Map of Mauckport town

Mauckport is a town in Heth Township, Harrison County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 81 at the 2010 census.

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History

In the earliest times Daniel Boone and his brothers, most notably Squire Boone, were regularly in the area of Mauckport. Squire Boone settled in the area in 1806. Squire Boone’s remains are just north of Mauckport in the Squire Boone Caverns.

The Mauckport area’s earliest permanent settlers came from the Shenandoah Valley and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The town was named after the Maucks, a German immigrant family who first settled in that area. The town itself is built upon land granted to John Peter Mauck in an 1811 land grant. It was his son, Fredrick, who filed the original plat for the town on May 7, 1827; the town was called Mauck’s Port. The original town had three streets running north to south and four streets running east to west. The original town was divided into 107 lots.

The first road from the state capital to the Ohio River, the region’s central means of transportation, was built in 1809 connecting the river at Mauckport with Corydon.

It was John Peter Mauck who started the state’s first ferry, a raft and tow line crossing from Mauckport to Brandenburg, Kentucky on the opposite side of the river. It was operating at least as early as 1808. In the early days of the state it was considered the best means of entering the region by immigrants. In the earliest days, packetboats hauled timber and farm products from the port to other stops along the river. Very early after the development of the steam ship, the town had a wharf and was a frequent stop for steam ships and river barges, as it being the closest river port to the original state capital of Corydon.

In 1847, the citizens of the town filed a petition to change the name of Mauckport to New Market. The petition was granted and it remained New Market until 1850, when it was changed back to Mauckport because of another New Market post office in Indiana. The town was first incorporated in 1853.

Mauckport was the site of a small skirmish in July 1863 during “Morgan’s Raid” in the American Civil War. Mauckport was where Morgan and his men, aided by the citizens of neighboring Brandenburg, Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River to start his raid in earnest. When he first attempted to cross, he was confronted by a small group of men from the Harrison County Legion, firing artillery from the shore and armed men aboard the riverboat Lady Pike. When Morgan returned fire with his own artillery the home guard quickly retreated back toward Corydon, leaving Mauckport undefended. Upon landing his army on the east side of Mauckport, Morgan burnt the steam boat Alice Dean. The citizens of Mauckport, having plenty of forewarning, abandoned the town and fled to the west until Morgan’s army passed.

In 1900, the Ohio River froze solid during the winter, destroying the town’s ships. In 1905 the river froze again, this time destroying the town’s wharf. This began the decline of the town, whose importance had been declining since the war.

The first car arrived in Mauckport in 1913, a “Maxwell” car, owned by Daniel Baker Beanblossom.

During the Ohio River flood of 1937, Mauckport was decimated. The largest part of the town was destroyed, leading to the majority of the population abandoning it. The Mauckport High School was discontinued in 1950 and in 1957, its use as an elementary school was also discontinued. The building was razed in 1958. Other factors contributing to the decline of the town’s population included the rise of the railroad, which led to less reliance on the river for transportation.

According to the US census, the population of Mauckport peaked in 1900 with a population of 290. It then decreased to 209 by 1930, and then declined following the 1937 flood to 154 in the 1940 census.

Today, Mauckport is the site of the Matthew E. Welsh Bridge, built in 1966, the only bridge crossing the Ohio River between New Albany, Indiana and Tell City, Indiana. Formerly a toll bridge, it is of through truss design and provides a link between Harrison County, Indiana and Meade County, Kentucky. Frederick Mauck is buried in an unmarked grave near the same bridge.

The oldest house in Mauckport now is owned by Mrs. Myrtle Fisher. It was built in 1850 by James H. Miller and is located on Back Street.

The town still celebrates “Mauckport Days” every spring with a parade, and weekend of activities, bazaar style booths, and competitions. It is attended by most of the townships residents and many from neighboring Washington and Posey Townships.

Mauckport Road Map

Mauckport city Satellite Map

Geography

Mauckport is located at 38°1′25″N 86°12′7″W / 38.02361°N 86.20194°W / 38.02361; -86.20194 (38.023486, -86.202038). According to the 2010 census, Mauckport has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km), of which 0.19 square miles (0.49 km) (or 95%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) (or 5%) is water.

See also