Corydon, Indiana
Town of Corydon, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 Location in the state of Indiana | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | 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 | 1,708/sq mi (659.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 47112 |
| Area code | 812 |
| FIPS code | 18-15256Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 0433003Template:GR |
Corydon is a town in Harrison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,715 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Harrison CountyTemplate:GR.
History
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 Northwest Territory, would stop to rest at their home while traveling between the east and Vincennes. While there he discovered a good site for a town where two creeks meet. (The Big Indian Creek and Little Indian Creek.) Miss Jenny Smith suggested that he name the proposed town. Taking the name of a shepherd from his favorite hymn called Pastoral Elegy, he chose the name "Corydon."[1][2]
In 1811 the first state capitol was built in the town using limestone from a nearby quarry.[3] It is two stories high, forty feet square, and it's walls are two feet thick. Also built in that year was the Govenor's Mansion and home of Colonel Thomas Posey. The Old Capitol Building is now a state historic site and the entire downtown area was designated a National Historic District in 1973.
Corydon became the second territorial capital of Indiana in 1813, when it was finally moved there from Vincennes for the purpose of being more centralized with the population of the newly reorganized territory. The land for the town was donated by Governor Harrison and he lived in the town for a period of time before being elected President of the United States.
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, 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. [4]
The town served as the first state capital of Indiana from 1816 to 1825 when the capital moved to Indianapolis. During that time Corydon was the center of politics in the state and residents included Jonathan Jennings, the first Governor of Indiana, and Dennis Pennington, Speaker of the first Legislature.
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, prisoners of the jail released, and the old capitol building burned, the scars of which can still be seen. Morgan demanded $1,000 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.[5][6]
The railroad reached Corydon in 1896. Corydon was connected by Southern Railways to the main line running across northern Harrison County at Crandall.
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.
Today
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
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 / 38.21278°N 86.12528°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (38.212724, -86.125318)Template:GR.
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 censusTemplate:GR 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.
External links
- ^ http://historic.shcsc.k12.in.us/poem.htm
- ^ http://historic.shcsc.k12.in.us/towns/CORYDON/HISTORY.HTM
- ^ http://historic.shcsc.k12.in.us/3caps.htm
- ^ http://www.centerforhistory.org/indiana_history_main3.html
- ^ http://historic.shcsc.k12.in.us/civilwar/battle.htm
- ^ ISBN 0-394-46512-1| The Civil War: A Narrative Volume III By Shelby Foote
Municipalities and communities of Harrison County, Indiana, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |