Park grounds and Clark Memorial at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is a 26-acre park on the Wabash River in Vincennes, Indiana, with the George Rogers Clark Memorial as its centerpiece. There is plenty of room for walking and picnicking, plus there are a few statues, historical markers, and wayside exhibits with information about Clark, his exploits during the American Revolution, the Memorial, Fort Sackville, and what was at the time the northwestern frontier of the British empire in North America. In fact, if you want to learn about Clark, skip the scant exhibits in the Visitor Center and head out to the park grounds.

Wayside exhibit on the grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

There are two portrait sculptures at the park. The Francis Vigo sculpture is located along the river. It was completed in 1936 by artist John Angel. Vigo helped finance Clark’s attempt to capture various British outposts in the Illinois Country, with the most important being the towns of Kaskaskia and Cahokia on the Mississippi River and Vincennes, home of Fort Sackville, on the Wabash River. The British were using these towns as supply depots to support Indian attacks on the American colonists in the Kentucky Country, which was on the southern side of the Ohio River.

Francis Vigo sculpture on the grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

On a trip to Vincennes in late December 1778, unaware that the British had recaptured the town that Clark took control of earlier that August, he ended up being taken prisoner and held at Fort Sackville. He convinced the British that he had no affiliation with Clark, and he was released after a couple of days under the condition that he return to his home in St. Louis, which at the time was Spanish territory on the opposite side of the Mississippi River from Cahokia. While he did comply with the terms of his release, once back in St. Louis he took off for Kaskaskia where Clark was headquartered for the winter. He arrived on January 29, 1779, and informed Clark about the British at Fort Sackville. Clark was also unaware that they had retaken the town.

Vigo also told Clark that the British commander, the hated Lieutenant Governor Harry Hamilton, had sent most of his troops back to Fort Detroit and dismissed the Indian allies for the winter, so there were only about 80 soldiers left at the fort. Clark knew that once spring came, the British would attack him at Kaskaskia with a full army, and that he would easily be defeated. He thus decided to launch a surprise winter attack in late February against Fort Sackville. This heroic attempt resulted in a relatively easy victory and the capture of Hamilton.

Francis Vigo statue sits along the Wabash River at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

A second sculpture by Albin Polaske is of Father Pierre Gibault, another one of Clark’s important allies. Completed in 1935, the statue was placed on the park grounds with St. Francis Xavier Cathedral as its backdrop.

All of the land west of the Appalachian Mountains was part of France’s Louisiana Territory until 1763 when the French were defeated by the British in the French and Indian War. Per the Treaty of Paris, the British gained all land of the Louisiana Territory east of the Mississippi River (the Spanish got the land west of the river). Being former French territory, there were many French people living in the towns and villages now under British control. Per the treaty, if they stayed, they had to pledge allegiance to England and even fight in the British army. In fact, there were no British Regulars guarding any of the towns on Clark’s hit list, only French militiamen.

When Clark and his men first took control of Kaskaskia without firing a shot, the French were scared that he would imprison or kill them due to their pleaded loyalty to England. Father Gibault, a Patriot sympathizer, helped convince the townspeople to support the Americans. He traveled with Clark to Vincennes to help convince the French there to switch sides. Because of Gibault’s help, Clark was even able to assemble French volunteers to fight with him.

Father Gibault sculpture on the grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (photo by National Park Service)

If you want to get a nice view of the George Rogers Clark Memorial and the Wabash River, head towards the northeastern end of the park to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge. Abraham Lincoln supposedly crossed the Wabash at this spot to get to Illinois, thus the name. The bridge was built at the same time as the Clark Memorial, though it was completed a year earlier in 1932. There is a sidewalk on both sides for pedestrian traffic.

View of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park from the Lincoln Memorial Bridge

View of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park from the Lincoln Memorial Bridge

On the Indiana side of the bridge are two large sculptures by French artist Raoul Josset that depict Indian chiefs, one on either side of the highway. The sculptures are made of granite blocks attached to a concrete substructure, giving them the appearance of being solid granite. Over the years, the iron pins and anchors that hold the granite to the concrete have rusted, staining the blocks. In 2022 a 700-pound block broke off and fell to the ground. The bridge had actually been closed to pedestrians since 2019, but shortly after the granite block fell, a contractor was hired to dismantle the sculptures for restoration. All of the blocks were mapped, so the sculpture can be put back together. As of 2025, the project has not been completed, and the National Park Service has made no announcement as to when the renovation will be done. This web page is not updated on a regular basis, so perhaps the sculptures will be back in place by the time you visit Vincennes. I never actually saw them for they had been removed by the time of my visit.

Roaul Josset sculpture at the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana (photo by National Park Service)

Remnants of the dismantled sculpture at the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

There are also a few picnic tables on the grounds of the park, but if you can’t find one, picnicking on the grass is always an option. However, this is no place for a group event.

Picnic table on the grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

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