George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Located along the Wabash River in Vincennes, IN, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park honors the Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark and the men who secured Fort Sackville, during the Revolutionary War. In the 1770s, Kentucky was the frontier. The English, stationed at the fort, often sent Native Americans to attack the American settlers. Determined to put an end to such attacks, Clark with 170 men marched 18 days during midwinter and captured it in 1779. They forced the British to surrender and paved the way for future settlements in the Midwest. Clark was only 25 when he achieved this victory, and earned the nickname “Conqueror of the Old Northwest”.
As the 150th anniversary of the Revolutionary War drew near, citizens in Indiana became interested in honoring Clark. In 1928, President Coolidge established the George Rogers Clark Sesquicentennial Commission to create a permanent memorial to Clark near the ruins of the fort. The memorial rotunda was completed in 1933, dedicated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 and the building and grounds became a national park in 1966.
Learn more about George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.
