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Harrison County

Harrison County was established on May 3, 1784, from part of Monongalia County and was named in honor of Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia. Early settlement grew along the West Fork River, where Clarksburg—founded in 1785 by frontier leader George Jackson—became the county seat. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, the region served as an important frontier outpost, with forts such as West Fork and Buckhannon offering protection during periods of conflict. Harrison County strongly supported the Union during the Civil War and later became a center of industrial growth with the expansion of coal mining, glass manufacturing, and railroad development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The county is also notable as the birthplace of General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, born in Clarksburg in 1824, adding to its deep historical legacy.

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