Founders & Early Builders of Fort Harrod and Harrodstown

These men and, in several cases, the women of their families, formed the backbone of early settlement in the Kentucky wilderness. Their courage, labor, and leadership created what would become Kentucky’s first permanent English settlement.

Captain James Harrod (1746–1798) — Founder of Harrodstown

James Harrod led the original party of settlers that built Fort Harrod in June 1774, establishing the first permanent settlement west of the Alleghenies. A veteran of the French and Indian War and Lord Dunmore’s War, he became a central figure in Kentucky frontier leadership. Harrod was known for his hunting skill, surveying expertise, and generosity toward fellow settlers. He mysteriously disappeared in the wilderness in 1792, leaving a legacy woven into Kentucky’s identity.

Abraham Hite, Jacob Sandusky, and James Sandusky — Original Fort Builders (1774)

These men, along with Harrod and approximately thirty others, helped build the first iteration of the fort in June 1774. Their work laid the physical foundation for the settlement and its defensive capability.

General James Ray

Part of the construction party for the original 1774 fort, Ray was among the early defenders of the frontier. His name appears alongside Harrod, Hite, and the Sanduskys as one of the founding builders.

Captain William Pogue

Also recorded among the men who built and settled Fort Harrod in 1774. Pogue was an experienced frontiersman whose skills contributed to establishing the first encampment.

The McAfee Brothers — Robert, James Jr., George, and William McAfee

Among the earliest explorers of the region, the McAfee Company surveyed and claimed land in Mercer County as early as 1773, returning to settle permanently in 1775. Their overlapping claims with Harrod marked some of the earliest complex land negotiations in Kentucky.

  • Robert McAfee: Surveyor and Revolutionary War participant.
  • James and George McAfee: Pioneers instrumental in early Mercer County land claims.
  • William McAfee: Builder of McAfee Station (1779), later known as Round Ridge.

 

Rebecca Curry McAfee

One of the early frontier women who helped build and sustain McAfee’s Station. Women like Rebecca played indispensable roles—managing households, aiding in defense, and supporting station life during extreme hardship.

Colonel Abram Bowman — Founder of Bowman’s Station (1779)

Located about six miles from Harrodstown, Bowman’s Station supported the growing Harrodstown population. Bowman arrived with about 30 families, significantly reinforcing the region’s settler numbers during a time of intense frontier conflict.