Person:Elisha Harrison (1)

Information on Elisha Harrison

Reverand John J. Dickey's diary says that John and Elisha Harrison were t wo of the original 8 long hunters that came to Kentucky in the mid 1700's. Elisha settled on what is now known as, Elisha's Branch Road, just nor th of McKee. He was living there when Daniel Boone first came through th is area. Daniel spent some time at Elisha's house before going on to centr al Kentucky. Daniel Boone's Sheltowee Trace goes down Elisha's Branc h. It is believed that John went with Daniel and helped build Fort Boonesb ourogh. Erection of Fort Boonesbourogh began in April, 1775 and was comple ted in July 1776. Records from Boonesbourogh mention a John Harrison a nd a Jack Harrison. People with the name of John were sometimes called "Ja ck". There is also Samuel and Richard Harrison in the Boonesbourogh record s. Madison County, Historical Society records say that John Harrison help ed to construct the fort. He later left the fort and settled on some of t he best portions of the County, through settlement and preemption rights.. .

In, "When They Hanged the Fiddler", by Jess Wilson, page 90, says that Ind ians had captured Daniel Boones Daughter and two Calloway girls at Boonesb ourogh. Elisha was in the party that rescued the Boone and Calloway gir ls from the Indians. It also says that Harrison family traditions are t he source for the story that the rescue happened below McKee.

Elisha Sr. first appears in Kentucky records on the Nelson County, 1800 Ce nsus and tax records. He next appeared in the Madison County, Census whe re he paid taxes in 1805, 1807, 1808, 1830-34. He paid taxes in Clay Count y, in 1808.1814, 1815, and 1816, He paid taxes in Estill County, in 181 1, 1840-47. He did not appear on the tax list after 1847 and presumably di ed. His wife Ipha remained on the Estill County, tax list until 1858 wh en that part of Estill County, became part of Jackson County,. She remain ed on the Jackson County, tax list until 1862. Elisha lived the last pa rt of his at Blanton Flats, just west of Drip Rock on Hisel Road at the ed ge of Estill County,.

The mountainous areas of eastern Kentucky between the Cumberland Gap and t he Kentucky River was one of the areas of the state to be settled. Dani el Boone was in this area of Kentucky for two years from 1769 to 1771. H is main purpose was to hunt. Fort Boonesbourogh was established in 177 5, not far from the present day Richmond, by Daniel Boone and some of h is close friends, which included the Harrisons and the Bakers.

Source: http://awt.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gayfamilyfile&id=I000389&ti=5542