Town of Corydon, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 38°12′46″N 86°7′31″W / 38.21278, -86.12528
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Harrison
Township	Harrison
Area
- Total	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²)
- Land	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	587 ft (179 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,715
- Density	1,707.6/sq mi (659.3/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	47112
Area code(s)	812
FIPS code	18-15256[1]
GNIS feature ID	0433003[2]

Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States and a former capital of the State of Indiana. The population was 2,715 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Harrison County^[3].

Corydon's History

Memorial to the naming of Corydon

Corydon has a rich history dating back to the American Revolution when the region was fought over and won for the United States by George Rogers Clark from the British.

In the early 1800s the family of Edward Smith moved into land on the edge of a fertile valley near a large spring. General William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Territory, would stop to rest at their home while traveling between the east and Vincennes. One day while at their farm he discovered a good site for a town where two creeks met, the Big Indian Creek and Little Indian Creek join to become the Indian Creek. Local legend says that one day he decided that he would build a town on that land. He suggested that Jenny Smith name the proposed town. Taking the name of a shepherd from Harrison's favorite hymn called Pastoral Elegy, she chose the name "Corydon". Harrison thought the name was fitting, and thus began the history of Corydon.^[4][5]

See also: History of Indiana

Early History

Old Capitol Building in downtown Corydon

The official founding date for the town was 1808 when it was platted by Harvey Heth, a government surveyor. The town was connected by road to Doup's Ferry 15 miles to the south in Mauckport in 1809 giving it good access to the Ohio River.

In 1811 construction on the first state capitol was begun by Harrison County with intention of being its courthouse. Construction, using limestone from a nearby quarry, was completed in 1813.^[6] The Governor's Mansion and First State Office Building were built in 1817. The home of Colonel Thomas Posey, at that time rumored to be the illegitimate son of George Washington, was also built during this time. Thomas Posey was Governor of Indiana Territory from 1813 until 1816. The land for the town was originally purchased by Governor Harrison and he lived in the town for a period of time before moving to Ohio, eventually being elected President of the United States.

Corydon became the second capital of the Indiana Territory in 1813, when it was moved there from Vincennes to be more centralized with the population of the newly reorganized Indiana Territory.

The Constitution Elm died in 1925. This picture was taken shortly thereafter.

The state's first constitution was drawn up in Corydon in June of 1816. The 43 delegates in charge of writing the state's constitution met inside the original Harrison County Courthouse. Because of cramped conditions inside the log courthouse and the summer heat, the delegates would often seek refuge outside under a giant elm tree next to Big Indian Creek. This tree is now known as the Constitution Elm, and its trunk is still preserved. ^[7]

After statehood, Corydon served as the first state capital of Indiana from 1816 until 1825^[8], when the capital moved to Indianapolis. During that time Corydon was the center of politics in the state and residents included Davis Floyd, Jonathan Jennings the first Governor of Indiana, and Dennis Pennington first Speaker of the House of the Senate, Ratliff Boon the second governor, and William Hendricks the first Congressman,third governor and Senator.

Post-capital Corydon

In 1860 the first annual 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.^[9] The Fairgrounds were built in the southwest corner of Corydon where it 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.

Main article: Morgan's Raid

See also: Battle of Corydon

Battle of Corydon Memorial Park

Corydon was the site of the only Civil War battle fought in Indiana. On July 9, 1863, a Confederate contingent led by Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan, aided by the citizens of Brandenburg, Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River into Indiana during what became known as "Morgan's Raid." Over 2,500 mounted cavalry men with two pieces of artillery engaged about 400 hastily prepared home guard units at the Battle of Corydon, resulting in a Confederate victory and the town surrendering to Morgan. The town was subsequently sacked, the treasury robber of $690, and inmates of the jail released. Morgan demanded amounts of money ranging from $600 to $700 of each mill and shop owner to be spared their businesses being burnt. Town myth says that one such miller overpaid two hundred dollars which Morgan promptly returned to him.^[10][11]

Corydon in 1896, looking southward from Walnut Street

The railroad reached Corydon in 1882. Corydon was connected by Southern Railways to the main line running across northern Harrison County at Crandall.

