Why does Downtown Newburgh look the way it does?

The rhetorical question on a pamphlet produced by Keller-Crescent advertising in 1980 was not presented as an indictment, but rather a challenge to community leaders. One of those leaders was Mae Mason, who was to eventually head-up a group formed out of concern for the future of the town. The first director of the new organization, Historic Newburgh Inc., (HNI) was Steve Shoemaker, who currently is the District One representative on the Newburgh Town Council. The second leader was Mason, who, after seven years of service, became Town Manager of Newburgh for almost 18 years.

​

The picture featured on the advertising agency’s pamphlet was not a pretty one. But it was an accurate portrayal of a small river town with an interesting history that had fallen into disrepair. Starting at the old Town Hall (now Preservation Hall) and walking south, you would see blight, disrepair, boarded-up shops, and a rowdy motorcycle gang that kept both towns-people and visitors away from the riverfront. The pamphlet, funded through a grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce, had the intended effect. Scores of people became concerned enough that they offered their names and a small check to launch Historic Newburgh Inc. on its way to giving a rebirth to the old, weary town. (You can see the HNI Charter members listed at the end of this article.)

​

One immediate long-term payback on a $25 investment was the promise to the donors that they could remain members of Historic Newburgh Inc. without paying dues for as long as they lived. But the more immediate reward was hope, real hope, that their active involvement would put the town back on track.

​

Spoiler alert!  Most of them would live to see that hoped-for payback on their investment. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

​

The seeds of what was to become Historic Newburgh Inc. were actually planted several years earlier by the Father of Agronomy in Indiana, Purdue University, in distant West Lafayette. A Purdue group studying negative impacts of “Urban Renewal” focused on Newburgh and 31 other Indiana cities and towns. It observed Newburgh’s largely-abandoned retail sector and suggested ways to deal with the problem and allied issues.

​

A group of Newburgh citizens took the analysis to heart, rolled-up their sleeves and developed a list of steps to take on several fronts. The Women’s Club of Newburgh was a key player. Mason, the club’s president, was especially involved in an action group. HNI spun-off from the citizens committee and Mason soon became the energetic but steady hand on the throttle of what was to become Newburgh’s primary civic asset, HNI.  Mason packed a potent mix of Southern Lady charm and stubborn dedication for dealing with challenges. Those working with her were motivated by her zeal and good humor.

​

Mason later observed that a fire that destroyed the Riverview Inn, a popular restaurant and watering hole, sounded the death knell for the town’s retail sector. The motorcycle gang purchased a riverfront building in the same abandoned block and terrorized many who would walk past it. The group also threatened retailers who spoke-out on its negative effect on their businesses. Many of the mom-and-pop operations eventually tossed in the towel.

​

Owners of the now-abandoned stores shuttered the windows, contributing to blight of the Downtown business district. Mason and others pulled together and inspired leaders of other civic organizations, business leaders, retail shop owners, and town government to deal with the issues.

​

​