Our Town: Terre Haute

OUR TOWN: TERRE HAUTE tells the story of Terre Haute, Indiana, from its origins as a trading post on the banks of the Wabash River in the early 1800s to today’s modern, thriving city with a fast-developing Riverscape Project. The hour-long documentary takes you on a journey through the history of the town known as the “Queen City of the Wabash”—a truly American tale full of inspiring triumphs, dramatic setbacks, and surprising twists and turns.

Did you know, for example, that during the early years of the 20th century Terre Haute had some of the world’s largest distilleries and was famous as a center of glass manufacturing? The city’s expert glass workers even played a central role in the success of Coca-Cola, designing the soft drink company’s iconic bottle in 1913.

As the United States navigated the often-turbulent, fast-paced decades of the 20th century, so too did Terre Haute forge ahead, meeting challenges head on. OUR TOWN: TERRE HAUTE explores the city’s rapid growth during the “Roaring 20s,” its struggles during the Great Depression of the 1930s, its patriotic fervor and sacrifice during World War II, and development as a center of higher education, healthcare, and diverse industries in the post-war decades.

Along the way you’ll meet colorful and fascinating characters, including visionary businessmen Chauncey Rose and Tony Hulman, acclaimed songwriter Paul Dresser, poet Max Ehrmann, and many others. You’ll discover Terre Haute’s surprising number of esteemed institutions of higher learning, including Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. And you’ll get a taste of the city’s impressive array of arts and vibrant festivals that instill Terre Haute with a lively and forward-looking spirit.