Live in the Evansville area long and you’ll quickly find the River City offers some spectacular beauty shots from many points in the city. These views are often captured and shared through various and interesting photography methods. But finding ways to share the scenery of Evansville is not something new to residents.
This postcard — currently in the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Digital Archive collection — showcases a “bird’s eye view” of the Downtown area from a perch on the old Post Office along Second Street and looking northeast across the city. In this colorized postcard, it is easy to make out the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse near the center, with the iconic dome top.
The spire of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church also dominated the postcard, rising high above many of the local shops and buildings. Located along Third and Court Streets, the original church building — seen in the postcard — was built between 1849 and 1851. A fire destroyed that building in 1950, and the chruch was rebuilt in the same spot. That second building was razed in 2020 to make way for a new public space Downtown.
According to information provided by EVPL Digital Archive, the postcard was most likely manufactured in the early 20th Century, between 1891 and 1950. The original publisher of the piece is listed as American News Co. out of New York. The piece was donated to the library by James and Rosemary Geiss in June 2009.
To find more postcards touting Evansville’s scenic areas as well as local shops, churches, and more, visit the EVPL Digital Archive.
