Since the late 1800s, houseboats and shacks began to appear along the banks of Pigeon Creek, from its mouth to at least Maryland Street. To some Evansville residents, they created an eyesore, and others were concerned that substandard housing might produce other hazards. Over the decades, attempts were made to remove the houseboats and shacks, but they eventually returned to the creek. In March 1957, the Evansville Redevelopment Commission served condemnation notices and evacuation orders to the “shanty dwellersâ€
in a move dubbed “Operation Houseboat.†In May, city firemen burned the abandoned shacks and boats, and the unconventional “neighborhood†that had existed along Pigeon Creek was just a memory.
Can’t tax’em, burn’em
Frank Mcdonald version of ethnic cleansing. A dark day in Evansville’s history.
He was sheriff at that time, wasn’t he? He wasn’t mayor until 1960, so I don’t see what he had to do with it, other than following orders, if anything. How do you tie him to it?
Comments are closed.