[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 3, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1119-E1120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CELEBRATING CORYDON'S BICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARON P. HILL

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 3, 2008

  Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, 2008 marks the 200th anniversary of the town 
of Corydon, in Harrison County, Indiana. Just 19 miles west of 
Louisville, Kentucky, and with a population of approximately 2,700, the 
town's welcoming citizens and good nature are what help define the term 
``Hoosier Hospitality''. Corydon is a most extraordinary community and 
one that forms an integral part of the rich history of my home state 
and our Nation.
  The Town's ceremonial observance of this anniversary will be held on 
Saturday, June 7, and I look forward to celebrating Corydon's 
Bicentennial with its residents. This Saturday's event, however, is 
just one event of a year-long celebration that includes a Bicentennial 
Ball, an old fashion ice cream social, a bicentennial parade, the 
dedication of a time capsule and other competitions and displays.
  Corydon has a rich history dating back to the American Revolution 
when the region was still inhabited by Native Americans. It was in this 
fertile wilderness that in the early 1800's the family of Edward Smith 
located. General William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Northwest 
Territory, frequently traveled between the east and the Territorial 
capital in Vincennes and often stopped at the Smith property during his 
travels. While visiting, he discovered a good site for a town where two 
creeks, the Big Indian Creek and Little Indian Creek, joined to become 
one. Taking the name of a shepherd from a favorite song known as The 
Pastoral Elegy, he chose the name ``Corydon''.
  Harvey Heth, a government surveyor, officially founded the town by 
platting it in 1808. The town was connected by road to Doup's Ferry 15 
miles to the south in Mauckport in 1809, giving it good access to the 
Ohio River, the dominant transportation route of the time. The land for 
the town was originally purchased by Governor Harrison and he lived in 
the town for a period of time before moving to Ohio, and was eventually 
elected President of the United States.
  In 1811 construction on the first state capitol was begun by Harrison 
County with intention of the building serving as the courthouse. The 
structure was completed in 1813 using limestone quarried near the town, 
and that same year became the second capital of the Indiana Territory 
when it was moved there from Vincennes.
  In 1817, other structures, such as the Governor's Headquarters and 
First State Office Building, were built. The home of Colonel Thomas 
Posey was also built during this time. Posey would serve as Treasurer 
of Harrison County, a State legislator and Adjutant General of Indiana. 
His father, Thomas Posey, served Indiana as Territorial governor from 
1813 until the creation of the state in 1816.
  The state's first constitution was written in June of 1816 in 
Corydon. The 43 delegates in charge of writing the state's constitution 
met inside the original Harrison County Courthouse, but due to cramped 
conditions inside the log structure and the summer heat, the delegates 
would often seek refuge outside under a giant elm tree along Big Indian 
Creek. Now known as the Constitution Elm, it died in 1925 but its trunk 
is still preserved at its original location.

  After statehood, Corydon served as the first State capital of Indiana 
from 1816 until 1825, when the capital moved to Indianapolis. During 
that time Corydon was the center of politics in the state and residents 
included Jonathan Jennings, the first Governor of Indiana; Dennis 
Pennington, first Speaker of the House; Ratliff Boon the second 
Governor; and William Hendricks, Indiana's first Congressman, third 
Governor and a U.S. Senator. The Old Capitol Building is now a State 
historic site and the entire downtown area was designated a National 
Historic District in 1973.
  In 1860 the first annual county fair was held in Corydon and has 
continued each year as the longest continuously running fair in the 
state. Using natural terrain, the fairgrounds were built in the 
southwest corner of the town where it is bordered on the south and west 
by a large ridge to serve as a grandstand until the first grandstands 
were built around 1910.
  Corydon was the site of the only Civil War battle fought in Indiana. 
On July 9, 1863, a Confederate contingent led by Brigadier General John 
Hunt Morgan, aided by the citizens of Brandenburg, Kentucky, crossed 
the Ohio River into Indiana during what became known as ``Morgan's 
Raid.'' More than 2,500 mounted cavalry men with two pieces of 
artillery engaged about 400 hastily prepared home guard units at the 
Battle of Corydon, resulting in a Confederate victory and the town 
surrendering to Morgan. The town was subsequently sacked, the treasury 
robbed of $690, and inmates of the jail released. Morgan demanded 
amounts of money ranging from $600 to $700 from each mill and shop 
owner to spare their businesses being burned. Town myth says that one 
such miller overpaid two hundred dollars which Morgan promptly returned 
to him.
  Corydon was home to the late Indiana Governor, and my personal 
friend, Frank O'Bannon, who served Indiana as Governor from 1997 until 
his death in 2003. Known as a tenacious consensus-builder who quietly 
pressed others to do the right thing for the people of Indiana, his 
greatest legacy may be his work on behalf of children. He championed 
initiatives to provide health care to nearly half a million children 
who did not have insurance and created Building Bright Beginnings to 
emphasize the importance of emotional and brain development of children 
from birth to 4 years of age.
  Along with Dr. Suellen Reed, the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, and a team of education professionals on the Education 
Roundtable, O'Bannon tackled the most intractable problems facing 
public schools and developed some of the toughest academic standards 
and accountability system in the country, ensuring that Hoosier 
children learned more and improving Hoosier schools. As a result of 
this leadership, Indiana was one of the first states to meet new 
Federal standards, while at the same time Gov. O'Bannon continued to 
champion the implementation of full-day kindergarten statewide.
  Prior to his service as Governor, Frank O'Bannon also served the 
state as a State senator from 1970 until 1988 when elected Lieutenant 
Governor on ajoint ticket with Evan Bayh. His father, Robert O'Bannon, 
also served as a state senator prior to Frank and

[[Page E1120]]

as part of the ceremony on June 7, 2008 the family will be honored with 
the dedication of a statue in the late Governor's honor.
  Because of its historic nature, Corydon is a well-known regional 
tourist destination. The community hosts weekly events from early 
spring until late fall, usually centered around the historic town 
square. Some of the better-attended events include the annual Halloween 
parade, summer band concerts, an annual reenactment of the Battle of 
Corydon, and a long string of country and bluegrass performances.
  Few locations in our Nation have such a remarkable and storied past, 
and it is an honor and privilege to represent this community in 
Congress. I want to congratulate Corydon on its Bicentennial, and look 
forward to seeing how this unique and wonderful town thrives for 
decades to come.

                          ____________________