A major wave of immigration occurred from around 1815 to 1865. The majority of these newcomers hailed from Northern and Western Europe. approximately one-third came from Ireland, which experienced a massive famine in the mid-19th century in the 1840s, almost half of Americans immigrants were from Ireland alone. Typically impoverished, these Irish immigrants settled near their point of arrival in cities long the east coast. Between 1820 and 1930, some 4.5 million Irish migrated to the United States.

The first Irishman to settle the area of what would someday be known as McCutchanville would be a individual by the name of Charles McCutchan-Johnstone on March 1819. This man and his seven children had come from County Longford, Ireland right at the start of the massive wave of Irish immigration. He traveled down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh on flatboats until he reached the town of Evansville. He decided to continue his voyage up the Pigeon Creek until Stringtown Hill. Here he disembarked from his boats and traveled north up what would be known as Old State Road today. Before reaching Scott Township, Charles headed east down what is now know as Petersburg Rd until he reached the high hills of the future McCutchanville. Here he registered one-thousand acres from the Vincennes Land Office. His property extended from Petersburg Road as far east as Green River Road.

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William McCutchan was born in County Weatmeath, on August 1, 1775.  It is believed that William was the half brother of Charles McCutchan-Mcjohnstone. William left  Ireland in early 1806 and arrived in New York State in May of that year. The reason for emigration was religious oppression. In America he purchased land and settled near the village of Bethel in Sullivan County, New York. It is here that it is believed Charles and William met and discussed the promising new land in Indiana. William arrived in McCutchanville in 1828 and purchased several tracts of land.

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In 1835, Samuel McCutchan inspired by stories from his father William, also made the move to this area north of Evansville. In 1850, McCutchan applied for a post office for the community. It was well known that his house had been the unofficial mail distribution center for a number of years before. When asked what he wished the office to be named, he offered up Goshen, an area from Ireland his family had come from. Unfortunately their was already one in existence by that name so they named it McCutchans-ville and Samuel became the Post Master. This led to the community being called McCutchanville.

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Prior to WW2 fires were put out with only buckets and wet sacks while awaiting an engine from the city of Evansville. A resident would pick up the phone and make four long rings. This would alert the other homes of a fire. It wouldn’t be until WW2 when the civil defense would donate a pumper trailer to the community. Many of these pumpers were used throughout the United States for a long time.

Also during the war, the city assigned an extra engine to station 12 on First Avenue and West Morgan. This Engine (13) was first due to calls north of the city where much of the war supplies production was taking place. Due to its proximity from the county, this apparatus had an extended travel time to fires in the community of McCutchanville, leading to total losses.

On April 27, 1947  The McCutchanville Volunteer Fire Department debuted their new engine. The Dodge Lurvern Fire Engine brought in a price of $6,000 which was paid for entirely by the Benefit Club through donations and membership fee’s. The Luvern was fully equipped and painted the traditional fire-truck red. The Engine was stored in the garage of storekeeper Ralph H. Swope who was named Fire Chief of the newly created Fire Department.

Click here to learn more about Ralph Swope Store.

In 1955 the Department purchased a second fire truck ( Central ) and was added to the department. This truck would have 1,000 gallons of water on it. This would double the amount of water that the first apparatus was able to hold. Much of the work that was performed on this truck was done by the members of the Benefit Club. The designing was credited to Paul Swope.

In 1958 the Department elected James France as Fire Chief, Walter Foster as Assistant Chief, and Paul Swope as Secretary-Treasurer. On November 21, 1960 the department’s first engine was involved in a fatal accident on Highway 41 and Hillsdale. The truck was responding to a fire on Booneville-New Harmony Rd when they approached the intersection on 41. They began to clear the intersection when a motor vehicle collided with the side of the fire engine. One passenger in the car passed away and one member in the truck sustained minor injuries. The Evansville Fire Department leaned out a 1930 Open-Air Beyer to help while the department worked to replace the Engine.