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Harrison County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the population was 34,325. The county seat is Corydon. As of 2007, the county had a population of 36,810.
History
Harrison County has a long and interesting history dating back to the late 1770s when the area was captured by George Rogers Clark and added to the territory of the United States during the American Revolutionary War.
Harrison County History 1800-1850Harrison County was formed in 1808. It was the first Indiana county formed by the Indiana Territory Legislature and not the Governor. The county was created from land in Clark and Knox County. The county originally contained land that is now parts of Crawford, Floyd, Washington, Jackson, Clark, Lawrence, Perry, Scott and Orange Counties. The county was named for William Henry Harrison, the first governor of Indiana Territory, and later a General in War of 1812, Hero of Tippecanoe, and the 9th U.S. President. Harrison was the largest land holder in the county at the time followed by George Rogers Clark as the second largest. Clark was granted large tracts of land in the county for his service during the Revolutionary War, and Harrison received land for his service as governor of the territory and later for his services in the War of 1812 and the Battle of Tippecanoe. Harrison resided in the county for a period of time before his election as president. Among the first people in what is now Harrison County were Daniel Boone and his brothers, most notably Squire Boone. Squire Boone settled permanently in what is now Boone Township in 1806. He died in 1815 and is buried in a cave near his home, Squire Boone Caverns. James, Isiah, and Daniel (son of Squire) Boone settled in Heth Township during the first decade of the 1800s. The county's first church (and one of the first in the sate) was built by Squire Boone to the east of present day Laconia. The church, which has been reconstructed, is known as Old Goshen. The Harrison County barrens were so named by the early settlers for the lack timber on them. They were large tracts of prairie like land, with only grass and small bushes. For the first decades of settlement, no one would live on the barrens because they were considered too far from the timber needed to build homes, fires, fences, and other necessities. The barrens were also swept by annual field fires, which would burn off most of the growth. The largest barren ran from the northern edge of Corydon northward to Palymra, and from the Floyd Knobs in the east, westward to the Blue River. The Central Barren covered most the upper middle part of the county. As settlement expanded and farming grew in the early nineteenth century, settlers began to discover that because of the fires the barrens were among the most fertile farmlands in the state, and they quickly filled up with landholders. As settlement increased, the settler were able to stop and prevent the wild fires that hindered forest growth and by the start of the 20th century much of the barrens that was uninhabited began to grow up in Forrest, as it has remained until modern times. The first road was built in Harrison County in 1809 connecting Corydon with Mauckport on the Ohio River. A tow and ferry line was operated in Mauckport bringing settlers into the county from Kentucky. This road and ferry greatly expanded the county's economic viability and ease of access to the outside world which lead to a rapid settlement of the area. The county's population more than doubled in the decade after the road was constructed. On May 1 1813 the territorial capital was moved to Corydon. After statehood Corydon served as the first state capital of Indiana from 1816 to 1825. Since then Corydon has been the county seat of Harrison County.[1] The first division of the county occurred in 1814 when the northern portion of the county was separated to become Washington County. The county was again divided in 1818 with the western part of the county being separated to become Crawford County. A third division occurred in 1819 when Floyd County was created out of the eastern part of the county. Harrison County's borders have been shifted several times since then but not significantly. Harrison County History 1850-1900A large Meteorite fell near Buena Vista in Harrison county on March 28 1859 causing some panic in the area. In 1860 the first Harrison County fair was held in Corydon. The fair has been an annual event since then and is the longest continuously running fair in the state. The Fairgrounds were built in the southwest corner of Corydon. The area is bordered on the south and west by a large ridge which served as a natural grandstands until the first grandstands were built circa 1910. The original grandstand burned in 1960 and the county purchased a new grandstands from the minor league baseball team at Parkway Field in Louisville, Kentucky. The only civil war battle fought in the State of Indiana occurred in Harrison County on July 9 1863 between the Harrison County Legion and Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan of the Confederate Army during Morgan's Raid. Morgan crossed the Ohio River into Harrison county on the morning of July 9th. His crossing was initially contested by the Harrison County Legion with artillery on the Indiana shore and an armed river boat. After Morgan opened fire with his own batteries from the opposite shore the legion quickly retreated towards Corydon. The Mauckport citizens, having plenty of warning, fled the town with most of the valuables. When Morgan finally landed on the east side of Mauckport with his 2500 cavalry, he marched his army due north towards Corydon where the county militia was mustering. The resulting conflict is known as The Battle of Corydon. The battle was won by the Confederates and the town of Corydon was then sacked and stores were looted. The battle left four dead, twelve wounded, 355 captured. Morgan took lunch in the Kintner House & Inn where he learned of the Confederate defeat at Gettsyburg(His ultimate destination). After the battle Morgan paroled the militia and continued into northern Harrison County where he sacked New Salisbury with the main body of troops. Crandall and Palmyra where sacked by detachments. He camped in New Salisbury the night of July 9th and the following day resumed his march northward and out of the county and towards his eventual defeat and capture. The Railroad reached Harrison County in 1869 connected by Southern Railways. The line was completed across the northern half of county in 1874 running from Floyd County connecting Crandall and then continuing west into Crawford County.[2] A southward extension connecting Corydon to Crandall was completed in 1882. A train wreck (pictured left) killed three in 1902. The line carried freight and passengers for many years and the main line is still in use today. The southern extension connecting Corydon was purchased by the Corydon Scenic Railroad Company in 1989 and operated as a tourist attraction until 2003 when it was closed because of financial difficulties. Harrison County 1900-2000In 1925 the new county courthouse (pictured above) was completed and occupied by the county government. Prior to its construction, the first state capitol building had been used as the county courthouse since 1825 when it had been abandoned by the state government in favor of Indianapolis. The Harrison-Crawford State Forest was created in 1932 when the State of Indiana purchased the land in western Harrison County. The 26,000 acre park in the largest state forest in Indiana. The forestry surrounds the O'Bannon Woods State Park(Formerly the Wyandotte Woods State Recreation Area) and Wyandotte Caves in eastern Crawford County. The Matthew E. Welsh Bridge was completed in 1966 in Mauckport. It connected Harrison County with neighboring Meade County. This is the only bridge over the Ohio River between Tell City, and New Albany. In 1969 Samuel P Hays donated the 311 acre Hayswood Nature Reserve to the county. It was developed in 1973 by the Harrison County Park Board by adding public facilities to the western part of the preserve. It is the second largest nature reserve in the county. Caesars Indiana opened a casino river boat, hotel complex, and golf course in 1998. This has added greatly to the County's tourism industry. The casino complex became Horseshoe Southern Indiana on July 11, 2008. Today Harrison County is a thriving community and one of the fastest growing in the state. Timeline
Population History
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