Elizabeth Site

Elizabeth (sometimes called Elizabethtown) thrived as a port on the White River and became the seat of Jackson County in 1839. Though a popular riverboat town, Elizabeth proved to be too close to the White River, and a flood in 1844 washed away half the town, undercut part of the river bank, and did extensive damage to the new courthouse. The community never fully recovered. The river later shifted course and eroded away what remained of the community. In 1853, a more suitable replacement for Elizabeth was found two miles upstream at the confluence of the Black and White rivers at Jacksonport (Jackson County). The site of Elizabeth is today part of a farm. Photo taken October 10, 2017.

Photo by Kenneth Rorie