Harris' Ferry - PLAQUE
Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On the river bank, a short distance west of this stone, was the landing place of HARRIS' FERRY the most historic crossing place on the Susquehanna. A great part of the early migration into western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley passed this way. The ferry-right was first granted to John Harris, father of the founder of Harrisburg, in December, 1733. For over half a century the site of Harrisburg was known as Harris' Ferry.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On the banks of the Susquehanna here stood the landing of Harris' Ferry, first granted to John Harris in 1733 and for half a century the name by which the future Harrisburg was known. It was among the most important crossings in early Pennsylvania, funneling settlers, traders, and pack trains westward into the interior and on toward the Ohio Valley. From this modest ferry grew the city that would become the state capital.
Why it matters
Harris' Ferry was a gateway of American westward migration, and the settlement that clustered around it became Pennsylvania's capital — a river crossing that shaped the growth of a state.
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Related people
- · John Harris
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Harrisburg
Wormleysburg, PA · est. 1947
Harrisburg began as Harris' Ferry, settled in the early 1700s by John Harris Sr. at a strategic crossing of the Susquehanna River. His son laid out the town in 1785, and in 1812 it became Pennsylvania's capital, cementing a role as a crossroads of travel and trade it had already held for generations. For over two centuries the site has funneled people and commerce through the heart of the state.
Simpson Ferry Road
Mechanicsburg, PA · est. 1954
Laid out around 1792, Simpson Ferry Road ran from Michael Simpson's ferry crossing on the Susquehanna River inland toward Carlisle, tracing at this point a route later remembered as Simpson Street. In the young republic it was a vital artery for settlers and travelers pushing toward the western part of the state.
Cumberland County
Carlisle, PA · est. 1982
Carved from Lancaster County in 1750, Cumberland County once stretched all the way to Pennsylvania's western frontier, a vast gateway for settlers pushing toward the Alleghenies. Its seat, Carlisle, was founded the following year and became a crucial staging point on the roads leading west. In the colonial and early national decades, this was the edge of English America, where the Great Wagon Road funneled families toward the interior.
John Harris Mansion
Harrisburg, PA · est. 1946
John Harris Jr., founder of Harrisburg, built this stone house in 1764–66 near his family's Susquehanna ferry. A century later it became the home of Simon Cameron, the powerful Pennsylvania politician who served as Abraham Lincoln's first Secretary of War, and it welcomed many prominent visitors. Today it houses the Dauphin County Historical Society.