What Terre Haute is known for

Located in the western region of Indiana, the Terre Haute Destination derives its name from a city within the destination, Terre Haute, named after a French phrase that means “highlands.” French explorers of the 18th century had discovered a plateau-like area that joined with the Wabash River, thus creating the name for the city.[1] Surrounding cities of Terre Haute include North Terre Haute, Seelyville, Brazil, Linton, Bloomington, Youngstown, and St. Mary-Of-The-Woods, as well as Paris and Marshall located in the neighboring state, Illinois. A portion of eastern Illinois can be found in the Terre Haute Destination as the namesake of the destination is nearly five miles east of the state’s western border. Indianapolis, the most prominent city in the Terre Haute Destination, has a general population of 892,656, as of 2020. Currently, the population is growing at an annual rate of 0.61%, with a growth of 8.65% since 2010 when, at the time, the city had been home to 821,579. The racial demographic of the city is 60.9% white, 28.55% African American or Black, 3.43% Asian, and 3.47% of other races.[2]

White River State Park occupies land in the heart of Indianapolis and is comprised of other parks, attractions, and land features including Military Park, White River Gardens, the Central Canal, Indianapolis Zoo, and White River itself. Various concert venues and theaters can also be found, including places such as The TCU Amphitheater and the IMAX Theater. Touring the park by bicycle or by pedal boats and kayaks is an option for those who take interest in exploring the White River State Park.[5] Attractions vary throughout the city of Indianapolis, with one of the more popular ones being The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, which, according to Indianapolis’s official website, is “the largest children’s museum in the world,” and was additionally voted as “one of the best” by Child Magazine and USAToday. Similar to other museums, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis features interactive exhibits that primarily emphasize the subjects of history, science, art, and culture. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is only one of many museums in the city, as art galleries and museums play a major role in the Indianapolis culture. Another noteworthy museum is the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, featuring more than 152 acres of gardens that visitors can explore. The Indiana Historical Society, the Indiana State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champions, and the Dallara IndyCar Factory are a few other attractions that typically draw in a number of tourists.[3]

Bloomington, another notable city in the Terre Haute Destination, features over 30 pizza joints, restaurants that serve authentic international cuisine from nearly 20 countries, and almost 10 wineries, breweries, and distilleries in total. Though Bloomington is relatively smaller in size, the downtown area of the city contains local restaurants, shops, bars, and venues that draw in a number of tourists annually. Kirkwood Avenue, in particular, is one of Bloomington's most iconic promenades and can be found in downtown Bloomington as well.[8]

Geography

A typical summer season in Indianapolis can be described as humid, warm, wet, and long, in contrast to the winter season, which is cold, snowy, windy, and short. Temperatures rarely drop below 3 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely rise above 92 degrees as they generally range between 22 and 85 degrees. July is the hottest month of the year in Indianapolis, with an average high of 87 degrees and an average low of 67 degrees, while the coldest month, which occurs during January, has an average high of 36 degrees and an average low of 23 degrees. The best time of year to visit Indianapolis falls between June to late September, as temperatures are relatively warmer and can allow opportunities for outdoor recreation. Precipitation varies day-to-day throughout the year as March through August are the months that generally receive the highest number of wet days. In the month of June alone, a total of 12.3 days receive rain on average, with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.[6]

The Terre Haute Destination is characterized by many aquatic land features, namely, Van Bibber Lake, Cecil M Harden Lake, Cagles Mill Lake, Lake Monroe, the Wabash River, and the White River that runs through Indianapolis. Wildlife that can potentially be seen when visiting the Terre Haute Destination includes white-tailed deer and mammals that are smaller in size including rabbits, raccoons, skunks, moles, shrews, opossums, and bats, as well as rodents such as woodchucks, squirrels, mice, and rats. The wetlands in the southwest contain beavers, muskrats, and various birds including geese, ducks, swans, and the sandhill crane. Plantlife in Indiana consists mainly of hickories, oaks, maples, and sycamores. Various species of ferns can also be found in the woodlands of the Terre Haute Destination, especially considering that there are many forested areas in the destination. During the spring, some of the most commonly found trees that typically bloom through this season are the tulip trees and dogwood.[7]

History

The historical background of the Terre Haute Destination contains mainly rail and road networking, as the city of Terre Haute had been given the nickname “The Crossroads of America.” William Henry's construction of Fort Harrison in 1811 was the first American settlement in the area; however, the inhabitants that resided there before the construction of Fort Harrison were Wea Indians who lived in a village called Weatano. As the new settlers arrived at the land, the Wea Indians were banished and forced to take residence elsewhere. What is now known as Terre Haute was previously land filled with orchards and meadows, where the Wea had roamed. Eventually, Terre Haute became the county seat of Vigo County in March 1818; though, the official establishment of becoming a town took place in 1832, then as a city in 1853.[1]

In addition to railroad networking that had become part of Terre Haute in 1852, the city’s economy began to thrive when it became a port for steamboats and water trade. The construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal and the National Road also contributed to the development of the trade. Another significant addition to the economy at the time was pork processing, which had been beneficial prior to the occurrence of the Civil War which caused it to decline. Years later, when World War II took place, goods and supplied labor were being provided and Terre Haute began to improve. Many of the buildings that can currently be found in Terre Haute are original to when they were first built, some of which–including the Indiana State University–date back to 1865.[1] 

Indiana’s state capital, Indianapolis, became such in 1825, four years after being founded in 1821. Similar to Terre Haute, Indianapolis had been a railroad center during the start of the Civil War. From 1860 to 1870, the city’s population more than doubled, due to its significance in Union logistics that was causing it to develop.[4]

The NCCA, as well as other organizations including the National Institute for Fitness and Sport, aided the growth of Indianapolis’s economy starting in the 1970s, as the city was putting forth the effort into becoming an international center of amateur sports. An abundance of other sports venues can be found throughout the city, namely the Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Indianapolis Tennis Center, to name a few.[4]