James Harbeson
Encyclopedia
James Harbeson was an early American
settler
and founder of Harbeson's Station, now Perryville, Kentucky
.
During the final stages of the American Revolution
, Harbeson and a group of settlers crossed the blue mountains of Virginia
into the Bluegrass region
of Kentucky
. Finding a suitable site alongside the Chaplin River
, the settlers built a fort next to a spring and cave. Local legend holds that Harbeson disappeared after failing to reach the cave, which was used for defense against hostile Indians; his head, however, was discovered about a mile from the fort, likely severed in an attack. Dr. Jefferson J. Polk, physician to 19th century Perryville, relates in his autobiography that Harbeson's wife then "took the head and managed to keep it in a complete state of preservation for many years."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
and founder of Harbeson's Station, now Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville is a historical city in western Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
During the final stages of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Harbeson and a group of settlers crossed the blue mountains of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
into the Bluegrass region
Bluegrass region
The Bluegrass Region is a geographic region in the state of Kentucky, United States. It occupies the northern part of the state and since European settlement has contained a majority of the state's population and its largest cities....
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Finding a suitable site alongside the Chaplin River
Chaplin River
The Chaplin River is an tributary of the Beech Fork of the Salt River in Kentucky.The name comes from Captain Abraham Chapline, an early explorer of the area....
, the settlers built a fort next to a spring and cave. Local legend holds that Harbeson disappeared after failing to reach the cave, which was used for defense against hostile Indians; his head, however, was discovered about a mile from the fort, likely severed in an attack. Dr. Jefferson J. Polk, physician to 19th century Perryville, relates in his autobiography that Harbeson's wife then "took the head and managed to keep it in a complete state of preservation for many years."