Interested In Industry

Our founding fathers were not interested primarily in agricultural land, nor were they forcibly swayed by the necessity for a site that could be easily settled. The Swiss Colonization Society was first of all interested in building an industrial city, and their foremost thought was for the absolutely essential transportation facility. In 1858 that dictated a river site, for the river was the only transportation system in the entire west in those days.

This is not a matter of conjecture. John Obrecht, one of the founders, has recorded that the Swiss Colonization Society, meeting at Cincinnati, voted first that the colony should be located on the Ohio River, and secondly that it be placed below Louisville to avoid both the Falls and the monopoly and interference that some of the citizens of Louisville were said to be exercising on river traffic in those days. Only after these decisions had been made was a committee sent to find a site.

Depend On River 30 Years

And this foresight proved correct. Tell City almost immediately did become an industrial city, and for the first 30 years, until 1899 when the railroad came, was entirely dependent upon river transportation for its economic life. Without the boats for exports and imports our factories could not have grown, nor our city develops as it did in early life.       

In laying out the city a public landing was planned at the foot of Fulton street. However, it was soon discovered this landing was obstructed by a sand bar and Judge Huntington’s Landing at the foot of Blum street was adopted as the official public landing, where it remained.