Grandview, overlooking the Ohio River, was platted and recorded in 1851, but its history reached back to the spring of 1807, when the Ezekiel Ray family crossed from Kentucky on a log raft and became permanent settlers near the mouth of Big Sandy Creek in Indiana Territory, in what would become Spencer County. Other families soon followed, and the Rey, Lamar, and Hammond families entered land grants in 1811. During the War of 1812, Native American uprisings occurred in the territory, and one of six blockhouses ordered by the Territorial Governor stood at Grandview’s western boundary on Ezekiel Ray’s 553 acres. The town continued to grow, reaching a population of 724 when it was incorporated in 1872. River traffic remained heavy until the turn of the century, and Grandview supported businesses including a flour mill, stave factory, cooper shop, and two tobacco warehouses, while musselmen harvested shells along the river. Its population peaked at 822 in the 1880s and 1890s. Grandview endured fires and devastating floods, and in 2007 its 600 residents celebrated 200 years of community history. Swiss native August Tonnini arrived in late 1869 and opened a hardware business with only $40 in capital, later becoming one of the town’s most important property owners, and his home still stands there.