Ohio River front, taken during Thunder on the Ohio and the Freedom Festival. Thunder was an unlimited hydroplane race presented during the Freedom Festival. It has not been presented since 2009. The Evansville Freedom Festival was an annual festival in Evansville, Indiana that celebrates the Fourth of July. What began in 1970 with only a handful of events has grown to include unlimited boat racing, airshows, food booths, dances, and music culminating with a fireworks show over the Evansville riverfront. In recent years the Freedom Festival has been renamed, struggled financially, been sponsored by other organizations, and at times cancelled. The cranes in the foreground were used to lift the Miss Budweiser hydroplane (not seen here) in and out of the water. This photograph also shows the gravel businesses along the riverfront. The double spired church left background is St. Anthony Catholic Church at 712 First Ave. [This church] began with the vision and benevolence of German immigrants Anthony Reis and his wife, Magdalena, who made their fortune in the tannery business beginning in 1857. In addition to fortune, Mr. Reis found a place in history as the inspiration for an early Catholic church in Evansville, Indiana. In 1872, Mr. Reis built the current Saint Anthony rectory as a mansion for his family. The Reis home was located on the block bounded by First Avenue, Columbia Street, Second Avenue and Delaware Street. Mr. Reis died in 1884, and the next year his widow donated this parcel of land to the Indianapolis Diocese with the stipulation that the land be used as the site of a Catholic Church to be named in memory of her husband. Three years later, Bishop Francis S. Chatard received a petition from 150, mostly poor, German families from Holy Trinity Church requesting the organization of a new parish. Saint Antonius Kirche, or Saint Anthony Church, became the sixth Catholic parish in Evansville. In 1888, Rev. Joseph Schuck, a 23 year-old native of Germany, became the first pastor and began plans for a school that would house a provisional church on the second floor. Within weeks, Father Schuck was forced to step down as pastor because of poor health and was replaced by Rev. Kasper Seiler. While the church-school was being built, Mrs. Reis provided Father Seiler a temporary room in her home and offered the use of her attic for church services. On June 13, 1888, the Feast of Saint Anthony, the new parish celebrated its first Mass and continued to hold services in the attic for the next four months. On November 4, 1888, Mass was held for the first time in the new parish building. The parish grew so rapidly that preparations soon began for the construction of a larger church, separate from the school. Brother Adrian O.S.F., a renowned architect from Saint Louis, was chosen to design the church. On Pentecost Monday, May 25, 1896, the church was ready for its formal consecration. The ceremony began at 7 a.m. and was attended by more than 25 priests from Southern Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Members of Evansville's Catholic parishes assembled at Holy Trinity Church and paraded to Saint Anthony to attend the Pontifical High Mass. The 290 families in the new parish pledged $17,000 for the new church, and donations from other parishes and pew rent (a payment for the right to sit in the same pew each Sunday) would help offset the remainder of the costs. In 1888, the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana were called to conduct school. The Franciscans would represent the only religious order teaching at Saint Anthony until 1975. In 1927, enrollment at the school had grown to approximately 400 pupils and a new school and parish building was built and dedicated in June of 1932. Saint Anthony School continued to serve school families until 1987. That year due to declining enrollment, Saint Anthony School consolidated with St. Joseph School as Ascension Elementary School. One year later, Ascension School closed. Today, Saint Anthonys Church has been restored to its former splendor. The parishioners continue their mission to serve the poor in Evansville. The former school is now known as the Center for Family Life, or CFL, and is home to the church cafeteria, gym, chapel, meeting rooms, and Parish Offices. Today St. Anthony is part of All Saints Parish, with St. Joseph Catholic Church.