Harrison county, the eighth after Kentucky became a state, was formed in 1793, being taken from parts of Bourbon and Scott counties. Its territory extended to the Ohio River, and from its original territory the counties, wholly or in part, of Campbell, Pendleton, Boone, Owen, Grant, Kenton, and Robertson were afterward formed. It is now bounded by Grant, Pendleton, Bracken, Robertson, Nicholas, Bourbon, and Scott.
Everything indigenous to the climate is grown. It is watered and drained by the Licking River and its tributaries. The southern part of the county lies in the Blue Grass Region proper, and partakes of the beautiful rolling surface of that famous land, while the northern part is somewhat broken and hilly; but the entire county is rich and productive. Its timber, principally white oak, ash, and sugar tree, with some walnut and beech, is all merchantable. Its crops of corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, and hemp are abundant, amounting always to a surplus. Tobacco is raised in large quantities; hemp is accorded little attention.
The grasses best adapted to the soil, and which are considered the most useful and profitable, are bluegrass, clover, and timothy, bluegrass taking the lead. The best lands are felling the effects of care and painstaking and continually increase in fertility.
Livestock find this their natural home. The trotting horse and the thoroughbred thrive in Harrison. Abdallah Park is known the county over. Here the fastest trotters, the most stylish roadsters, the daintiest maidens that ever proudly tiptoed the tracks have first seen the light of day. Edgewater Stud Farm’s produce is among the best that graces the running tracks.
There are two hundred and sixty miles of turnpikes in Harrison county, all toll roads. The people are freely discussing the question of free turnpikes, and it is a matter of but a short time until the gates will go down. The Kentucky Central railroad traverses the county, and the Cincinnati Southern cuts through the western edge.
Cynthiana is the county seat. The population of the county is about 19,000. It is situated in the Ninth Congressional, the Sixth Appellate, the Eighteenth Judicial, and the Thirtieth Senatorial district. Postoffices in the county are: Antioch Mills, Avena, Baptist, Berry, Boay, Branch, Breckinridge, Broadwell, Claysville, Colville, Connersville, Cynthiana, Dunaway, Havilandsville, Kelat, Lair, Leesburg, Leeslick, Oddville, Poindexter, Renaker, Robinson, Rutland, Selma, Shadynook, Smithsonville, Sunrise, Sylvandell and Venus.
The present county officers are: Judge, G.W. Lail; Attorney, D.L. Evans; Sheriff, D.N. Rees; Assessor, E.M. Coppage; Jailer, J.B. Juett; Treasurer, C.T. Wilson; Clerk, R.M. Collier, Coroner, Dr. L.S. Givens; Surveyor, W.H. Myers; Superintendent of Schools, J.G. Pope. The Circuit Court officers are: Judge, W.W. Kimbrough; Attorney J.T. Simon, Clerk, T. Jeff Robertson.
When Harrison was taken as a rib from the sides of Scott and Bourbon and fashioned after them, the laws were administered by Justices of the Peace. The first Justices were: Hugh Miller, Henry Coleman, Samuel McIlvain, Nathan Rawlings, and Charles Zachry, “gents.” The ranking Justice acted as Sheriff and farmed out the privileges and emoluments to the highest bidder. Pounds, shillings, and pence constituted the coin of the realm, and premiums on wolves’ heads and taxes on men’s heads furnished the first free silver arguments of the period. It appears that in 1794 there were only 497 voters in all this vast territory. Poll taxes were assessed at 6 shillings.
Mr. H.H. Haviland, afterward elected judge. He now refers feelingly to the fact that his successful competitor, Mortimer Throckmorton, polled every vote in Kentontown except one, and that one was cast by a crazy man.
The new constitution in 1850 put an end to the old regime. Henry Coffman, a worthy saddler and the enthusiastic father of a large family, was elected the first county judge, which office he held until Davey Snodgrass’ election in 1854. The elections of ’54 furnished as much fun for the boys as those of ’94 but the right of suffrage was held in more reverence, and the votes were cast in a staid and sober way. The office sought the man. There were eighteen candidates for the various county offices in 1854, as large a number in proportion to the population as presented themselves in 1894. Among the candidates for Assessor was Mr. H.H. Haviland, afterward elected judge. He now refers feelingly to the fact that his successful competitor, Mortimer Throckmorton, polled every vote in Kentontown except one, and that one was cast by a crazy man.
When the Covington and Lexington railroad was projected, Harrison county promptly subscribed $190,000 to the capital stock. The present courthouse a picture which appears on this page was erected in 1852, after the destruction of the old one by fire. The jail is of comparatively recent construction.
Harrison’s first representatives in the Kentucky Legislature were: Senate, Josephus Perrin, 1814-1822; House, Wm. K. Wall, 1817-1817. The present representatives are: Senate, C.B. Martin; House, M.C. Swinford.
Musty records in the clerk’s office furnish a mine of interesting information in regard to Harrison’s early history, but the scope of this article is too limited to treat the subject.
Cynthiana Democrat, June 1896, Page 19