Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon

After falling into disrepair and general disregard during the late 19th century, the Ohio River received a "facelift" in the 1950's and 1960's that succeeded in reviving its river-borne commerce. Being one of the eight states bordering the Ohio River, the state of Indiana was in no position to overlook the obvious economic advantages presented by the revived waterway, and consequently it broadened the power of its Port Commission, enabling it to establish a port in any county bordering the Ohio River. With the construction and completion of Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor still fresh in the minds of Hoosiers, the ambitious Ports of Indiana embarked upon its second mission - the establishment of the Ohio River port in Mount Vernon, originally created as "Southwind Maritime Center," which opened its doors to the world in 1976.

Wasting little time, a rising star on the political scene in Indiana by the name of Robert Orr, then a state senator representing Vanderburgh and Posey counties, rallied behind the issue and moved to allocate funds in the Indiana legislature to conduct a feasibility study of a port in either of his Ohio River counties. By 1970 the study was completed, and a site in Posey County just east of the city of Mount Vernon was selected. Orr, who went on to govern the state during the 1980s, had gained a truly valuable economic boost for his constituents through his support of the river port and the diligence with which he worked to push the issue through the legislature.

"Selling" the idea of an Ohio River port to the "powers that be" in Indiana proved to be a walk in the park, especially when compared to the legal battles fought to establish ports at Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville. Perhaps the man most responsible for rallying support behind a port in Posey County was the amiable Mount Vernon automobile dealer William Keck, who was appointed to the Port Commission by Gov. Edgar Whitcomb in 1970. Keck, whose main goal was to get the idea and prospect of an Ohio River port into the eyes of the public, ingeniously conducted riverboat cruises and "fly-ins" to enable visitors to see the benefits of the newly renovated facilities on the river and thus the benefits of an Indiana port. His efforts were successful, and in 1973 the Commission received the green light for construction from the Indiana General Assembly for the new Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon.

Construction of the Ohio River port moved along relatively swiftly and easily, despite the fact that the site chosen contained a pre-historic Mississippian Indian village, which was later entered into the Indiana Historical Register as Angel Mounds State Historic Site. Historic discoveries aside, by the time the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon was completed and dedicated in 1979, the river port already possessed four tenants with business in full swing.

Today, the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon serves as a major exporter of grain and grain products and handles significant volumes of other products; including coal, fertilizer and cement and various ores and minerals. "The international scope of this port is astonishing," says Ports of Indiana commissioner H.C. "Bud" Farmer. "Shipments leave our Ohio River port destined for Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Western Europe, Russia, China, and Japan. Clearly, Indiana's second port endeavor has become quite a success story to the people in the Mount Vernon area. The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon currently provides $71.4 million in wages to over 1,500 people in the area."