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Harrison County is located in the north-central part of the state upon the Appalachian Plateau. The terrain of the county is rolling and hilly, except for some flat valleys located along the major streams. The county is drained by the West Fork River and its tributaries.
The first known white settler in what is now Harrison County was John Simpson, who came to the mouth of Elk Creek on the West Fork River -- the present-day site of Clarksburg -- and erected a camp in 1764. By the early 1770s settlers became quite numerous in this vicinity, and in 1772 Nutter's Fort was built on Elk Creek for protection against the Indians.
Harrison County was formed in 1784 from part of Monongalia County. It took its name from Benjamin Harrison, the distinguished Virginian who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia from 1781 to 1784. Harrison County is the "mother" of sixteen counties in northern West Virginia. In 1790 the population of Harrison County was 2,080.
The rich coal, gas and petroleum reserves of the county began to be exploited after 1900. The boom that this economic activity created caused the population to more than double from 1900 to 1920 -- rising from 27,690 in 1900, to 48,381 in 1910, and 74,793 in 1920. Glass factories also sprang up in the 1890s and early 1900s, utilizing the abundant natural gas of the county. Coal production was 126,594 tons in 1888, rose to 5,710,982 tons by 1920, and hit an all-time high of 12,744,276 tons in 1945. The population of the county peaked in 1950 at 85,296.
Clarksburg, the county seat, was established in 1785 and named for General George Rogers Clark, the Revolutionary War hero.
Shinnston was first settled by Levi Shinn in 1773. The town was first incorporated as Shinn's Town. It was incorporated with its present name in 1877.
Salem, located on Salem Fork, was formerly called New Salem. It was named for the town of Salem, New Jersey, where most of its settlers had originated. Salem-Teikyo University, a private institution, was created in 1989 when 101-year-old Salem College formed an educational partnership with Teikyo University of Japan.
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(From E. Lee North's 'The 55 West Virginias,' published by West Virginia University Press. Used with permission.)
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