History and Dark Legends of Clarksville, Indiana

An epic segment about a small section of the Ohio River! As much a travel guide, to the historic sites along the river, as an exploration of its many dark legends!

Starting with one of the largest clocks ever built, the infamous Indiana State Penitentiary with a haunted history, to the legends of Corn Island, George Rogers Clark, Lewis and Clark expedition to unknown lands, the cursed Sand Island, white Indian stories, 7 foot tall skeletons found along the river bank, and why native Americans considered the entire region “the dark land”.

This area also has a large, modern museum, and the worlds largest Devonian era fossil bed, that’s over 359 million years old. Truly, one of the most fascinating places in Southern Indiana!

MUSIC CREDITS
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PICTURE CREDITS
(1) Gateway arch

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

[parson]

I live about 30 east of Indiana...really had zero interest in the state...but this has rapidly become my favorite channel and I really have a deep respect for Indiana history now.

[fatcatlost]

I wish the school's would have your passion for history teaching. It's truly amazing how you present your knowledge and I feel very fortunate to be a part of you're teaching.
Thank you

[KrbyGT]

it feels so nice to see a popular video with footage of somewhere you have been at before.

[hoosierpatriot]

I didn't know Clark's cabin was burned! 😡😤 I'm glad I visited it before that happened but... dammit!! I'm so tired of our history being erased!

[steveoconnor]

It's sad that many of our nation's heroes were treated somewhat poorly after they went through great hardship to help our nation. I've been to the Meriweather Lewis burial site on the Natchez Trace and he also died broke beset by alcoholism and creditors. Some say he died of his own hand others say he was murdered. It's a mystery that will most likely never be solved.

[tsf-productions]

Though the "dark history part" of famous Clarksville, IIndiana is terrible to acknowledge, the times I have traveled up to Indy on vacations...it's fun to me to always think in my mind since the fall of 1966, the famous rock tune: "Take the Last Train to Clarksville" by The Monkees ( which, you may know, as of lately [2022] there's only one Monkee left: Micky Dolenz) when ever I was on I-65.
I didn't realize there some history to explore in Clarksville. One of my favorite YouTube shows my wife and I enjoy watching is "Traveling Robert". His last episode of his was on the journey of discover of Lewis and Clark Expedition. Great series by Robert to watch.
What a tragic ending to General George Rodgers Clark.

[medicmule]

Having grown up near Brewersville Indiana, the local giants have always fascinated me.

Having worked for Clark County EMS and being an experienced paddler, I can't stress enough how dangerous the Falls and the dam are! We frequently had to recover drowning victims because of those features. Even with decades of experience in canoes, I've gotten caught in eddy currents that were too powerful to outrun and have nearly been pulled upstream into the dam myself.

[xXcandieraindropsXx]

I'm 24, always lived in indiana. I always have had this adventurous soul and now I know why. There's so many things to see in indiana! Awesome channel!

[jamesbreeden]

Roger, another great video! I truly enjoy the southern Indiana history that your showing. Thank you very much. Blessings!

[jillblack]

Vincennes was founded in 1732. And was part of the reason that Fort Clark was established — GRC set up a base of supply and expansion in the push to take the Ohio and Wabash valleys…. Sorry, my inner nerd just needed to blurt that out.❤

[mrbr]

Hey Roger, this is a really interesting place...but then you show us how fantastic a lot of places are in Southern Indiana. Videos like yours are some of the best available on Youtube. Thanks for all your hard work producing these top notch videos. You should be writing books to go along with your love of the area. I would love to read all about some of the places you have filmed in a guide book.

[sandyhaworth]

I've been to the Clark cabin numerous times. But, it has been a few years. How sad to learn someone burned it down! Thank you for all your informative videos of our great state!

[stevenhigby]

Your stories are a treasure. I can listen to them day and night.

[nickk]

I've lived in that area most my life and didn't know many of the things you spoke of. Really enjoyed it!

[gw]

My Dad was born in nearby Georgetown Indiana in 1913. Both his parents had died by the time he was eight, so he was raised by his maternal grandparents. He quit school at the age of thirteen to help them make ends meet. He worked at a shirt factory and at the Colgate plant. (He learned to tell time by reading the clock from the backside).He told me one of the bridges to Louisville (K & I), charged a nickle toll for pedestrians. He would avoid paying the toll by slipping on to a girder under the walkway and going unseen from the toll booth. The only problem was one slip and he would have wound up in the Ohio. RIP Pop (1913 - 2008)

[charliehay]

Allan Eckert wrote a book entitled~that dark and bloody River~
It is one of the best
and most interesting books I have ever read, Eckert wrote
Wrote many books on French and indian War, revolutionary War and Civil War
He also wrote a book on tecumseh
A sorrow in my heart and on Simon Kent called the frontiersman
You will not be disappointed!

[redracer]

My mom said we were related to General Clark and even desired one of her great grandchildren to have the middle name Clark. But I knew nothing of this history. She would have loved this video. Thank you for studying, researching and sharing 😀

[johncourt]

I was born and raised right next to the widows walk ice cream place on riverside dr. It was a great place to grow up and I’ll always remember that great view of Louisville from the front door. It’s still my most favorite place. Thanks for making this as I’ve learned some things I didn’t even know.

[mikehood]

I’ve been very interested for the last 25 years about the legend of Prince Madoc and the Welsh settlement at the Falls of the Ohio. I’ve heard that when the dam was made workers found a lot of artifacts. There’s another location up river, Indiana side called “The witches house” or something like that and the place looks ancient. It’s said by some to have been a Welsh fortification from the 1100’s and it’s also said that the stones that hold up what’s now a walking bridge across the Ohio River were taken from the same place. The Falls of the Ohio and surrounding area are full of mysteries.

[CjbrkBrooks]

I never knew this about Clark. Thanks for delving into this history. Great video.