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Timeline . . .
1884
Clara Barton visits Evansville and directs flood relief activities from the home of Major and Mrs. Byron Parsons, later to become the first Deaconess Hospital.
1917
Chartered During the war, the first week of the Evansville Chapter (now the Southwestern Indiana Chapter) of the American Red Cross signed 6,671 new members.
1918
The Canteen was first erected in the train stations to distribute information,  postcards, magazines, cigarettes and meals.  The later donation of a room in the Hotel Sterling served thousands of men passing through every week.
1918
The Junior Red Cross began in Vanderburgh County with more than 1,400 youth.
1937
The first national volunteer blood donor service for the American Red Cross was established.
1937
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter encountered the flood of 1937, one of the most legendary disasters in our local history; helping more than 8,000 families who were displaced and
spending an estimated $515,415 to provide relief for victims.

1940
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter was asked to make 5,835 garments to be sent to Great Britain for the war effort.
1942
Evansville Red Cross Canteen was erected.  The Canteen was open day and night to serve over a million and a half soldiers passing through Evansville during World War II.  The Canteen provided meals, fruit, cigars, postcards, and information and was known world-wide by the armed servicemen.  The Canteen was graced by such star appearances as movie actress Ann Rutherford and royalty Archduke Otto of Austria.
1943
March was first declared Red Cross Month by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1952
The first local blood drive was held at International Steel Company in Evansville.
1958 and 1959
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter trained 1,681 people in Standard First Aid and 1,986 people in Beginner Swim Lessons.
1963
Local Red Cross Executive Director Francis Check was chosen to take an $8.2 million ransom cargo to Cuba and accompany refugees back to Miami.
1970
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter served 2,535 members of the Armed Forces and/or their dependents in this year.
1984
The Indiana State Board of Education rules that students could no longer participate in blood drives during school hours, resulting in a 7-8% decrease in statewide blood supply.
1997
The Ohio River Flood of 1997 affected 22,000-25,000 families.  The Southwestern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross donated $5 million and served over 2,500 meals.
2000
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter partnered with the American Red Cross Tissue Services to locate a Tissue Harvesting Team to help save lives in the Tri-State Area.
2001
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter is appointed the position of Lead Line of Disaster Services for the State of Indiana.
The Chapter is now responsible for overseeing all disaster activity and for staffing all disasters within the State of Indiana.
September 2001
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter responds to the Terrorist Attacks.  28 local disaster volunteers traveled to NY to assist. 
2002
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter announces its new building Capital Campaign and begins fundraising for a new building.
2003
December 2003
The Southwestern Indiana Chapter moved into its new facility located at the corner of Stockwell Road and the Lloyd Expressway.  This new building will allow the Chapter to expand services to at least an additional 20,000 people annually!
2004
The Southwestern Indiana Chaptervolunteers responds to the Florida Hurricanes.
December 2004
Winter storms ravaged the tri-state and the Southwestern Indiana Chapter opened a shelter for over 48 hours.  
2005
January 2005
Shelters were opened following the snow storm for those affected by flooding.
November 2005
Sunday, November 6, 2005 at 2 a.m., a tornado ripped through Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky, in its wake, leaving destruction and devastation.The Southwestern Indiana Chapter sprang into action, providing food and supplies to first responders and by opening a shelter to assist those unable to return to their homes.