Harrison County was created in July 1784 from parts of Monongalia County.
County Seat - The first meeting of the Harrison County court was held on July 20, 1784 at George Jackson's home. One of the first orders of business was to select a permanent county seat. It was decided to move the county seat to Clarksburg. In 1773, David Davisson claimed the land upon which Clarksburg was formed. The town, named in honor of the explorer General George Rogers Clark, was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in October 1785, and it was incorporated in 1795.
Clarksburg's first newspaper, The By-Stander, began publication in 1810. Clarksburg began to grow following the construction of the Northwestern Turnpike connecting Winchester and Parkersburg. It reached Clarksburg in 1836. Clarksburg's economic development was also helped by the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway in 1856. The railroad was instrumental in the development of the local coal mining industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
County Name - It was named in honor of Benjamin Harrison who had recently retired as Governor of Virginia.
Benjamin Harrison was born in 1726 on his father's estate (called Berkeley) which was located on the banks of the James River overlooking Richmond, Virginia. He was the eldest son of ten children. He attended William and Mary College, but returned home before graduating to manage his father's estate following a lightning strike that killed his father and two of his sisters. He was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 1764, and opposed the British imposition of taxes on the colonists. In 1773, he was elected to the Continental Congress (serving from 1774 to 1777), and chaired the Board of War. During his congressional years, he was renowned for his wry, often dark sense of humor. When there was discussion about the possibility of being hanged for signing the Declaration of Independence, the overweight Harrison told Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, a thin man: "I shall have all the advantage over you. It will be all over in a minute for me, but you will be kicking in the air half an hour after I am gone."
Harrison resigned from his congressional seat late in 1777 to return to his estate in Virginia. Shortly thereafter, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was selected by its members to serve as its Speaker. He served as Speaker until 1782 when he was elected Governor of Virginia, serving from 1782 to 1784. Prohibited from running for a third term, he retired from politics and returned to his estate. In 1788, he re-entered political life after being appointed to the Virginia convention that considered the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He then decided to run for a seat in the Virginia state legislature. He was elected in April 1791, but on April 24, 1791, the day after his election, he was stricken with a severe bout of gout and died. His third son, William, followed in his father's footsteps. General William H. Harrison was elected the 9th President of the United States. Benjamin Harrison was also the great grandfather, and namesake, of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States.
The 1790 census, taken shortly after Harrison County was formed, indicated that the new county had next to the smallest population (2,080) of the nine counties that were, at that time, within present-day West Virginia. Berkeley County had the largest population (19,713) and Randolph County had the smallest (951). There were 55,873 people living within the present state's boundaries at the time.
Areas adjacent to Harrison County are Marion County (north), Taylor County and Barbour County (east), Upshur County (southeast), Lewis County (south), Doddridge County (west), Wetzel County (northwest). Harrison County Cities and Towns Include Anmoore, Bridgeport, Bristol, Clarksburg, Dawmont, Enterprise, Gypsy, Haywood, Hepzibah, Industrial, Lost Creek, Lumberport, McWhorter, Meadowbrook, Mount Clare, Nutter Fort, Stonewood, Reynoldsville, Salem, Shinnston, Spelter, Stonewood, Wallace, West Milford, Wilsonburg, Wolf Summit, Wyatt
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Harrison County Clerkhas Land Records from 1786,
Marriage Records from 1784, Probate Records from 1788 and Birth & Death Records from 1853 -Present and is located at the Courthouse,
301
W. Main Street, Clarksburg,
WV 26301; 304-624-8672, Fax:
304-624-8575. The County Clerk's many duties include some of the following: the issuance of marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, record births, marriages and deaths in the county, serve as the recorder of all documents, prepare and send to all heirs a Notice to Redeem and take care of publications, redemptions or recording deeds with regard to delinquent property, issue military service discharge records and probate wills and assist in administration of estates.
Harrison County Clerk of Circuit Courthas Court Records from 1784 and is located at the Courthouse,
301 W. Main Steet, Clarksburg,
WV 26301-2967; 304-624-8635, Fax:
304-624-8673 . The County Clerk of the Circuit Court's many duties include some of the following: Serve as the Clerk to the Circuit and Family Court, Issue mesne (during the progress of a case) process, Issue final process to enforce and execute judgements, Appoint guardian ad litem where required, Responsible for all papers filed in the office; serve as registrar, recorder and custodian for all pleadings, documents and funds pertaining to cases filed in circuit court and family court, Responsible for the administration and management of the petit and grand jury systems in the county
Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.
