The History of Highbanks
Highbanks was once a small town nestled on the south side of the White River, nine miles west of Petersburg, Indiana. It became the second established community in Pike County, officially founded in 1819 by pioneering families from Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina who began settling the area as early as 1813.
By the early 1850s, one of the cornerstones of Highbanks was a general store built on East Main Street by Robert Logan, a Scottish immigrant. He and his wife, Elizabeth White—born in England to a wealthy family—had made their way to Pike County in the 1820s. Their love story defied expectations: Elizabeth’s family disapproved of their marriage due to Robert’s poverty. It’s said that when they arrived in Indiana, Robert had only one dollar to his name. With his first earnings, he bought Elizabeth a silk dress.
Robert wasn’t just a storekeeper. He purchased livestock from local farmers, butchered and cured the meat, then loaded it—along with salt, corn, wheat, and other goods—onto flatboats headed for New Orleans. On return trips up the Mississippi River, he brought back many other things including sugar and molasses, which required barrels for transport. Seeing a business opportunity, he hired local men to cut staves and hoop poles for barrel-making, selling them to southerners to construct the barrels and, often, selling the boats themselves. Many times, he and his crew would walk all the way back home on foot.
Robert often sourced his store inventory from Evansville, hauling goods back to Highbanks by ox-drawn wagon. A glimpse into his 1850 ledger gives us a snapshot of daily life:
January 22, 1850 – Madison Traylor
1 set of knitting needles – $0.05
January 23, 1850 – Thomas Hutchins
2 plugs of tobacco – $0.10
20 yards factory cotton – $2.00
Box of Wright’s Pills – $0.25
Money purse – $0.10
January 26, 1850 – Woolsey Pride, Sr.
Set of knives and forks – $1.60
February 4, 1850 – Woolsey Pride, Sr.
4 yards blue jean – $0.60 per yard
6 pounds coffee – $0.16 ⅔ per pound
In addition to his many business ventures, Robert served Pike County in the Indiana General Assembly throughout the 1840s, and again in 1869 and 1871.
Together, Robert and Elizabeth raised seven children (Sarah, Alice and Linda to name a few) and eventually became quite prosperous through their various enterprises and land holdings. They moved to Washington, Indiana shortly before Robert’s passing in 1872.
Highbanks began to fade in the late 19th century after a railroad line bypassed the town. By 1963, it had vanished completely.
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When it came time to name our venue, I started digging into the history of the land—and felt like I struck gold. While many early settlers helped shape this area, it was Robert and Elizabeth’s story that stayed with me. To journey into the unknown with almost nothing, build a family, serve a community, and turn hard work into a legacy—that’s the kind of story that deserves to live on.
Their grit, generosity, and quiet courage inspired me. You’ll find little nods to their legacy throughout the venue—from decorative touches to the names of our packages.
It’s our hope that Highbanks continues to be a place where stories like theirs can begin again.
**I did not list all of his accomplishments, but I encourage you to check out the sources listed below and research the history of your area. You might just be surprised by what you find!
Sources:
https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/0ae81cf7b6bb5e78ac7c68ea9524f775.pdf
https://indcanal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logan-Robert.pdf
