Sign 12:  State Street – circa early 1900s

This hand colorized photograph of State Street looking toward the riverfront reveals sidewalks, but the street itself is a dirt road. It remained so until 1931 when it was surfaced with gravel and asphalt.  The turret added to the corner of the Exchange Hotel was likely manufactured by the Mesker Iron Works of Evansville, which was a nationwide supplier of commercial building facades and adornments. Notice the introduction of telephone poles.  State Street was designed to be a main artery of Newburgh since it was first laid out, and that early vision has persisted to this day.