Harrisonville, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harrisonville, Illinois
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| Etymology: William Henry Harrison | |
 Harrisonville, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Harrisonville, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Monroe |
| Precinct | 15 |
| Elevation | 397 ft (121 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Postal code |
62295
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| Area code(s) | 618 |
Harrisonville is a small place in Monroe County, Illinois. It is called an unincorporated community. This means it is a settlement that is not officially part of a city or town. Instead, it is governed by the county.
Contents
A Look Back: Harrisonville's Early Days
Harrisonville has a long and interesting past. It was once the very first county seat of Monroe County. A county seat is like the main town where the government offices for the county are located.
Changing Names and New Beginnings
Before it was called Harrisonville, this area had other names. In 1786, it was known as Brashear's Fort. Later, it was sometimes called Carthage.
The name was officially changed to Harrisonville in 1816. This was done to honor William Henry Harrison. He was an important person in American history who later became a President of the United States. He even owned land in this area. However, people might have started calling it Harrisonville even earlier, around 1810.
Lost to the River: The Original Site
The very first location of Harrisonville was different from where it is today. It was located further west. Sadly, the mighty Mississippi River slowly washed away the original site. By 1860, the old town was completely gone, swallowed by the river.
A Busy River Port
Even though it was lost, the original Harrisonville was a very important place. It was a busy shipping point right on the Mississippi River. This meant boats could easily load and unload goods there. It was directly across the river from a town called Herculaneum, Missouri. Harrisonville helped move farm products from the rich farmlands of the American Bottom area.
