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County: Hardin

Founding of West Point/James Young

Marker Number: 

2463

Location: 

109 Elm St., West Point

In 1796, James Young and Samuel Pearman established the town of West Point on land owned by Young. It received its name because it was the westernmost English-speaking settlement downstream from the Falls of the Ohio River (Louisville). Over time the town prospered due to access to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Reverse Description:

James Young (1767-1849)- While residing in West Point and operating Young’s Inn, James Young promoted and helped finance the Louisville-Nashville Turnpike that later evolved into Dixie Highway. By 1797, Young was operating a ferry from the mouth of the Salt River across the Ohio River, to what was the Northwest Territory (present day Indiana).

Dedicated June 6, 2015.

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