Clark County, Indiana

Clark County, Indiana

Clark County
County Seat - Jeffersonville
Largest city - Jeffersonville
Area - 584.7 sq mi
Population - 103,569 (2006)
Founded - 1801
Named for General George Rogers Clark

Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites,
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 South East Edition

Floyd, Washington, Scott County and Jefferson Counties surround Clark County. The Ohio River forms its southern border.
Clark County, in southeastern Indiana derives its name from Revolutionary War Hero General George Rogers Clark who wrested control of the vast Northwest Territory from the British during the Revolutionary War. For these exploits Congress awarded General Clark and his regiment 150,000 acres of land. Clark designated around 1000 acres of this grant to create the town of Clarksville, also named after the General. Clarksville was the first settlement authorized by the United States Government in the Northwest Territory. 


George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818)

John Clark and Ann Rogers Clark produced the second of their ten children on November 19, 1752. George Rogers Clark entered the world near Charlottesville, Virginia on the frontier. The family moved away from the frontier after the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754. Their new home was a 400-acre plantation that John Clark eventually increased to 2000 acres. His parents sent him to his grandfather's home so he could attend Donald Robertson's school. This famous school also educated James Madison and John Taylor, who attended at the same time as George Rogers Clark. His grandfather taught him how to survey land. At twenty, George joined a surveying team that traveled into Kentucky, which was part of Virginia at the time. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix had opened Kentucky to settlement and new settlers were flooding into the area. The Iroquois had signed the treaty had, but the various tribes that made up the rest of the area did not. British Lieutenant-Governor Henry Hamilton encouraged the Amerindian tribes to raid American settlements in Kentucky. Clark headed up defensive attacks against these tribes. In June 1778, he started a campaign to take the western British outposts along the Wabash and Mississippi Rivers. He saw success with his summer campaign. He captured all the British forts and eased the threats of attack on the Kentucky settlements.

Excerpted from the author's book:

A Day in Indiana History - February

Geography of Clark County
The Indiana Territorial Assembly formed Clark County on February 3, 1801. It originally included the entire southeastern portion of what was to become the State of Indiana. The Territorial and State Assemblies later carved seventeen counties from Clark County. These are Crawford (1818), Decatur (1822), Fayette (1819), Floyd (1819), Franklin (1811), Harrison (1808), Jackson (1816), Jefferson (1811), Jennings (1817), Randolph (1818), Ripley (1816), Rush (1822), Scott (1820), Switzerland (1814), Union (1821), Washington (1814), and Wayne (1811).
Townships
Today Clark County, Indiana is composed of twelve townships. These are Bethlehem, Carr, Charlestown, Jeffersonville, Monroe, Oregon, Owen, Silver Creek, Union, Utica, Washington and Wood.
Incorporated Cities and Towns
Incorporated cities and towns in Clark County, Indiana include Borden, Charlestown, Clarksville, Jeffersonville, Sellersburg and Utica. Henryville is unincorporated, but a sizable town.
Transportation of Clark County
Clark County has an excellent network of highways and interstates crossing it. Interstate 65 connects the county to Kentucky to the south and Indianapolis to the north. I 265 circles Clarksville and Jeffersonville on the north side and connects with Interstate 64. I-64 runs through Louisville to the southeast and points east. The highway provides access to St. Louis in the west. U.S. Route 31 runs parallel to I-65. State Road 3 is a north/south corridor that connects with North Vernon in Jennings County. State Road 62 is an east/west connection to Madison to the northwest and Corydon to the west. Indiana State Road 160 runs northwest to Salem, Indiana in Washington County.
State Parks and Forests
There are two Indiana State Parks in Clark County, Falls of the Ohio and Charlestown State Park. A portion of Clark State Forest covers the northwest corner of the County and Deam Lake Recreation Park is near Henryville.
Clark County, Indiana is a fun place to visit. Visitors will find many historical and unusual things to see in Clark County
For more information about dining, lodging and shopping contact:

Clark-Floyd Counties Convention-Tourism
315 Southern Indiana Avenue
Jeffersonville, IN 47130
812-282-6654
tourism@GoSoIN.com

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