James Harrod
| James Harrod | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1742–1746 Bedford County, Province of Pennsylvania, British North America, British Empire, present-day Bedford County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 1792 (Aged 50–54) |
| Occupation | pioneer |
| Known for | Built the first permanent settlement in Kentucky |
| Title | colonel |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Coburn McDonald |
| Children | Margaret Harrod |
| Parent(s) | John Harrod and Sarah Moore |
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James Harrod (c. 1746 – c. 1792) was a pioneer, soldier, and hunter who helped explore and settle the area west of the Allegheny Mountains. Little is known about Harrod's early life, including the exact date of his birth. He was possibly underage when he served in the French and Indian War, and later participated in Lord Dunmore's War. He also rose to the rank of colonel in the local militia.
A contemporary of better known explorers, like Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark, Benjamin Logan, and Simon Kenton, Harrod led many expeditions into the regions that now a part of Kentucky and Illinois. He and a band of almost forty men founded the first permanent settlement in Kentucky on June 16, 1774, although it had to be abandoned the same year. Restored in 1775, the community was known as Harrodstown and then Harrodsburg in his honor.
In 1792, Harrod disappeared while on a hunting trip in the wilderness. While it is possible that he was killed by Indians or became ill and died of natural causes, some have suggested that he took a "wilderness divorce" from his wife<needs citation>, while his family maintained that he was murdered by one of his companions while secretly searching for the fabled silver mine of Jonathan Swift.
James Harrod was born in Bedford County, Province of Pennsylvania, a British Royal Colony, now present-day Bedford County, Pennsylvania,as one of twelve children born to John and Sarah Moore Harrod. His actual year of birth is disputed. When he volunteered as one of "Captain Cochran's Recruits" in June 1760, he listed his age at sixteen, but historian James C. Klotter notes that his listed height of 5 feet, 2 inches differed greatly from his adult height of over six feet and may suggest that he lied about his age in order to serve. Various sources list his birth year anywhere from 1742 to 1746, and the latter is most often considered correct.
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