As a contributing structure to the Clarksburg Historic District, the Harrison County Courthouse adds its remarkable “Art Moderne” design to this largely classical locale. It stands on a site that has seen three of the four courthouses raised in the city of Clarksburg, and was itself commissioned to replace the previous courthouse constructed in 1889. Built with $700,000 raised by special levy, the courthouse was completed in 1932 and dedicated in a lavish ceremony on November 27 of that year. The sleek facade is constructed of buff limestone on polished black granite, and is surmounted by an illuminated clock face. The courthouse plaza is home to two icons of West Virginia history: a statue of native son Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and the flagstaff from the U.S.S. West Virginia, sunk at Pearl Harbor
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Court Records by clicking the link below:
West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search West Virginia Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
PLEASE READ!! In terms of obtaining vital records from the State Vital Records Office, West Virginia is not an "open record" state. Access to certified copies of birth certificates is restricted to persons with a legal right to the certificate, i.e: The registrant, Mother or father, Legal guardian, Registrant's spouse, Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., of the registrant, Brother or sister of the registrant, Mother-in-law / father-in-law of registrant, Son-in-law / daughter-in-law of registrant or Grandparents and great-grandparents of the registrant.
Vital Records, 350 Capitol St, Rm 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701, Please allow up to approximately 2-3 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:
Birth & Death Certificates: Birth & Death records are maintained by West Virginia State Vital Records Office since Jan 1917 through the present. For earlier records, write to the Clerk of County Court in the county where the birth occurred. Fees vary.
Cost: There is a non refundable $10.00 search fee, which entitles the applicant to one certified copy of the birth certificate. The search fee covers a three year search that consists of the year specified, the year before, and the year after the year specified. Additional copies are also $10.00 each. If no record is found, a "No Record" letter will be mailed to the applicant informing them that no record is on file for the requested certificate. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 2-3 weeks when ordered by mail (Birth / Death) or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications since 1921 and Divorce Verifications since 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk in the county in which the event occurred.
Cost: Fees vary
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office. If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 Eastern Time except for official holidays. The West Virginia Vital Records Office is located at Room 165, 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301-3701; Phone: 304-558-9100.
Map 1, Map 2 Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Vital Registration " along with the necessary information to the following address: Vital Registration, Room 165, 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301-3701. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical West Virginia newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
West Virginia Archives and History Birth, Death and Marriage Records Search (limited dates & Places)
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Harrison County, West Virginia are (See Virginia Censuses 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860) 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms
Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Harrison County, West Virginia are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. (NOTE: For the years 1850 & 1860, Harrison County was located in Virginia)
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for West Virginia and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The West Virginia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Maps. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Maps by clicking the link below:
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of West Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
While people were taxed in Virginia prior to 1782, not many tax lists for that early period have survived, and the originals that have survived are at the Virginia State Library. Colonial period taxes were imposed on the personal property of males who were twenty-one and older, and called "tithables." While there is no comprehensive list or collection of early tax lists, many fragments are printed throughout Virginia genealogical literature
West Virginia has one of the most complete sets of old tax records in existence. Land tax records dating from 1782 to 1936 for all counties, with some through 1959, are available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston. Most county clerks have duplicate copies in their offices. As noted in the section on Virginia, the Virginia State Library has the original unindexed personal property tax records from 1782 to 1863.
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Harrison County Genealogical Society,
P. O. Box 387,
Clarksburg, WV 26302-0387
Harrison County Historical Society,
P. O. Box 2074,
Clarksburg, WV 26302-2074
Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library, West Virginia Collection, 404 West Pike Strett, Clarksburg, WV 26301; Phone: (304) 624-6512, ext. 21
West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
West Virginia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search West Virginia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Many religious groups have deposited their records at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Church record inventories compiled as part of the Historical Records Survey are available there and at the FHL. For a complete discussion of early church records, see Virginia-Church Records.
The most extensive collection of West Virginia tombstone inscriptions was compiled by the Historical Records Survey. Available at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and on microfilm at the FHL, the collection includes inscriptions through 1939-40. The DAR and others have published volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of West Virginia obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a West Virginia newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from West Virginia.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Harrison County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
West Virginia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
The first native settlers in present-day North-Central West Virginia (Barbour, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor counties) were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. Remnants of the Mound Builders' civilization have been found throughout northern West Virginia, with a high concentration of artifacts located at Moundsville, West Virginia, in West Virginia's northern panhandle (in Marshall County). The Grave Creek Indian Mound, located in the center of Moundsville, is one of West Virginia's most famous historic landmarks. More than 2,000 years old, it stands 69 feet high and 295 feet in diameter.