Corydon's Old West Bridge in 1889

The town of Corydon was shocked by an attempted murder in 1889, the first in the town's history. The two attempted murderers, Devin and Tennyson, were being held in the county jail when a mob of angry citizens burst into the jail and drug them down to the old Western Bridge and hung them by the neck until dead.^[12] The vigilantes where never prosecuted.

The new county courthouse was completed and occupied in 1929 by the county government. The county government had been occupying the old state capitol building up until that time.

There was a fire in 1960 that destroyed a large part of County Fairgrounds including the grandstands. A new grandstands was purchased from minor league baseball team at Parkway Field in Louisville, Ky. Those grandstands, though renovated, are still in use today.

In 1969 the late Samuel P Hays donated the 311 acre Hayswood Nature Reserve to the county. It is commonly referred to as the Hayswood Park by residents. It was developed in 1973 by added public facilities to the western part of the preserve. It is the largest second largest reserve in the county.

The Old Capitol Building is now a state historic site and the entire downtown area was designated a National Historic District in 1973.

Corydon is home to O'Bannon Publishing, which prints the Corydon Democrat, the local weekly newspaper. The late Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon was owner of the publishing company and was one of the town's most prominent citizens. O'Bannon's wife was still living in the town 2008.

Today

The historic town square.

Because of its historic nature, Corydon is a well-known regional tourist destination. The town hosts weekly events from early spring until late fall, usually centered around the historic town square. Some of the better attended events include the annual Halloween Parade, Art Festival, Harrison County Fair, summer band concerts, an annual reenactment of the Battle of Corydon. and a long string of country and bluegrass performances.

The week-long county fair, held the last week of July at the Harrison County Fairgrounds, is one of the most popular events in the county. Attendance is usually over 3,000 per night and includes 4-H exhibits, a midway, demolition derbies, harness racing, and musical entertainment. The fair, first held in 1860, is the oldest, continuous county fair in the state of Indiana

In 2008 Corydon began celebrating its bicentennial anniversary with a year of events and the unveiling of a $200,000 bronze statue of the late governor and citizen of Corydon, the Honorable Frank O'Bannon.^[13]

List of Corydon Historic Sites

• Old State Capitol
• Governor Hendricks Headquarters
• Constitution Elm
• First State Office Building
• Coburn-Porter Law Office
• Posey House
• Battle of Corydon Civil War Memorial Park
• The Kintner House Inn
• Branham Tavern
• Westfall House
• Cedar Glade
• Leora Brown School
• Heth House
• Cedar Hill Cemetery
• Flags Over Corydon
• Harrison County Fairgrounds

Geography

Corydon is located at 38°12′46″N, 86°7′31″W (38.212724, -86.125318)^[14].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,715 people, 1,171 households, and 674 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,708.1 people per square mile (659.3/km²). There were 1,271 housing units at an average density of 799.6/sq mi (308.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.27% White, 1.14% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 0.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.

There were 1,171 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,823, and the median income for a family was $41,630. Males had a median income of $29,159 versus $21,699 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,740. About 9.8% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Trivia

In 2005, the Corydon Central Lady Panthers were runners-up in the state basketball championship.

Actor James Best, who played Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the Dukes of Hazzard television series, grew up in Corydon.

References

External links

• The Corydon Democrat
• Corydon Central High School
• Harrison County Tourism Website

Other Information

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Harrison County, Indiana County seat: Corydon Cities and towns Corydon | Crandall | Elizabeth | Laconia | Lanesville | Mauckport | New Amsterdam | New Middletown | Palmyra Townships Blue River | Boone | Franklin | Harrison | Heth | Jackson | Morgan | Posey | Spencer | Taylor | Washington | Webster Unincorporated communities Bradford | Breckenridge | Bridgeport | Buena Vista | Byrneville | Central | Central Barren | Davidson | Depauw | Dixie | Dogwood | Evans Landing | Fairdale | Fishtown | Frenchtown | Glidas | Happy Hollow | Harrison Grange | Little Saint Louis | Locust Point | Lottick Corner | Macedonia | Moberly | Mott Station | New Boston | New Salisbury | Ramsey | Rosewood | Seven Springs | Sugar Grove | Titus | Valley City | White Cloud