Princeton

Sister cities

• Tahara

History

In 1800, the Indiana Territory was created with Vincennes (Knox County) as its capital. The rich farmlands in the southwest of the territory with access to the Ohio River attracted many pioneers and settlers to the area, one of whom was an Irish immigrant named William Prince. Born in 1772, he immigrated to America at the age of 22. He later became a Gibson County Commissioner and the county seat of Princeton is named after him. The year 1813 saw the move of the territorial capital east from Vincennes to Corydon and the creation of Gibson County. Gibson had previously been part of the vast Knox County which covered all the land of southwestern Indiana, bordered by the Wabash and Ohio Rivers. By early 1814, settlers to this area were asking for a "seat of justice," or county seat. Captain William Prince was one of four commissioners who located the seat at the half-way stand on the Evansville and Vincennes stage line. By drawing of lots, commissioners decided to name the town after Captain Prince. The iconic symbol of Princeton is the Gibson County Courthouse, a structure built in the Second Empire style. It has been featured as a collectible figurine by the Department 56 Original Snow Village. A post office was established in Princeton as early as 1816. The local newspaper, the Princeton Daily Clarion, was first published in 1846. Lyles Station, a small community just west of Princeton, was founded by freed Tennessee slave Joshua Lyles in 1849. It served as a haven for runaway slaves who braved the Ohio River on a northern trek towards freedom. The Wabash and Erie Canal ran through the nearby towns of Francisco and Port Gibson, providing a means of reaching distant markets with goods from Princeton. The 1850s saw the advance of the railway system through Indiana,…

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Princeton has a total area of , of which (or 99.9%) is land and (or 0.1%) is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Princeton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Gibson Southern High School
  High · Fort Branch · 726 students · 21.4:1 ratio
• Princeton Community High School
  High · Princeton · 618 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Fort Branch Community School
  Elementary · Fort Branch · 575 students · 18:1 ratio
• Princeton Comm Intermediate School
  Elementary · Princeton · 437 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Princeton Community Middle
  Middle · Princeton · 431 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Owensville Community School
  Elementary · Owensville · 415 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Princeton Comm Primary School
  Elementary · Princeton · 414 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Francisco Elementary School
  Elementary · Francisco · 55 students · 6.9:1 ratio