Harvey Heth (1770–1816) was born on April 28, 1770 in Virginia. He was the son of Agnes McMahon Heth and Captain Henry Heth, a new

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrant to the United States and a veteran of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He was also the brother of several other Revolutionary War veterans, including

Henry Heth Henry Heth ( not ) (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a career United States Army officer who became a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He came to the notice of Robert E. Lee while serving briefly as his quartermast ...

Biography

Harvey moved to

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a United States Congress, congressional act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the U ...

in the late 18th century and was one of the first settlers in

Harrison County, Indiana Harrison County is located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. The county was officially established in 1808. Its county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. Harrison County is part of the Lou ...

. He later purchased a large tract of land from

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

. The land included much of present-day Heth Township and the south eastern corner of Corydon. He built a mill on Buck Creek, one of the first in the state. Harvey was among the first elected to the

Legislative Council in 1809 when Congress forced the dissolution of the existing legislature and permitted the state to begin electing their own representatives. It was his only participation in the legislature. Harvey surveyed much of the county for the Territorial Legislature including the new capital of Corydon. Heth was part of the commission to select the new capital in 1810.The History of the State of Indiana, By William Henry Smith, Pg 205 He favored Corydon which was near his home and donated a portion of land he owned for the town. Heth was a close friend of

Squire Boone In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...

. He helped to create Boone's original burial tomb and was going to be buried with Boone. Heth's family objected though and instead buried on the west side of Buck Creek. Heth died in 1816 and is buried in the western part of Heth Township.

References

Grave of Harvey Heth in Harrision County, Ind.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heth, Harvey Members of the Indiana Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Indiana Territory officials People from Harrison County, Indiana 1770 births 1816 deaths