How It Began ...

Past
adj., n., prep, — gone by in time and no longer existing / recently completed or gone by / relating to a former time.

Princeton, Indiana, once inhabited by several Indian tribes such as the Piankeshaw, Shawnee, Delaware, Potawatomi and others, is the seat for the county and named after General John Gibson, a French-Indian and Revolutionary War soldier and an associate of then Indiana Governor William Henry Harrison.

Prince Town, was named in honor of military Captain William Prince, Gibson County’s first prosecuting attorney and Indiana Senator. It was formed in 1814 with a jail, a courthouse followed in 1815 and a post office added in 1816.

Since erected, the centerpiece of downtown Princeton, the Gibson County Courthouse has motivated hundreds of entrepreneurs to locate their businesses around or near the square. Those businesses included G.C. Murphy, Gamble’s appliance store, J.C. Penney & Company, various banks, automobile dealerships, shoe stores, a meat market, diners, movie theaters, a bowling alley, drug stores, candy stores, jewelry stores, a hotel and more.

Greeks Candy Store and Soda Fountain opened in 1907 and Colvin Funeral Home opened in 1930; both are still in business today. Princeton thrived under businesses such as General Electric appliance store, a Livery Stable in the late 1800s, an opera house and the Tip-Top Creamery.

In 1948, there were over 30 family-owned grocery stores.

WRAY Radio hit the AM airwaves in 1950 with FM broadcasts taking to the air in 1952.

The first newspaper, The Democratic Clarion, was printed in 1846 and is known today as The Princeton Daily Clarion.

With rail service, Princeton attracted businesses such as flour mills and a lumberyard, which opened in 1889, providing lumber materials for over a century. Princeton has hosted manufacturers since the late 1800s, including Potter & Brumfield, Hansen Manufacturing (which opened in 1907 and still produces clock motors), Hurst Manufacturing, H.J. Heinz Ketchup-making factory, popcorn-producing Princeton Farms, an oil refinery and television tube maker Orion Electric. Since 1996, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana and various suppliers have been located in Princeton.