cameras are in operation. The cams are hosted by the Gibson County Visitors and Tourism Bureau.
Greyhound Bus Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pa ...
stops at curbside to pick up and discharge passengers outside a
Burger King restaurant at 2740 W. Broadway St.
Government
Princeton is governed by a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
and a five-member
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
, all of whom are elected for four-year terms. The current mayor is Brad Schmitt, Republican as of January 1, 2016. City functions are divided among the Police Department, Sanitation Department, Parks and Recreation Department, Street Department, Sewer Department, Water Department, Water Treatment Plant, and the Princeton Fire Territory (formed from a merger between the Princeton Fire Department and the Patoka Township Fire Department in early 2006).
Like most Midwestern small towns, Princeton's citizens are generally socially conservative. However, its largely blue-collar population—including factory workers, skilled tradesmen, railroad employees, and coal miners—and significant union membership means that there is no general bias towards either the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
or Democratic Party; however, Princeton's Democrats tend to be considerably more
socially conservative
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
than those in other parts of the country.
Parks and recreation
Princeton has three main city parks, administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Lafayette Park, on the city's north side, is the largest. It features a fishing pond, shelter houses, a playground, an open general-purpose recreation area, and a stage for public performances. The city swimming pool is adjacent to Lafayette Park, as is Kiddie Land, a playground for very young children. Gil Hodges field, where the
Princeton Community High School
Princeton Community High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Princeton, Indiana. The high school is a part of the North Gibson School Corporation. Until March 2016, the school operated a television station, W06BD, from stud ...
baseball team plays its home games, is also located on the park property.
The other two city parks are South Side Park and East End Park
Media
;Radio
*FM 98.1
WRAY-FM – Country Music / Programs
*FM 94.3
WRAY – FM-based
repeater
In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Som ...
for AM 1250
*AM 1250
WRAY – News / Talk / Programs
;Newspapers
*
Princeton Daily Clarion – Tue-Fri Circulation
Education
*
North Gibson School Corporation
The North Gibson School Corporation is the second largest of the three public school governing institutions in Gibson County, Indiana, United States as well as one of the twenty largest in enrollment in Southwestern Indiana. The NGSC is respon ...
**
Princeton Community High School
Princeton Community High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Princeton, Indiana. The high school is a part of the North Gibson School Corporation. Until March 2016, the school operated a television station, W06BD, from stud ...
** Princeton Community Middle School
** Princeton Community Intermediate School
** Princeton Community Primary School
*
St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School
*
Bethel Christian School
The town has a lending library, the Princeton Public Library.
Notable people
*
Michael A. Banks – author, born in Princeton in 1951
*
Gary Burton
Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...
(born in
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson ...
) –
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
vibraphonist
The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...
*
Gary Denbo –
Miami Marlins Vice President of Player Development and Scouting
*
Allen J. Flannigan –
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
State Assemblyman
*
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges (''né'' Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was widely regarded as t ...
– professional baseball player
*
Algernon Brashear Jackson, doctor
*
Jeron Criswell King – actor and alleged psychic, born in Princeton in 1907
*
David J. Lawson – pastor, played a key role establishing and developing
Africa University, the only
U.M.C. university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in Africa.
*
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 – November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. I ...
–
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
play-by-play announcer
*
Michael E. Pegram (born in
Fort Knox, Kentucky
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold rese ...
) – thoroughbred owner; winner of 1998
Kentucky Derby, 1998
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
winner
Real Quiet
Real Quiet (March 7, 1995 – September 27, 2010) was an American Eclipse Award, Champion Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer due to his narrow frame. He is best remembered for winning the first ...
and 2010
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
winner
Lookin At Lucky
Lookin At Lucky (foaled May 27, 2007 in Kentucky) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2010 Preakness Stakes. He was the 2009 Champion Two-Year-Old and 2010 Champion Three-Year-Old, becoming the first horse in 32 years to ...
*
John S. Poland, U.S. Army brigadier general
*
William Prince (born in Ireland) – politician, town's namesake.
*
Orville Redenbacher (born in
Brazil, Indiana
Brazil is a city in Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,912 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current chief executive of Brazil ...
) – popcorn icon
*
Jamie Rowe
Jamie Rowe (born April 7, 1970 as Earl Wilson Rowe, Jr.) is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of the Christian hard rock band, Guardian. He has also been vocalist for New York-based AdrianGale, power pop band, London Calling (which br ...
(rock- heavy metal vocalist)
*
Dave Thomas (born in
Atlantic City, New Jersey) – founder of
Wendy's
Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was t ...
