It was named by French-Canadian explorers and fur trappers to the area in the early 18th century to describe the unique location above the Wabash River (see French colonization of the Americas).

[10] (Terre Haute's currently affiliated Order of the Arrow lodge of the Boy Scouts of America is named after the last leader of the Wea village, Jacco Godfroy.)

The economy was based on iron and steel mills, hominy plants, and late in the 19th century, distilleries, breweries, and bottle makers.

With steady growth and development in the latter part of the 19th century, the city's vibrant neighborhoods benefited from improved fire protection, the founding of two hospitals, dozens of churches, and a number of outlets for amusement.

The development of the streetcar system and later the electric-powered trolleys in the 1890s allowed residents to travel with ease to baseball games, picnics, river excursions, amusement parks, and even horse racing.

On the evening of Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913, a major tornado struck the city around 9:45 pm,[11][12] demolishing more than 300 homes, killing 21 people, and injuring 250.

World War II brought an economic upswing with the development of three ordnance plants in the county and the revitalization of the coal, railroad, and agriculture industries.

Terre Haute remained dependent on consumer manufacturers such as Quaker Maid, the world's largest food processing factory under one roof.

The city was an enthusiastic participant in the war effort with troop send-offs, victory gardens, bond sales, civil defense drills, parades, and ceremonies.

The face of downtown Terre Haute began to change in the late 1960s when Interstate 70 was built, passing through Vigo County about 5 mi (8.0 km) south of the path of U.S. 40 Wabash Avenue).

As traffic began to concentrate at the U.S. 41 interchange, many downtown businesses relocated to Honey Creek Mall shopping center, built in 1968.

[15] Grow Terre Haute in the mid-1980s encouraged the establishment of new stores, factories, and high-tech industrial parks that helped to stabilize the economy and enhance community life.

In other developments over these years, railroad overpasses eased traffic congestion, law enforcement strengthened, and several national and state awards for volunteerism and citizen participation boosted local pride.

The efforts of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation, in cooperation with city and county government, have made the industrial park home to some of the world's leading companies – Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional’s cold-rolled steel-processing facility, Staples Corporation’s Midwest Distribution Center, Advics automotive brake systems manufacturing facility, ThyssenKrupp Presta’s automotive steering systems manufacturing facility, and CertainTeed’s fiber cement board manufacturing plant.

These developments over several years inspired property owners throughout downtown to rehabilitate and renovate their buildings, including Hulman & Company.

[20] Terre Haute lies along the eastern bank of the Wabash River in western Indiana, about 75 mi (121 km) west of Indianapolis.

[22] Terre Haute is at the intersection of two major roadways: U.S. 40, originally from California to Maryland, and US 41, from Copper Harbor, Michigan, to Miami, Florida.

Festivals, museums, restaurants, shopping, and the addition of multiple hotels in the area have greatly improved the overall image of downtown Terre Haute.

A statewide high-school jazz festival is hosted annually by the Phi Mu Alpha chapter at Indiana State University.

Terre Haute native Paul Dresser was a late 19th-century singer, actor, songwriter, and music publisher, who became "one of the most important composers of the 1890s".

[39] In 2014, a bronze sculpture, sponsored by Art Spaces and created by Teresa Clark to celebrate the composer, was dedicated in Fairbanks Park near the Dresser House.

[40] The Vigo County Historical Society Museum boasts a collection of artifacts in downtown Terre Haute into a 40,000 square foot, four-level building constructed in 1895.

Housed in the Hulman & Company building built in 1892, the museum has exhibits on the history of Clabber Girl, one of the oldest brands in America, and on the art of baking.

The Indiana Association of Track and Field and Cross-Country Museum is a new addition to the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Terre Haute was the home of Socialist Party of America leader and five-time presidential nominee Eugene V. Debs.

A member of the Prospect League, the team plays its home games at Bob Warn Field at ISU's Sycamore Stadium, The Rex's season runs from late May through early August.

The history of professional baseball in Terre Haute goes back to 1884 includes Hall-of-Famers Mordecai Brown and Max Carey, Josh Devore, Negro League baseball all-star Junius Bibbs, Vic Aldridge, Art Nehf (who holds the National League record for most World Series games pitched), Paul "Dizzy" Trout, Jim "Jumbo" Elliott, Harry Taylor, and Bill Butland.

The facility is part of 240 acres (0.97 km2) that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center east of Terre Haute.

[55] Sky King Airport is 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Terre Haute and mostly serves training and recreational flights.

Until 1965 the C&EI ran the Dixie Flyer from Chicago through Terre Haute, to Evansville, Nashville, Atlanta, and on to Jacksonville, Florida.