Jeffersonville

Jeffersonville, city (1990 pop. 21,841), seat of Clark co., S Ind., at the falls of the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Ky. (with which it is connected by two bridges); inc. 1817. Located in a rich agricultural area, the city is a shipping point for farm products. Its diverse manufacturing base includes such industries as chemicals, steel and wood products, lubricants, electronic and transportation equipment, and food processing. A U.S. Census Bureau mapping center is there.

The city was founded (1802) on the site of Fort Steuben (formerly Fort Finney) by veterans of George Rogers Clark's Old Northwest expedition, who were given the land in gratitude for their services. The original town was built according to plans made by Thomas Jefferson, after whom it is named. It served (1813–16) as the temporary capital of Indiana Territory, and had an important steamboat-building industry in the 1800s.

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