Nestled along the Wabash River in southwestern Indiana, Vincennes holds the distinction of being Indiana’s oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city. Founded by French fur traders and named after François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, the city began as a strategic fur trading post under the French colony of New France in 1732.
Long before Indiana became a state or the United States declared independence, Vincennes was already a thriving frontier settlement, integral to the complex interactions between European powers and Native American tribes.
The Founding of Vincennes
The origins of Vincennes trace back to 1732 when French fur traders established a post to facilitate trade in the region that was part of New France. François-Marie Bissot was instrumental in founding the settlement, named in his honor.
Positioned at the confluence of the Wabash and White Rivers and the historic Buffalo Trace, Vincennes served as a vital trading hub between French settlers and Native Americans. To protect their interests, the French built Fort Vincennes…