Ind. town, oldest in NW Territory, eyes cityhood

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Officials in a southern Indiana community that bills itself as the oldest town in the old Northwest Territory are exploring whether it should seek city status.

Clarksville was founded in 1783 when it was part of the vast Northwest Territory that included present-day Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota. After 230 years as a town, Clarksville's City/Town Committee recently met with an attorney who helped the central Indiana town of Fishers transition to city status.

The panel could recommend to the town council by August what direction the Ohio River town should take.

Town council member John Gikey tells the News and Tribune (http://bit.ly/ZVwGJM ) that voters in the town of about 22,000 residents have rejected four previous referendum measures seeking city status for Clarksville.

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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com