Park Closes at Dark
Morvin’s Landing has been a dream of the Parks Board since 1970. In 2015, this dream was brought to the brink of reality. Construction of the Jim Klinstiver boat ramp began in June 2018, and was opened to the public on October 20, 2019.
Since it’s completion, Morvin’s Landing is providing access for recreation boaters and emergency vehicles on the Indiana side of the river. The Klinstiver Boat Ramp at Morvin’s Landing is the only viable ramp within 47 miles on the Indiana side of the river.
The proposed Morvin’s Landing Park is a historic 93 acre tract of land located in a rural area of Harrison County. The property borders the Ohio River, two miles east of the town of Mauckport on State Hwy 11. A county road, Morvin’s Landing Road, runs through the property and terminates at the Ohio River. This was formerly the access road for the Ferry to Brandenburg, Ky. This ferry operated until 1966 when a bridge was completed linking Mauckport, In to Brandenburg, Ky. Within just a few hundred feet lies the remains of the Alice Dean which was sunk during the Confederates crossing by General John Hunt Morgan. The property is rich in history and natural resources.
The property is the site of the historic town of Morvin. Established in 1811, it was a thriving river port community and ferry site for crossing the Ohio River. This town was a strategic point for slaves using the Underground Railroad to cross the Ohio River from the south to the north.
It is most notable as the location where General John Hunt Morgan and his Morgan’s Raiders crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and began their foray into the northern territory. This was July 9th, 1863. The last remaining structures of the town of Morvin were destroyed by Morgan’s cannon fire and one of the two steamboats used by Morgan to cross the river, the Alice Dean, was scuttled just downriver from the property. This site is part of the John Hunt Morgan Trail which as been identified by the Civil War Trust as a historic battlefield.
