Clarksburg, Administrative center in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States.
Clarksburg is the administrative center of Harrison County in West Virginia and sits along the West Fork River at an elevation of roughly 1000 feet (300 meters). The town spreads along the river in a hilly landscape in the north-central part of the state, surrounded by wooded ridges and winding valleys.
The Virginia General Assembly founded the settlement in 1785 and named it after General George Rogers Clark, a commander in the Revolutionary War. During the 19th century the place developed into an important trading center in the region before later becoming the seat of county government.
The name honors George Rogers Clark, an officer from the American Revolution, whose military success inspired the founders of the settlement. Today this connection to the past appears less in daily life than in official names and occasional events where visitors learn about local beginnings.
Visitors looking to orient themselves in the center will find the main public buildings and services in the older part along the riverbank. Parks and pathways along the water offer an easy way to move between different neighborhoods.
Near the town lie the Oak Mounds, archaeological sites from the Hopewell culture dating between the 1st and 10th centuries. These earthworks show traces of early settlement and stand today as a quiet reminder of the long history of the region before European arrival.
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