Port Fulton was a town located two miles up the river from

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

, within present-day Jeffersonville, Indiana. At its height it stretched from the Ohio River to modern-day 10th Street, and from Crestview to Jefferson/Main Streets. Port Fulton was laid out in 1835 by Victor Neff, and named for

Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboa ...

, the inventor of steamboats. Its original boundaries were present day Jackson Street (east), Division Street (west), and between Court and Charlestown Streets to the north. It became a magnet for those in the maritime business. Henry French, a steamboat builder, already had a home there. The

Howard Family The House of Howard is an English noble house founded by John Howard, who was created Duke of Norfolk (third creation) by King Richard III of England in 1483. However, John was also the eldest grandson (although maternal) of the 1st Duke of the ...

resided there. The shipyards of both French and Howard became

Jeffboat Jeffboat was a shipyard in Jeffersonville, Indiana founded by James Howard in 1834, a builder of steamboats. The company was owned by the Howard family until it was sold leading up to World War II. Following the war, it became known as the Jeff ...

. In April 1853 the city of Jeffersonville attempted to annex Port Fulton, only to be stymied by its residents. The third-largest Civil War hospital,

Jefferson General Hospital Jefferson General Hospital was the third-largest hospital during the American Civil War, located at Port Fulton, Indiana (now part of Jeffersonville, Indiana) and was active between February 21, 1864 and December 1866. The land was owned by U.S ...

, was operated there, formed from the Brighton estate owned by Jesse Bright that was confiscated by Union authorities. In 1880 the population was 907; in 1900, it was 1,104. However, Port Fulton's population declined to 971 in the 1920 census. This allowed Jeffersonville to finally annex Port Fulton in 1926.Kramer p.210, 256

Gallery

File:Henry French House.jpg, Henry French House File:Old Howard Mansion.jpg, Howard Mansion File:Jefferson General Hospital.jpg,

References

Jeffersonville, Indiana Geography of Clark County, Indiana Former municipalities in Indiana Populated places established in 1835 1835 establishments in Indiana 1926 disestablishments in Indiana {{LouisvilleMSA-stub