Settlement in the Jeffersonville vicinity began about 1786 with construction of Fort Finney on the riverfront near the present John F. Kennedy Bridge. In 1787 the stockade was renamed Fort Steuben in honor of Baron von Steuben, the German officer who had helped General George Washington train the Continental Army in military tactics. The fort served as a militia post until nearly 1800. Precisely when the settlement became known as Jeffersonville is unclear, but it was probably about 1801, the year in which President Thomas Jefferson took office. That same year, Clark County was organized and divided into three townships, one of which was known as Jeffersonville.

In early June 1802, Jeffersonville became the county seat. The town was formally organized later the same month when Lt. Isaac Bowman, recipient of tract No. 1 of Clark's Grant, placed a portion of his land in the hands of a board of trustees for division into streets and lots. The town's name honored President Jefferson, who had suggested a unique checkerboard plan for the settlement at the invitation of his friend Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison. According to Jefferson's plan, the alternate squares were to be left open for "trees and turf," thus providing a means to clear the air of diseases such as yellow fever. Jefferson's plan was altered by the addition of diagonal streets, which crossed in the open squares. This modification, probably by attorney John Gwathmey, chairman of the board of trustees, proved unworkable; the streets were redesigned according to the present gridiron in 1816.

Jeffersonville remained the county seat until 1811, when county government moved up river to Charlestown. But Jeffersonville grew much more quickly during the mid-19th century, and in 1878 Jeffersonville again became the county seat.

A primary source of Jeffersonville's growth was the steamboat industry. In 1819 several local investors built the United States, a 700-ton vessel that could carry 3,000 bales of cotton. In 1834 James Howard launched his first steamboat, the Hyperion, at Jeffersonville. Fourteen years later, after similar ventures in Louisville and Madison, he returned to Jeffersonville to open the Howard Ship Yards. For nearly a century, the Howard family turned out the finest craft on American rivers, including the Glendy Burke, Robert E. Lee II, and Mark Twain.

Shipbuilding remains a major component in Jeffersonville's economy. But the local economy is much broader than it was a century ago, embracing such diverse products and services as kitchen cabinets, statistical processing, trucking and distribution, steel fabrication, electronic components, and a host of other enterprises located in industrial centers such as the Jeffersonville Industrial Park, America Place, and the Clark Maritime Centre.

But even as the city changes with the times, it continues to demonstrate a strong appreciation for its historic roots. The downtown commercial and riverfront residential areas comprise a local historic preservation district, which, along with an extensive adjoining residential neighborhood, is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A strong Main Street program is helping breathe new life into the central business district. And the city is engaged in a long-term riverfront development program designed to capitalize on Jeffersonville's historic commercial architecture and its close proximity to the Ohio River's scenic beauty and recreational opportunities.

JEFFERSONVILLE HIGHLIGHTS

OLD JEFFERSONVILLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DISTRICT: Jeffersonville's Central Business District, the downtown riverfront, and several adjoining residential blocks are notable for their eclectic assortment of middle and late 19th century architecture, which typifies a small Midwestern river city. the central business district boasts several distinctive Renaissance Revival commercial structures, including Schimpff's Confectionery, a century-old candy-making firm which ships its products to a nationwide market. Several storefronts have undergone restoration and adaptive reuse through the efforts of the Main street program. The riverfront is marked by well preserved structures ranging from Federal to Victorian. The district also includes several outstanding churches, such as the High Victorian Gothic St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the Spanish-style St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church.

GRISAMORE HOUSE: Built in 1837 by brothers David and Wilson Grisamore, this outstanding two-story brick house blends elements of both the Federal and Greek Revival styles. It has housed several notable Jeffersonville families, and William Henry Harrison delivered a speech from the front porch during his 1840 presidential campaign. Seriously damaged by fire in 1981, the house was rescued and restored by a group of private citizens who founded Jeff-Clark Preservation, Inc. Listed on the National register of Historic Places in 1983, the house is occupied today by the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Jeffersonville Main Street Inc., and several private businesses.

SCHIMPFF'S CONFECTIONERY: Recently named one of Indiana's seven "Hidden Treasures," Schimpff's Confectionery has been producing fine hand-made candies in Jeffersonville since 1891. Founded by Gustav A. Schimpff, the firm has been in family ownership for four generations. The business is located in a unique brick and tile storefront with a tin ceiling. the building was erected just after the Civil War; it has survived three major floods, and markers on the front record the height of the flood waters. The company is famous for its fish candy, horehound drops, and original cinnamon red hots. A traditional favorite are the hand-dipped Modjeskas, a caramel-covered marshmallow treat named for the famous Polish-born actress, Madame Helen Modjeska, who performed in Louisville in 1883. More recent favorites are the chocolate-covered caramels and pecans molded into the shape of turtles. Lunch is served at Schimpff's old-fashioned soda fountain.

