EVANSVILLE

city, seat (1818) of Vanderburgh county, southwestern Indiana, U.S., port on the Ohio River (there bridged to Henderson, Ky.), 162 miles (261 km) southwest of Indianapolis. Founded by Hugh McGary, Jr., in 1812, it was named for Robert M. Evans, a member of the territorial legislature. Coal deposits and oil fields in an area of fertile farmlands surround the city and, together with the availability of hydropower and its location as a transportation hub, have contributed substantially to its growth as the metropolis of southwestern Indiana and the adjacent areas of Kentucky and Illinois. Diversified manufactures include plastics, pharmaceuticals, home appliances, aluminum, and food products. The Wabash and Erie Canal was completed in 1853 to Evansville, its southern terminus, and until its abandonment in the 1860s connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River. Evansville has a modern river terminal that provides for interchange of barge, rail, and truck traffic, and there is a regional airport. The city contains a modern museum of arts and science and a zoo. It is the seat of the University of Evansville (1854), the University of Southern Indiana (1965), and several vocational institutions. Angel Mounds State Historic Site, 7 miles (11 km) east, is a large archaeological site of Middle Mississippian Native American culture dating from about 1100 AD. Inc. town, 1819; city, 1847. Pop. (1990) city, 126,272; Evansville-Henderson MSA, 278,990; (1996 est.) city, 123,456; Evansville-Henderson MSA, 288,735.