The following is a brief history overview:
Several thousand Hurons occupied present-day West Virginia during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
During the 1600s, the Iroquois Confederacy (then consisting of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca tribes) drove the Hurons from the state and used it primarily as a hunting ground.
During the early 1700s, the Shawnee, Mingo, Delaware, and other Indian tribes also used present-day West Virginia as a hunting ground. West Virginia's Potomac Highlands was inhabited by the Tuscarora. They eventually migrated northward to New York and, in 1712, became the sixth nation to formally be admitted to the Iroquois Confederacy. The Cherokee Nation claimed southern West Virginia.
In 1744, Virginia officials purchased the Iroquois title of ownership to West Virginia in the Treaty of Lancaster.
The Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee sided with the French during the French and Indian War (1755-1763). The Iroquois Confederacy officially remained neutral, but many in the Iroquois Confederacy allied with the French.
When the French and Indian War was over, England's King George III feared that more tension between Native Americans and settlers was inevitable. In an attempt to avert further bloodshed, he issued the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Proclamation was, for the most part, ignored.
During the summer of 1763, Ottawa Chief Pontiac led raids on key British forts in the Great Lakes region. Shawnee Chief Keigh-tugh-qua, also known as Cornstalk, led similar raids on western Virginia settlements. The uprisings ended on August 6, 1763 when British forces, under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet, defeated Delaware and Shawnee forces at Bushy Run in western Pennsylvania.
In 1768, the Iroquois Confederacy (often called the Six Nations) and the Cherokee signed the Treaty of Hard Labour and the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, relinquishing their claims on the territory between the Ohio River and the Alleghenies to the British.
In April 1774, the Yellow Creek Massacre took place near Wheeling. Among the dead were Mingo Chief Logan's brother and pregnant sister. Violence then escalated into Lord Dunmore's War.
On October 10, 1774, Colonel Andrew Lewis and approximately 800 men defeated 1,200 Indian warriors led by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk at the Battle of Point Pleasant, ending Lord Dunmore's War.
The Mingo and Shawnee allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783). One of the more notable battles occurred in 1777 when a war party of 350 Wyandot, Shawnee, and Mingo warriors, armed by the British, attacked Fort Henry, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the Americans manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes in Ohio. As the number of settlers in the region grew, both the Mingo and the Shawnee move further inland, leaving western Virginia to the white settlers.
Highlights of Harrison County's Early History
Harrison County's European Pioneers and Settlers
John Simpson, a trapper and fur trader, is believed to be the first European settler in present-day Harrison County. He explored the Clarksburg area during the early 1760s. In 1764, he met Samuel and John Pringle, deserters from Fort Pitt. They explored the Tygart Valley together, but had an argument somewhere in the vicinity of present-day Tucker County and decided to part ways. The Pringles headed toward Buckhannon and Simpson continued westward, crossing and naming Simpson Creek in present-day Harrison County. He then reached the mouth of a creek, that he named Elk Creek because there were so many Elk in the area. He built a cabin near the creek and camped there for the winter. In the spring of 1765, he returned to the South Branch of the Potomac to sell his furs. He then returned to his cabin and decided to stay there. In 1781, he received a grant for 400 acres of land along the West Fork River, legitimizing his claim to the land in the region. In 1786, he sold his land to Nicholas Carpenter and moved to Ohio.
Thomas Nutter was another early Harrison County settler. He received a land grant for 1,400 acres of land along Elk Creek, close to present-day Clarksburg. He arrived in the county with his brothers Matthew and Christopher around 1772. Shortly thereafter, Obadiah and Daniel Davisson also settled in the Clarksburg area. Together, they constructed Nutter's Fort, one of the strongest forts south of Fort Pitt. Thomas Nutter died in early August 1808 and is buried in Nutter's graveyard, near where the fort stood. A marker at West Virginia Business College marks where the fort was located. In 1940, Nutter Fort, named for Thomas Nutter, was officially incorporated.
