[4] Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an important United States government administrative center for the Northwest Territory.

[5]: 216–217  In early November 1803, Lewis and Clark are believed to have stopped at Old Shawneetown on their way to Fort Massac, just down the Ohio River.

[6] After the American Revolution, Shawneetown served as an important United States government administrative center for the Northwest Territory.

This fine example of Greek Revival architecture survives as the Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site.

Residents long remembered the visit by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette of France to the city on May 8, 1825, as a high point for the early community's social history.

[13] Because of the town's historically flood-prone location, it is prohibitively difficult to insure, and some researchers have recommended a total relocation of the remaining residents as a preventative policy.