Simpson Nursery Historic District

The country surrounding Yineennes gives the town a location unsurpassed for heauty. It was originally situated hetween two handsome prairies one above and the other below. The upper prairie extended about t^^'o miles from the limits of the town to Prairie Creek on the north. But this beautiful prairie has been encroached upon by the expansion of the city. Within the past two years it has l^een covered with manufacturing- plants^ Imsiness houses and dwellings and with the same.23rocess continued for a year or two longer it will present a city appearance. But the two prairies l)elow the town remain as they were when the town was settled. They are beautiful and fertile prairies extending from the lower limits of the city some six miles Ixdow. The land was originally granted to the early French settlers by the commandants of the fort. These prairie lands as well as the lots granted in the village were designated upon small slips of paper and no record kept or made of any of the grants so far as known. The titles of the French settlers and claimants rested wholly upon actual possession and occupancy. And the transfer of lots in the village and prairie lands from one to another was made without documentary or written evidence of transfer, but simply Ijy changing possession and occupancy in the same way personal property changed hands. This custom and transfer of real property without any written evidence of transfer gave the commissioners ap|)ointed by tbe Ignited States to examine and report upon the claims of the French to lots and lands much trouble and compelled them to rely upon verbal testimony in such cases. The lots in the village were not numbered, but onh' identified as adjoining lots of other persons. The same disposition of lands was made in the lower and Cathlinette prairies, which adjoin each other in the same imperfect manner and evidenced by descriptions on small slips of paper of which no record was made. The grants in the two prairies l)elow Vincennes except the first granted the church, which contains four arpents, all contain two arpents in front by forty arpents in depth, French measure. A French arpent is a little less than an English acre. The grants in the lov.er prairie were thus divided in small slips so that each proprietor could have a frontage on the Wabash river. The grants in the prairies were not numljered and in transferring them long after deeds were in use, were simply described as bonded by lands of different owners. These prairie lands were afterwards surveyed by the United States government, after it acquired the territor}', and numV)ered. The lower prairie containing b}^ the survey 52 tracts and the Cathlinette prairie 18 tracts. But for years after the survey and numljering of the lands in the two prairies iu all deeds, the same defective mode of conveyance was continued, causing much confusion. The lands in the two prairies below Vincennes were never enclosed by the Frencli. They were cultivated by the owners in a common field. They all lived in the town, French fashion, and went out to the fields each day to cultivate the lands. A turning row was allowed for between each grant to enable the adjoining owners to cultivate their respective portions without trespassing on his neighbor in turning his team. These prairie lands and lots in the town in that part called "French Town,*' were originally, and as late as 1850, owned l)y the French people. But since that time they have changed liands and passed into the possession of other proprietors and but few lots or lands are now owned by the descendants of the original French proprietors.

Passage source: A History of the City of Vincennes, Indiana, from 1702 to 1901, published 1902.

On the Illinois side of the Waljash Eiver a chain of hills rise near the river and extend along its bank about three miles above and which add much to the scenery surrounding Vincennes. On the Indiana side of the river the picturesque hills on which Fort Knox Avas erected, rise from the water's edge and add much to the scenery in that locality. And these hills commencing at Fort Knox with slight interruptions extend continuously in a circle around Vincennes, terminating with Bunker Hill below the limits of the city. Upon these hills thus surrounding the city, on the east and south, beautiful sites for sulmrban residences are afforded Avliich are being rapidly taken up by wealthy citizens and fine private residences erected thereon. And on these hills on the east is erected the Knox County Poor Asylum, a fine brick structure. On Avhat is usually called the ^'Highlands,'' a splendid structure has been built, some three miles from the city, but in full view from all parts of it, for St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum.

Passage source: A History of the City of Vincennes, Indiana, from 1702 to 1901, published 1902.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Vincennes Township - 210,823 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.