Levi, Clement, and Jonathan Shinn arrived in the county shortly after Thomas Nutter. Originally from New Jersey, Levi Shinn and his brother, David, visited the county in 1772 or 1773 to establish "tomahawk" rights (claiming territory by marking trees with notches). David decided not to move to the area. He later enlisted in the army and fought in the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he settled in Hampshire County. Shortly after establishing his tomahawk rights, Levi and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to the Winchester, Virginia area, and then to the present-day Shinnston area, arriving in 1776 or 1777. They were soon joined by Levi's brothers, Clement and Jonathan (probably in 1778). In 1785, Levi built a grist mill near Shinn's Run. The mill later served as the focal point for the area's development. In 1793, Levi sold 607 acres of his land to his brothers. In 1815, Jonathan's sons, Levi Shinn (often referred to as Elder Levi Shinn because of the position he held in his church) and Asa Shinn, laid out a town on a portion of their father's land into lots to be sold to settlers. The Virginia General Assembly chartered Shinnston on January 22, 1818. At that time, Levi and Asa had the only homes in the town. The first four lots were purchased on June 10, 1819 by John Maulsby, Robert Mason, Moses Shinn, Jr., and David Earl. The town grew very slowly at first. In 1840, there were still only eight or nine families living in Shinnston. The census of 1870 revealed that the town's population had reached 203.
The first settlers along Simpson Creek, located within present-day Bridgeport, included James Anderson, John Powers, Andrew Davisson, Joseph Davisson, and John Wilkinson. They arrived between 1771 and 1774 and constructed a fort for their mutual protection against the Indians. To gain quick access to the fort, they constructed a pontoon bridge of short logs tied with long hickory withes across Simpson Creek. The settlement thus derived its name of "The Bridge-fort." According to one local historian, the name changed to Bridgeport when a mapmaker mislabeled the settlement.
Important Events in Harrison County during the 1700s
Colonel Benjamin Wilson, an avid Indian fighter and local politician, was one of Randolph and Harrison County's more notable citizens. He was born in Frederick County, now Shenandoah County, Virginia, on November 30, 1747. His parents moved to Trout Run, near the South Branch of the Potomac, then in Frederick and now in Hardy County, when he was a small boy. In 1770, he married Ann Ruddell and moved to Tygart Valley, in Randolph County. In 1774, he served as a Lieutenant in Lord Dunmore's army, and later served as Lord Dunmore's personal aide during Lord Dunmore's War. He later served during the American Revolutionary War and was promoted to Captain. After the war, he served as the commander of the local militia and, in 1781, was promoted to Colonel. He also served in the state legislature for several terms. In 1784, he was instrumental in the organization of Harrison County from Monongalia County, and was named Harrison County's first county clerk. He held this position for thirty years. In 1788, he moved to Clarksburg when his land in the Tygart Valley was incorporated into the newly formed Randolph County. Around this time, he bought 400 acres along Simpson Creek, and built several mills there. He died in 1827. During his life, he fathered twenty-nine children, twelve with Ann Ruddell and eighteen with Phoebe Davisson, whom he married in 1795, following Ann's death. His youngest child was born when he was seventy-three years old.
Colonel George Jackson, and his son, Brigadier General John George Jackson, are two more significant figures in Harrison County's history. Born in Cecil County, Maryland in 1757, Colonel George Jackson moved with his parents to Moorefield, and, in 1769, to Jackson's Fort, near present-day Buckhannon. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel during the American Revolutionary War. In 1784, he moved to Clarksburg, practiced law, and was elected to the House of Delegates, serving from 1785 to 1791, and from 1794 to 1795. He was one of several leading citizens in the area who actively lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to create Harrison County, arguing that the county seat in Morgantown was too far away for the efficient conduct of business. In recognition of his prominence in the county, Harrison County's first county court session was held at his home. In 1788, he was a member of the state convention that ratified the United States Constitution. In 1794, he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1795 to 1797, and from 1799 to 1803. In 1806, he moved to Zanesville, Ohio and was subsequently elected to the Ohio state House of Representatives (1809-1812) and the Ohio state Senate (1817-1819). He died in Zanesville, Ohio on May 17, 1831.
Colonel Jackson's son, Brigadier General John George Jackson, was born near Buckhannon on September 22, 1777 and moved with his father to Clarksburg in 1784. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1798 to 1801 and was elected to his father's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1803 to 1810, left to serve in the War of 1812, and then returned to the House, serving from 1813 to 1817. His first wife, Mary Payne, was Dolly Madison's sister. He vigorously defended James Madison's policies during his presidency to the point where he requested duels with three of Madison's political opponents. On December 4, 1809, he was permanently lamed in a duel with Joseph Pearson of North Carolina. In 1819, President James Monroe appointed him United States district judge for the western district of Virginia. He served in that capacity until his death in Clarksburg on March 28, 1825.
