Fort Harrison, Clearwater, Pinellas county, Florida

Overview

Fort Harrison, Florida was a U.S. Army post established in April 1841 during the Second Seminole War by Major William Hoffman and 6th U.S. Infantry troops.

It was located on a bluff 25 feet above Clearwater Harbor about 30 miles west of Fort Brooke. From two to seven companies of the 6th U.S. Infantry were stationed at the fort during its occupancy under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Gustavus Loomis of that regiment. The post served as a U.S. Army recovery center for sick and wounded troops. In September 1841, five companies of troops were transferred back to Fort Brooke and Fort Harrison was abandoned the next month.

Today, the site is private property located in the Harbor Oaks development of Clearwater, Florida. A historic marker designates the site at 802 Druid Road South.

Around 1835, the United States Army began construction of Fort Harrison, named after William Henry Harrison, as an outpost during the Seminole Wars. The fort was located on a bluff overlooking Clearwater Harbor, which later became part of an early 20th century residential development called Harbor Oaks. University of South Florida archaeologists excavated the site in 1977 after Alfred C. Wyllie discovered an underground ammunition bunker while digging a swimming pool on his estate.

The area's population grew after the Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842 offered 160 acres (0.65 km2) to anyone who would bear arms and cultivate the land. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson and McMullen families, who claimed and farmed large tracts of land. Prior to 1906, the area was known as Clear Water Harbor. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from a fresh water spring flowing from near where the City Hall building is located today. There were many other freshwater springs that dotted the bluff, many in the bay or harbor itself.

Florida became a territory in 1822. During the Seminole Indian Wars of 1835, the government built the original Fort Harrison as a recuperation Center for soldiers, and not as a defensive fort. It was located on the bluffs where Harbor Oaks is now. The fort was abandoned in 1841, and is commemorated by a plaque on Druid Road in downtown Clearwater.

History

The first blacks came to the area with Narvaez's exploration party. The first white settler was French Dr. Odet Philippe, who had served under Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte. He established St. Helena Plantation in what is now Safety Harbor, and raised citrus. His daughter married Richard Booth, and these pioneering families' names are still well known in Clearwater.

The Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842 gave 160 acres to any head of family or single man over 18 who would bear arms and cultivate the land. The "father of Clearwater," James Stevens, and Samuel Stevenson were among the first settlers. After a visit in 1841, James Parramore McMullen and his six brothers settled in the Clearwater area. They and their descendants held many important governmental positions throughout the early years.

Sources

http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Harrison_(3) http://www.clearwater-fl.com/info/about/history.asp http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flchs/ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flchs/research.html