Hay King

Switzerland County established itself early as an agricultural and trade center for the area served by the Ohio River, and Swiss immigrant Ulysses P. Schenck became one of its wealthiest and most influential figures by merchandising and shipping produce to southern markets on flatboats. He handled so much hay that he became known as the “Hay King,” and his ventures also included building steamboats, one of which was named the U.P. Schreck. The Schencks lived in a mansion still standing at Main Cross and Market, where they hosted an annual Fourth of July celebration for the townspeople of Vevay. Schenck was the first president of the First National Bank of Vevay and a trustee of Franklin College, and he died in 1884. In the hills behind Vevay, an imposing mansion was being built for his son, Benjamin F. Schenck, when Benjamin died at age 33.

Vevay, Indiana · United States