In 1785 John Harris, Jr., and his son-in-law, William Maclay, laid out a town which they named "Harrisburg" and that same year it was designated as the county seat. Some State officials, however, held that in view of the county being named for the Dauphin of France the village should be known as Louisbourg, in honor of Louis XVI. In 1791, when the town became a borough, the name of "Harrisburg" was reestablished. In 1810 it was chosen as the new site for the State capitol and two years later the removal from Lancaster was accomplished. With a population growth to 13,000 it was incorporated as a city in 1860.

The Harris ferry literally became the "gateway to the West" as Conestoga wagons crossed the wide but shallow river on their journey westward. Then came the Enabling Act of 1791 which developed Harrisburg first as a canal and then as a railroad center. The Pennsylvania Canal was projected in 1826 and, with the railroad from Columbia to Philadelphia, was completed in 1834. The city continues today as a vital transportation link between the East and West, North and South.

During the Civil War the first northern camp to quarter Southern prisoners was established here and named Camp Curtin in honor of the State's governor Andrew G. Curtin. The economic depression that followed the War had its ill effects on the city's industry, but by  the latter 1870's the city was back in stride, with a population of more than 25,000.

The twentieth century ushered in an era of civic and municipal improvements. Millions were spent on sewers, street paving, parks, bridges, and the development of new residential sections in the city and its suburbs. The census of 1950 shows a population of 89,544 and today it is estimated to be in excess of 93,000. Together with the 20 townships and boroughs in the immediate suburban area, the Urban Harrisburg area is estimated to have 211,000 residents.

The State Capitol Building, erected in 1906, and its surrounding monumental type office buildings are recognized as the Finest State Capitol Group in the United States. The Capital itself covers two acres of ground and contains 475 rooms. It is 520 feet long and 250 feet wide with an eye-catching dome of 272 feet high, patterned after St. Peter's in Rome. The main staircase is adapted from the Grand Opera House in Paris, and its House and Senate Chambers have historic paintings by famous artists and beautiful stained glass windows.  The eight other buildings in the Capital Group and two projected for early future construction, cover an area of 68 acres in the heart of Harrisburg.

Harrisburg, sheltered by the surrounding mountains, has an average temperature range from 44 to 62 degrees. Its water supply is from nearby mountain streams. Its three public hospitals with 1,400 beds, its ten theaters, 90 'churches and spacious Farm Show buildings are a vital part of its community life.