The Indiana Historical Society (IHS), together with the Rivers Institute at Hanover College, will celebrate the bicentennial voyage of the first steamboat to navigate the Ohio River with a free family day at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center on Oct. 22.
The History Center, home of the IHS and the Indiana Experience, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
The voyage being celebrated is that of the New Orleans, which departed from Pittsburgh in October 1811. Its travel ushered in commerce, hastened immigration and engendered town building within the Ohio-Mississippi River basin, transforming the area from a raw frontier to an economic and social powerhouse.
In addition to free Indiana Experience admission on Oct. 22, several other activities will be offered throughout the day – both indoors and outdoors. The day will also include performances from the Ohio River Minstrels and musician/storyteller Kevin Stonerock.
The IHS will display original steamboat-related materials from its collection as well as the traveling exhibition Steamboat a Comin’.
Several hands-on opportunities for all ages, provided by RiverWorks Discovery with support from The Ports of Indiana, include stations for sink-and-float experimentation, river keeper bookmarks, lines and gears, activity sheets, a lock and dam model, three-dimensional steamboat puzzles, and a historic image photo opportunity.
The Stardust Terrace Café, operated by Hoaglin To Go, will serve family-friendly options, and the Basile History Market will offer some of the best in Indiana-related items, including the new IHS Press book Full Steam Ahead: Reflections on the Impact of the First Steamboat on the Ohio River, edited by Rita Kohn.
The History Center and the steamboat celebration will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on this and other IHS programs, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.
