Harrison was laid out in 1810, named in honor of William Henry Harrison, a decorated general and state legislator and afterward the ninth president of the United States.[6] It was incorporated in 1850 and became a city in 1981.
Harrison Township was established in 1853, formerly part of Crosby and Whitewater Township.[7] Among the historic sites in the city's vicinity is the Eighteen Mile House, which was built during the earliest years of the nineteenth century.[8]
Harrison was the home of Ohio's fifth governor Othneil Looker. It was one of the few stops in Ohio on the Whitewater Canal, built between 1836 and 1847, which spanned a distance of 76 miles (122 km).
On July 13, 1863, Morgan's Raiders, a Confederate cavalry force, invaded. The column passed through taking fresh horses and burning the bridge over the Whitewater River near the southwest part of the town. The first train came to Harrison Township in 1864. In 1882 Harrison Depot was built at West Broadway and Railroad Avenue. It later burned to the ground.
Harrison Village Park is the final resting place for a small number of veterans of the Revolutionary War. In the center of the park is a bandstand, built in the early 1930s on the site of a fountain that had been drained and filled in. It seems many children came down with cases of impetigo after spending a hot summer swimming in the fountain full of untreated water.
In 1940 the dog track in West Harrison closed due to pressure from the horse racing circuit. Monkeys in silk jackets had been used as jockeys for the dogs. The track had originally opened in 1932, when parimutuel betting was illegal in Indiana. However, during the Depression, heads were turned as the track attracted revenue to the area and was one of the highest paying local jobs at $12 a week.
Harrison is located in northwestern Hamilton County and is bordered to the west by the town of West Harrison, Indiana.
Interstate 74 passes through the city, east of the downtown area, with access from Exits 1 and 3. I-74 leads southeast 21 miles (34 km) to Cincinnati and northwest 93 miles (150 km) to Indianapolis.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Harrison has a total area of 4.96 square miles (12.85 km2), of which 4.92 square miles (12.74 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) are water.[9]
Harrison is adjacent to Miami Whitewater Forest, the second park to join the Hamilton County Park District in 1949. It now spans 4,345 acres (17.58 km2).
As of the census of 2020, there were 12,563 people living in the city, for a population density of 2,352.18 people per square mile (908.17/km2). There were 5,046 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[17]
There were 4,896 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 23.0% had a female householder with no spouse present. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 3.12.[17]
27.6% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 59.3% were 18 to 64, and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.9. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males.[17]
According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $88,943, and the median income for a family was $100,984. About 4.8% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. About 75.7% of the population were employed, and 27.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[17]
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 9,897 people in 3,765 households, including 2,659 families, in the city. The population density was 2,011.6 inhabitants per square mile (776.7/km2). There were 4,054 housing units at an average density of 824.0 per square mile (318.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1%.[18]
Of the 3,765 households, 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.7% of households were one person, and 9.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.12.
The median age was 34.7 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 7,487 people in 2,717 households, including 2,005 families, in the city. The population density was 2,024.5 inhabitants per square mile (781.7/km2). There were 2,847 housing units at an average density of 769.8 per square mile (297.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.18% White, 0.17% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52%.[5]
Of the 2,717 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.3% of households were one person, and 8.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median household income was $46,107 and the median family income was $54,028. Males had a median income of $37,455 versus $27,418 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,966. About 4.3% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Harrison Mayor William Neyer was elected November 3, 2015.
Harrison city council is made up of seven members: Tony Egner, Lexis Dole, Jean Wilson, Jerry Wilson, Ryan Grubbs, Ryan Samuels, and Mike Mains. Clerk of council is Risa Dole.
Its police department is an accredited department with 20 sworn officers and three civilian personnel. It is headed by Col. Charles Lindsey, Chief of Police.
The fire department is headed by Chief Rob Hursong. The Harrison Fire Department is a combination department with 49 employees, 22 of whom are full-time and 27 part-time. The Harrison Fire Department coverage area consists of 44 square miles (110 km2) in Ohio and Indiana; the department responds to an average of 2,100 fire and EMS details annually.[citation needed]
St. John the Baptist Harrison[19] is a Roman Catholic school. There are 305 students in the school from preschool through eighth grade. The athletic nickname for the school is the Jaguars. The official colors are red and black.