In 1787, the Virginia General Assembly voted to establish Randolph Academy in Clarksburg, the first Academy (similar to today's private high schools) west of the Appalachian Mountains. The school was chartered in 1787, construction began in 1793, and it opened its doors in 1795. The Academy was sold in 1841 and replaced by the Northwestern Virginia Academy. It operated until 1865, when it was taken over by the new public school system.
Important Events in Harrison County during the 1800s
Joseph Johnson, the first Virginia Governor elected from west of the Alleghenies, was born on December 19, 1785 in Orange County, New York. In 1791, his mother moved him to New Jersey and, in 1801, to present-day Bridgeport in Harrison County. Johnson's first job was working for Ephriam Smith, a local farmer. In 1804, he married Smith's daughter, Sarah. He eventually inherited Smith's land and his mill located along Simpson Creek. He was appointed a district constable in 1811, served as a Captain of a company of Virginia riflemen during the War of 1812, and was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 1815, serving from 1816 to 1822. As a member of the Virginia General Assembly, he introduced a bill in 1815 to create the town of Bridgeport. The bill passed the following year. In 1823, Johnson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1823 to 1827, 1833, 1835 to 1841, and 1845-1847. He was elected Governor of Virginia in 1851, and, after serving a short term due to the ratification of the new Virginia Constitution, was re-elected and held office for four years; making him the first popularly elected Governor in Virginia's history. He returned to Bridgeport in 1856, but, because he supported the southern cause during the Civil War, when the war began he moved to Staunton, Virginia. After the war's conclusion, he returned to Bridgeport where he died on February 27, 1877.
The Northwestern Turnpike, a toll road connecting Winchester and Parkersburg, reached Clarksburg in 1836, and Parkersburg in 1838. It had a positive effect on the county's economic development by making it easier for people to travel in the county.
The famous Confederate General, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, was born in Clarksburg on January 21, 1824. An orphan, he lived in the Clarksburg area until he entered West Point at the age of eighteen. He had a distinguished military career, rising to the rank of Major during the Mexican War. He also served in the campaign against the Seminole Indians in Florida. In 1851, he was elected Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Artillery Tactics at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington. Following Virginia's secession from the Union, he joined the Confederate Army as a Colonel, and took command of a small number of troops near Harper's Ferry. He was soon promoted to Brigadier General and during the Civil War became known as one of the South's finest Generals. His nickname resulted from the performance of his troops and his personal demeanor during the Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas). Initially, the Union Army held the advantage. While retreating with his brigade toward high ground, Confederate General Bernard Bee of South Carolina (Jackson's friend from West Point) spotted Jackson and his troops who had already taken position on the hill. Bee reportedly shouted to his troops, "Look, men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer!" His troops then joined Jackson's, held off the Union Army's assault, and later counterattacked the Union forces and won the battle. Later, General Jackson was shot accidently by one of his own men during the Battle of Chancellorsville. In his dying moments, on May 10, 1863, he shouted out a command to move the infantry to the front, and then, realizing that he was dying, whispered in his dying breath: "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."
Salem Academy was formed in 1887. In 1890, it was renamed Salem College. In 1989, Salem College established a partnership with Teikyo University of Japan, and changed its name to Salem Teikyo University. In 2000, the University changed its name to Salem International University.
Important Events in Harrison County during the 1900s
Michael Late Benedum, known as the "Great Wildcatter," was born in Bridgeport in 1869. The son of Emanuel and Caroline Benedum, he spent his early life in Bridgeport, attended local schools, and worked at local businesses. In 1900, he formed a partnership with Joe C. Trees and formed the Benedum-Trees Oil Company. It subsequently searched for oil in West Virginia, across the United States, and around the world. Michael Benedum amassed a large fortune during his life, and was once ranked among the one hundred most wealthy persons in the United States. In 1944, he, and his wife Sarah, of Blacksville, West Virginia, established the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, a charitable organization, in honor of their son, Claude Benedum, who died in World War I. The Pittsburgh-based Benedum Foundation, with assets in excess of $300 million, has financed numerous civic and cultural activities in the tri-state area, including the construction of the Benedum Civic Center and the Bridgeport Cemetery. Since its inception, the Benedum Foundation has made over 6,000 grants totaling more than $226,000,000.
Harrison County was also the home of John William Davis (1873-1955), the 1924 Democratic nominee for President of the United States. He is the only West Virginian to run for the Presidency as a nominee of a major political party. He received 8.3 million votes (136 electoral votes), but lost to Calvin Coolidge, the Republican nominee, who received 15.7 million votes (382 electoral votes).
