PENNSYLVANIA - Before it was the capital city of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg was known by a much simpler and more practical name: Harris's Ferry. The story of this original name is the story of the city's very foundation, centered around a strategic river crossing and the enterprising spirit of its founder, John Harris Sr. This is the history behind Harrisburg's first name.
PENNSYLVANIA - Before it was the capital city of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg was known by a much simpler and more practical name: Harris's Ferry. The story of this original name is the story of the city's very foundation, centered around a strategic river crossing and the enterprising spirit of its founder, John Harris Sr. This is the history behind Harrisburg's first name.The Founder and The Ferry
The story begins with John Harris Sr., an English trader who settled on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River in the early 18th century. Recognizing the location's immense strategic importance, he established a trading post to do business with the local Native American tribes and the steady stream of settlers moving westward.
The key to the settlement's success was the ferry service he established around 1733. At the time, the wide and powerful Susquehanna River was a major obstacle for travelers and traders. Harris's Ferry provided the first reliable and convenient means to cross the river, transforming the area from a simple riverbank into a crucial transportation and commercial hub. His ferry was an essential link in the main road from Philadelphia to the west, making it a natural stopping point.
From Trading Post to Thriving Settlement
With the ferry as its anchor, a small but vibrant settlement began to grow around Harris's trading post. The area, naturally, came to be known by the name of its most important feature: Harris's Ferry. For decades, this was the common name for the burgeoning community. It was a place of commerce, a crossroads where goods, people, and information flowed between the established eastern cities and the expanding western frontier.
A New Name for a New Town
John Harris Sr. passed away in 1748, but his son, John Harris Jr., inherited his father's vision and land. In 1785, John Harris Jr. formally laid out a town on his father's land, setting aside property for a courthouse and a state capitol building in the hopes of it one day becoming the seat of government. He initially named this new town Harrisburg in honor of his father.
While there was a brief period where the town was officially renamed "Louisbourg" in honor of King Louis XVI of France, the name "Harrisburg" was officially restored in 1791. In 1812, John Harris Jr.'s dream was realized when Harrisburg was officially named the capital of Pennsylvania.
The city's original name, Harris's Ferry, remains a powerful reminder of its humble and practical origins. It tells the story of a single entrepreneur whose strategic ferry service transformed a simple trading post on a riverbank into the bustling capital city that stands today.
Sources:
- The Historical Society of Dauphin County
- Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC)
- The National Park Service
- Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
- Historical accounts of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River
