This section has been prepared for grade school history classes. The information represents a condensed version of the historical information presented in the Overview, Clarksville, New Albany and Jeffersonville sections

 CLARKSVILLE - The First American Town of the Old Northwest Chartered by the state of Virginia in 1783, Clarksville is the oldest Anglo-American town in the Old Northwest. It is named for General George Rogers Clark, who in 1778 and 1779 led the campaign which captured the British forts of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. In recognition of their victory, the Virginia Assembly in 1783 gave Clark and his troops a 150,000 acre land grant at the Falls of the Ohio. In 1803, Clark built a cabin in Clarksville overlooking the Falls of the Ohio. In October the separate parties of explorers recruited by Meriweather Lewis and Clark's younger brother, William, joined forces at the Falls of the Ohio for their journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase. They departed on October 26, 1803, thus making Clarksville the actual point of origin for the Lewis and Clark expedition. Overshadowed by neighboring Jeffersonville and New Albany, Clarksville grew slowly during the 19th and early 20th centuries . With the suburban boom that followed World War II, spurred in part by construction of the interstate highway system, Clarksville's population soared from fewer than 2,400 persons in 1904 to more than 19,833 in 1990. The second largest clock in the world is on the Colgate-Palmolive building in Clarksville. The clock is larger than the Big Ben in England. The Colgate Clock is 40 feet in diameter with hands of 16 feet and 20 feet & 6 inches.

JEFFERSONVILLE - The City Planned by a President Settlement in the Jeffersonville vicinity began about 1786 with construction of Fort Finney on the riverfront near the present John F. Kennedy Bridge. 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. The Howard Steamboat Museum, a 22-room Victorian mansion, was erected in the 1890's by Edmonds J. Howard, son of James Howard, founder of the Howard Ship Yards. A primary source of Jeffersonville's growth was the steamboat industry. 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.

NEW ALBANY - City of Steamboats, Glass and Plywood New Albany was founded in July 1813 by brothers Joel, Abner, and Nathanial Scribner, who had arrived at the Falls of the Ohio a short time earlier from New York City. The Ohio River and the steamboat industry were the foundations of the city's economy during the mid-19th century. Shipbuilding was also accompanied by a wide range of complementary concerns, including machine shops, foundries, cabinet and furniture factories and silversmith shops. By 1850 New Albany was the largest city in Indiana. During the second half of the 19th century New Albany experienced a substantial industrial boom, despite the collapse of its steamboat industry. The coming of the railroad spurred development of the pork-packing and locomotive repair businesses. During the early 20th century, New Albany became a major producer of plywood and veneer. Today, New Albany's economy is much more diverse with such items as prepared dough products, plastic molding tools, fireproof files, computer equipment and automotive parts. Stretching for several blocks along Main and Market streets east of downtown, Mansion Row constitutes the best single collection of Federal, Italianate, Greek, Revival, Gothic Revival and Victorian architecture in the Louisville metropolitan area. The highlight of Mansion Row is a magnificent French Second Empire mansion which was erected between 1867 and 1869 by William S. Culbertson, one of Indiana's richest merchants and philanthropists.

FALLS OF THE OHIO STATE PARK - World's Largest Exposed Devonian Aged Fossil Bed The only major natural obstruction in the Ohio River's 981-mile course from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi River is the Falls of the Ohio in Clarksville. The Falls are actually a series of violent rapids created by an outcropping of limestone that spans the river between Louisville and Southern Indiana. The Falls extend for approximately three miles between the Clark Memorial Bridge at Jeffersonville and the K&I Bridge at New Albany. The river drops approximately 26 feet over this short stretch. During pioneer times, intrepid boatmen attempting to traverse the falls used one of three natural passages or "chutes" known as the Kentucky, Middle, and Indiana (Indian) Chutes. The opening of the Louisville and Portland Canal in 1830 significantly improved passage at the falls. Today, with the aid of the McAlpine Lock and Dam, the canal handles more tonnage each year than the Panama Canal. A significant feature of the Falls is the Devonian fossil beds. The largest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world, this vast coral reef extends from the Clarksville shore into the river and offers a spectacular display of 375 million-year-old fossils. This historic area is now the Falls of the Ohio State Park. It houses the world-class, 16,000 square foot Interpretive Center.