By Nicole Thomas

Warrick County’s first town, Newburgh, Indiana, was initially called Sprinklesburgh after its founder, John Sprinkle. By the 1850s, Newburgh had become one of the largest riverports on the Ohio-Mississippi River. Later, Newburgh served as a key stop on the Underground Railroad and was the first northern town captured by Confederates during the Civil War.

Indiana’s Lex Luther

Actor Michael Rosenbaum was raised in Newburgh and attended Castle High School before earning a degree in theater arts from Western Kentucky University. He is best known for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on the television show “Smallville.” Rosenbaum is also a voice actor whose most well-known role is Wally West (The Flash) in the DC Comics animated “Justice League” series. In 2014, he wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy “Back in the Day,” which was filmed in Newburgh.

The making of Lincoln

When Abraham Lincoln’s family moved to Indiana in 1816, they settled along Little Pigeon Creek. This land was then a part of Warrick County before the area was redistricted into Spencer County two years later. As a young man, Lincoln would walk 17 miles to Boonville, Indiana’s courthouse, where he observed court proceedings and developed his interest in law. One attorney who particularly influenced him was John Adams Brackenridge, a prominent lawyer in southern Indiana. He not only loaned Lincoln law books but was also known for his oratory skills, and Lincoln regularly attended his closing arguments.

Unearthing Warrick’s past

Warrick County is home to three key archeological sites — Angel Mounds, Yankeetown, and Ellerbusch. At Angel Mounds State Historic Site, grassy earthen mounds and preserved artifacts mark the site of what was once a thriving Native American town, dating back 600 to 1,000 years. A few miles away, the Ellerbusch archeological site reveals the outlines of small homes, stone tools, and pottery shards from a tiny village connected to Angel Mounds. Farther east along the banks of the Ohio River, the Yankeetown archeological site has uncovered even older pottery and tools from Native people who lived roughly 1,500 years ago.

County Facts

FOUNDED: 1813

NAMED FOR: Captain Jacob Warrick, an Indiana militia company commander

POPULATION: 63,898

COUNTY SEAT: Boonville 

INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 87