EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – Evansville has been declared a World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service (NPS).
NPS says the American World War II Heritage Cities Program honors the contributions of local towns, cities, counties, and citizens who stepped into the workforce to support America’s war effort during World War II. Only one American World War II Heritage City can be designated in each state or territory.
According to the Evansville Wartime Museum, Evansville was the center of World War II production. Local factories created products helped troops fight on land, sea and air, according to the museum. Officials with the museum also state the Red Cross Canteen was the next best thing to home for some military personnel.
NPS says World War II permeated every aspect of American life and resulted in a large migration of people within the United States. Individuals and families relocated to industrial centers for good-paying war jobs and out of a sense of patriotic duty. Many industrial centers became “boom towns,” growing at phenomenal rates.
