Harrisburg

History

Harrisburg was named for John W. Harris, who inherited the Model Farm on what was Thrall's Prairie, the first permanent settlement in the county. The town was laid out on the survey line of the prospective Louisiana and Missouri River Railroad which was later leased to Chicago and Alton Railroad. The line was graded and prepared, but was abandoned for a line farther north. The proposed line can be seen on the 1969 USGS topographic map of Harrisburg. According to Colonel W. F. Switzler, in 1882, there were a post office, three stores, a confectionary shop, a church, a mill, a blacksmith shop, and a public school building with the Masonic lodge above. That Harrisburg School building, constructed by the Freemasons, served as Harrisburg’s school and community center from 1878 to 1963. In 2013 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but was shortly afterward demolished due to dilapidation. The small Prewitt Family Cemetery is located behind Harrisburg Elementary School. The much larger Harrisburg Cemetery is located at the East end of town. The earliest burial was in 1863, and burials continue today, with an estimated 750 interments as of 2024.The post office was located in the saddle shop. The Baptist church is a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. The old church building, built in 1887, is still in use. In 1961, the two congregations were regularly trading Sundays.

Geography

Harrisburg is located on Missouri Route 124 about one mile from the Boone-Howard county line. Fayette is about eleven miles to the west and U.S. Route 63 is about seven miles to the east along route 124. Perche Creek flows past two miles east of the community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The town is located between the Moniteau and Perche watersheds. The Prairie fork of the Moniteau heads towards Harrisburg, as does the Callaham fork of Perche Creek.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,460
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,992
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,844
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,815
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,440
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,404
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,402
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,939

Largest nearby schools

• HARRISBURG ELEM.
  Elementary · HARRISBURG · 276 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• HARRISBURG HIGH
  High · HARRISBURG · 204 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• HARRISBURG MIDDLE
  Middle · HARRISBURG · 133 students · 13.3:1 ratio