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Harrison got around the issue by declaring his slaves were now indentured servants%u2014although they likely lived under conditions indistinguishable from slavery. Actually, during his time in office, Knox County, where Vincennes was located, was the center of slavery in Indiana. Governor Harrison made several attempts to legalize slavery in the Territory, but was unsuccessful because of an even stronger anti-slavery faction. When the indentured servitude law was repealed in 1810, his former slaves finally became free. However, some local slaveholders felt that preexisting slavery should be allowed to continue, and other masters simply didn%u2019t care if it was illegal or not. As a result, 237 people continued to be listed as slaves in the 1810 Territorial census.Vincennes was founded on the Wabash River in 1732 as a French trading post. By the time of Harrison%u2019s arrival, it had grown to have a white population of 714, and there were only two other settlements within the boundaries of what would become the State of Indiana. These were Clarksville, along the Ohio River, and Fort Wayne where the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers join to form the Maumee. There were also two military posts in the area%u2014at Fort Quiatanon (near Lafayette) and Fort Miami (at Fort Wayne). In 1800, Vincennes had the only Post Office in the Indiana Territory. Henry Hurst was its first Postmaster, and Charles Floyd carried mail between Louisville and Vincennes for an annual salary of $600. Mail delivery was hardly speedy, as it took 6 to 8 weeks for Harrison to send a letter from Vincennes to Washington, D.C. During the early 1800s, the white population continued to grow and become more established. As a result of the increased development, Vincennes University was incorporated on November 29, 1806, and to support it, a special lottery was authorized. Also that same year, Governor Harrison presided over a meeting to form a local circulating library, which boasted 245 volumes by 1809. In 1814, the town%u2019s first bank was chartered, and a tax assessor was hired to collect excise taxes on distilling.New laws were passed as needed, with one early ordinance prohibiting people from keeping more than 20 pounds of gunpowder in their house. It had a penalty of $10%u201320 for noncompliance. Another law set the fine for stealing a hog at a $50%u2013100, plus a punishment of 39%u201350 lashes. The second offense for horse theft was even harsher%u2014death. Although amusing to modern sensibilities, there was a statute that required owners of billiard tables to list them with the county tax collector.The first newspaper in Vincennes, the Indiana Gazette, began publishing in 1804. Each issue was printed on a wooden press brought overland from Kentucky by Elihu Stout, a friend of Governor Harrison. After the press was destroyed by fire, Stout brought in another, on which he began publishing the Western Sun and General Advertiser.The Territorial Legislative Hall was the government seat of the Indiana Territory. Its date of construction is a bit cloudy, but it seems to have been erected sometime before 1803. The modest two-story structure was built of local tulip poplar. The first floor had office spaces reserved for local government officials, and there was an assembly room on the second floor, which could only be reached by an outdoor stairway. In the beginning, the building was used by the Governor and the three Territorial Judges. Then, when the General Assembly was formed in 1805, it met in the structure. After Indiana became a state, the building was converted into a private residence, then was abandoned and neglected for many years. It was eventually rescued by the women of the Fortnightly Club who were instrumental in getting it restored, and having it deeded to the State of Indiana. For a number of years, the historic building had a front porch, but it was removed during a restoration. While