Vincennes was founded in 1732 and before that had been a French fur trading post and was of national importance in 1779 when the Siege of Fort Vincennes resulted in a surrender by the British of not just the Fort but a huge amount of land to the United States victory

A charming town, now filled with immaculately restored late 18th century homes and storefronts, downtown Vincennes is full of stores and restaurants, once typical along any American small town’s main street.

For the first 13 years, at the beginning of the 1800s, Vincennes was the capital of the Indiana Territory. Vincennes State Historic Sites is a collection of historic buildings harkens to this past. Another must see is Grouseland, home to future president William Henry Harrison, then the Governor of the Northwest Territories. It’s now a house museum and worth a visit.