*
Mack V. Wright
Mack V. Wright (March 9, 1894 – August 14, 1965) was an American actor and film director. Active as a director from 1920 to the late 1940s, he also had an extensive career as an assistant director, second-unit director and production man ...
– actor and film director
* Brandon Hatten – author
*
Taylor Caniff
Taylor Michael Caniff (born February 3, 1996) is an American Internet personality, known for his appearances on YouTube and the video application Vine. Caniff later went on to appear in the Netflix reality series '' Chasing Cameron''.
Career
Ca ...
– Internet personality
*
Jackie Young – American basketball player, chosen first for the 2019
WNBA Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team play ...
team
Highways
*
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
Evansville
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
–
Terre Haute
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
*
State Road 64 Known as Broadway Avenue for its entire length in Princeton.
Mount Carmel –
.
*
State Road 65 Known as Broadway Avenue for first two thirds of its length up to the
Courthouse Square
Courthouse Square is a backlot located at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. The set is composed of several facades that form an archetypal American town square with a courthouse as its centerpiece. The set was built for th ...
, then turns onto Main Street for the remaining third. Heads for
Petersburg or
Owensville via Indiana 64.
Major roads
* Broadway Avenue
State Road 64 for east half,
State Road 64/
65 for west half where it becomes a four-lane road. Because Broadway Avenue does not have an overpass, it is often blocked as over 80 trains pass through town on a daily basis, sometimes with two trains passing each other over the intersection.
* Brumfield Avenue Runs parallel to Broadway one to four blocks north, depending on location. Site of one of the two railroad overpasses over the
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
/
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
junction running through Princeton.
* Embree Street Though obscure at its beginning at Broadway, Embree Street is one of the major thoroughfares used in reaching
Princeton Community High School
Princeton Community High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Princeton, Indiana. The high school is a part of the North Gibson School Corporation. Until March 2016, the school operated a television station, W06BD, from stud ...
, now known as Princeton Community Middle School. At the junction of Embree and Brumfield there is a
roundabout, completed in 2009 to ease flow through the intersection as trains pass through town. Embree is also frequently used to bypass the railroad to get to the Brumfield Ave. Overpass from the square. The Gibson County Fairgrounds are also located along Embree Street immediately before the high school/middle school complex.
* Main Street Signed as
State Road 65 north of the
Gibson County Courthouse Square, Main Street is the main north-south thoroughfare in Princeton. Main Street was also once signed as
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
for nearly all of its length through Princeton. A two-year widening and rehabilitation project was completed in 2008, making what was once one of the most unpleasant-looking streets in Princeton the most presentable. Main Street is the site of the other railroad overpass in Princeton. The current campus of Princeton Community High School, opened in 2012, is located along Main Street.
* Mulberry/Spring Street Bypass often used to get to Princeton's South Side while avoiding the stoplights on the Courthouse Square. An overpass was considered for Mulberry in 2007, but was rejected due to the costs involved. Mulberry and Spring Streets meet on a sometimes hazardous curve that sits almost 15 feet over surrounding terrain.
* Richland Creek Drive Used mainly to reach the new
Menards
Menards is an American home improvement retail company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. It has 335 stores in 15 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ...
hardware store. Around a curve from Menards are two new townhouse projects and a new
Deaconess Hospital Clinic as well as a possible new strip mall. Richland Creek meets
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
about 200 feet south of the Broadway (State Roads
64/
65) – US 41 Cloverleaf. At the northern end of Richland Creek Drive is Sherman Drive and the
Gibson General Hospital campus.
* North Prince Street Location of Dick Clark's Family Restaurant (702 North Prince). The street runs parallel with Main Street, but has a number of 4-way stops near the center of town.
* State Street Similar to Prince street, State Street runs parallel to Broadway, forming the north end of the square. State street is often used to bypass the light at Main and Brumfield, or to reach Embree Street to bypass the trains. Like Prince Street, State Street also has a number of 4-way stops near the center of town, one of which is with Prince. It forks with Broadway on the far east end of town, near the old middle school.
Sister City
*
Tahara, Aichi
is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 60,206 in 22,576 households, and a population density of 315 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Tahara is situated in southern Aichi Prefe ...
, Japan since August 8, 2002
References
External links
City websiteGibson County Now
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1814
Cities in Indiana
Cities in Gibson County, Indiana
County seats in Indiana
Communities of Southwestern Indiana
1814 establishments in the United States