WARDER PARK: Part of the Old Jeffersonville National Register District, Warder Park is located at the northeast corner of Spring Street and Court Avenue. During the Civil War it was the site of a bakery complex that produced hardtack for Union soldiers. Laid out in 1887, the park honors Luther Fairfax Warder, who served several terms as mayor during the late 19th century and led the successful campaign to return the county seat to Jeffersonville. The park's centerpiece is the former Jeffersonville Public Library, a neoclassical structure distinguished by its small but magnificent bronze dome. Built in 1903 with funds from Andrew Carnegie, it was designed by Jeffersonville architect Arthur Loomis, who had been a partner in the outstanding Louisville firm of Clarke & Loomis. The building was acquired recently by Jeff-Clark Preservation, Inc., which plans to use it for a local history museum. Standing immediately to the west is the former Post Office Building. Erected shortly after the Carnegie library, this buff-brick structure is also an excellent example of the neoclassical style. It has been renovated recently for medical offices. Located immediately across Spring Street from Warder Park is the Masonic Temple, another important example of the neoclassical style, also designed by Arthur Loomis and erected in 1926.

HOWARD STEAMBOAT MUSEUM: This 22-room Romanesque Revival mansion was erected during the 1890s by Edmond J. Howard, son of James Howard, founder of the Howard Ship Yards. Designed by Louisville architects Max J. Drach and John Hardin Thomas and built at a cost of $85,000, much of its excellent craftsmanship reflects the work of company shipbuilders. The house features both stained and leaded-glass windows, paneled rooms, and a music room in the Moorish style complete with its original neo-Louis XV furniture. The museum houses a fascinating collection of navigational equipment, paddlewheels and replicas of steamboats, among other exhibits. The Queen Anne-style carriage house and an extensive yard enclosed by a heavy brick wall are features which accent the lifestyle of a wealthy Gilded Age family. The entire structure recently underwent extensive restoration.

JEFFBOAT: By 1940, battered by the Great Depression and the 1937 flood, the Howard Ship Yards had fallen on hard times. In 1942 the US Navy purchased the facility and several adjoining properties and turned them over to the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company, or Jeffboat, for the production of landing craft and other warships. By the end of World War II, Jeffboat had launched 123 LST' (Landing Ship-Tank), 26 submarine chaser, and hundreds of other craft. After the war, Jeffboat turned to building barges and towboats, but it also has turned out such custom-built vessels as the luxury paddlewheeler Mississippi Queen, Opryland's General Jackson, and the coastal cruise ship Monterey Clipper. Today, Jeffboat, Inc. is America's largest inland shipbuilder and one of Southern Indiana's largest industrial employers.

QUARTERMASTER DEPOT: Designed by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs and first occupied in 1874, this magnificent collection of 19th century industrial and warehouse buildings covers four square blocks. The original brick structures had a total capacity of 2.7 million cubic feet. One architectural historian has described the complex as "functional architecture of the highest quality." The original interior grounds were designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. The Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot, which by the end of World War II extended for more than 10 city blocks, supplied equipment for the armed forces until 1957. The original section is now a commercial complex known as the Quadrangle. Unfortunately, the structure suffered a devastating fire in January 1993. The blaze destroyed a large portion of the southeast corner, the remains of which have been razed.

TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL: The most important historical landmark for Jeffersonville's African-American community, Taylor High School was the primary center of learning for the city's black youth from 1891 until schools were desegregated in 1952. Located on Wall Street and originally named City School, the institution was renamed in 1924 for Robert Frank Taylor, who served as principal from the school's opening until his death in 1926. Although known as a high school, the two-story, redbrick classical structure actually served all grades. At the time of desegregation, Taylor's long-time principal, Corden Porter, was transferred to Jeffersonville High School as an attendance officer and later as an English and biology teacher. The Corden Porter Education Center is named in his honor. Meanwhile, Taylor High School served as Wall Street Elementary School until the 1970s. For several years thereafter it housed the W. E. Wilson Education Center, an instructional resource facility that serves several Southern Indiana school systems.

BIG FOUR BRIDGE: Built in the 1890s for the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company, this span has suffered a checkered career. Two major construction accidents took the lives of 61 workers before the bridge was completed in 1895. In January 1918 two interurban cars crashed, killing three passengers and injuring twenty. Several years ago, after a series of railroad mergers made the bridge expendable, its approaches were removed, and today the Big Four is the "Bridge that goes nowhere."

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK MEMORIAL BRIDGE: Opened in 1929 as the Municipal Bridge, this span was the first to carry highway traffic alone between Louisville and southern Indian. The concrete and steel structure was designed by architect Paul R. Cret and the engineering firm of Modjeski and Masters. The firm's senior partner was Ralph Modjeska, son of Madame Helen Modjeska, for whom Schimpff's Confectionery's Modjeska caramels are named. Awarded the construction contract was the American Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, which submitted the low bid of $1.2 million. The Municipal Bridge operated on a toll basis until 1946, with proceeds used to retire construction revenue bonds. Three years later, the span was renamed the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in honor of the founder of Louisville and Clarksville.

JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL BRIDGE: Designed by the Louisville engineering firm of Hazelet & Erdal, this six-lane, single-deck cantilever span links Jeffersonville and Louisville via Interstate 65. Construction began in the spring of 1961 and was completed in late 1963 at a cost of $10 million. The span still unnamed when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Four days later, Kentucky Governor Bert T. Combs announced bipartisan agreement among officials of both Kentucky and Indiana that the bridge should be named in memory of the fallen president. The bridge was dedicated and opened for northbound traffic on December 6th. Southbound traffic started flowing a few weeks later.