1874 Collins History of Kentucky
An Excerpt Describing Havilandsville
H A R R I S O N C O U N T Y .
HARRISON county—the 17th county in order, and the 8th formed after Kentucky became a state—was made in 1793 out of parts of Bourbon and Scott counties, and named after Col. Benj. Harrison, who was at the time a representative from Bourbon county in the Kentucky legislature. From the original territory of Harrison, portions have been taken to help form Campbell county in 1794, Pendleton and Boone in 1798, Owen in 1819, Grant in 1820, Kenton in 1840, and Robertson in 1867. It is situated in the north middle section of the state, lying on both sides of South Licking river; is bounded N. by Pendleton county, N.E. by Bracken and Robertson, E. by Nicholas, S. by Bourbon, W. by Scott, and N.W. by Grant county. Main Licking river runs through a small portion of the county in the N.E., and the creeks emptying into it are Cedar, West, Beaver, and Richland, while Indiana, Silas, Mill, Twin, and Raven put into South Licking. About one-half of the county is gently undulating, rich, and very productive; the other portion, hilly and also quite productive; the whole well adapted to grazing; the soil based on red clay, with limestone foundation. This “blue limestone formation seems to be traversed by veins containing some sulphuret of lead, accompanied by sulphate of barytes. In the S.W. part, commencing 4 miles N. of Cynthiana, is a dark crumbling soil, based on a mulatto sub-soil derived from rough weathering sub-crystalline, close-grained, light-grey limestones.”
Towns.—Cynthiana, the county seat and chief town—named after Cynthia and Anna, two daughters of the original proprietor, Robert Harris, established Dec. 10, 1793, incorporated as a town in 1802 and as a city in 1860—is situated on the right bank of South Licking, or the South fork of Licking, 37 miles from Frankfort and 66 from Cincinnati, being connected with both cities by railroad. It contains a brick court house, 7 churches (Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Reformed or Christian, besides 2, Methodist and Baptist, for colored people), 10 lawyers, 9 physicians, 8 dry goods stores, 16 groceries, 5 hotels, 2 academies, 2 common schools, and 1 select school, 2 public halls, 2 drug stores, 2 mills, 3 distilleries, 5 wholesale whisky houses, 9 saloons and restaurants, 1 wool factory, 2 printing offices, 40 mechanics shops, and a number of other stores and occupations; population in 1870, 1,771. Large quantities of stock [Page 322] are annually shipped from this point, north and east. Oddville, 6 miles N. of Cynthiana, contains a Methodist church, school house, 1 doctor, 4 preachers, 3 stores and shops, and a steam mill; about 60 inhabitants. Claysville, on Licking river at the mouth of Beaver creek—laid out by Alex. Curran and called Marysville, about 1799 or 1800, incorporated Dec., 1821 and name changed to Claysville—grew to be quite a flourishing commercial village, being a shipping point for the upper parts of Harrison and Bourbon counties, until the K.C.R.R. was completed, when it began to decline; population 125—93 whites and 32 blacks; contains 3 stores and shops, hotel, school, 1 doctor; 2 congregations, Reformed or Christian, and Methodist, worshipping in the same edifice. Havilandsville, named after Robert Haviland, a small village near the Pendleton county line, 15 miles from Cynthiana, contains 1 store, a steam mill, school house, and church. Antioch, 13 miles from Cynthiana on the state road to Falmouth, contains 5 stores and shops, a flouring and saw mill, school house, church (Reformed), and 2 physicians. Berryville, formerly called Berry’s Station, on the E. bank of South Licking, and a station on the K.C.R.R.; contains 3 stores, several shops, 2 hotels, 1 public school, and 1 distillery, which makes annually 3,000 barrels of Bourbon whiskey; population 230. Colemansville, 1¼ miles from Berry’s Station on the K.C.R.R., has about 100 inhabitants; 2 churches (Baptist and Reformed), one public and one private school, 4 stores and shops, 1 tavern, and 2 physicians; has suffered greatly from destructive fires. Boyd’s Station, on K.C.R.R., 16 miles N. of Cynthiana, contains 80 inhabitants, a store, hotel, steam mill, and distillery; named after Andrew Boyd, a solider of the war of 1812, who was still living, June, 1872. Robertson Station, 9 miles N. of Cynthiana, has 50 inhabitants, a store, school house, and mill. Connersville, 7 miles W. of the county seat, population 100; 4 stores and shops, a school house, and a doctor; named after Lewis Conner. Leesburg, 10 miles S.W. of Cynthiana, contains 160 inhabitants, a carding factory, 6 stores and shops, hotel, 2 churches (Reformed or Christian, and Presbyterian), and 4 physicians; this part of Harrison county is noted for the extreme fertility of the soil. Leeslick, 8 miles from Cynthiana, noted for its white sulphur springs, is a small village with a store and school. Lair’s Station, on the K.C.R.R., 4 miles S. of Cynthiana, contains a store, wagon and blacksmith shop, 2 flour mills, 2 distilleries, and a school house; population 125. Tricum, 6 miles W. of Cynthiana, on the Raven creek turnpike, has 40 inhabitants, 2 stores and a school house. Buena Vista, Scott Station, and Rutland are small villages, each containing a store, church, school and physician.
SOURCE: Collins, Lewis, History of Kentucky, Covington, Ky.: Collins & Co., 1874, pp. 321-322.