He married twice.  He married first, Mary Inman in Morgan Co., OH, August 21, 1843.   He married second, Chloe E. Terrill Stull in Postville, Allamakee Co. IA on January 16,1865.  Chloe was born in Livington, NY on October 8, 1823.  She was the daughter of Nathan Terrill and Elizabeth Lang.

From D. Jensby, a descendant, by e-mail: "The papers of his oldest son, Stephen B, tell us the family moved from Ohio to Plainfield, Will Co, IL and from there to Allamakee County, IA in 1856. Elisha (his brother) moved to Allamakee Co. in 1854. It is possible William J. began the trip with Elisha and for some reason stopped in Plainfield for 2 years." On the 1860 Iowa census in Post Twp, Allamakee Co. Thomas Inman (possibly Mary's brother) and wife Catherine are William's neighbors and William is living near his brother Elisha Harris.

William enlisted in the Civil War in Co. I, 1st Missouri Volunteers, also known as the Engineering Co. of the West. The Company was mustered from Allamakee Co. IA.  By the end of the war he married Chloe Terrill Stull. Chloe had been widowed in 1864 & had 6 children by her marriage to Peter Stull. The children were: Chloe Joanna, Mary Edith, Carrie (or Clara) Orvilla, Isabelle, Peter D. & Andrew Jackson.

Between 1871 & 1876 William and Chloe lived in  Butler Co. NE. They were among the first pioneers in the area and homesteaded there. In 1876 they removed again to Allamakee Co. IA.

Mary Inman died bef 1865. William died on February 10, 1877 in Allamakee Co., Iowa, at 60 years of age. Chloe died on April 19, 1891 in Postville, Allamakee Co. IA, at 67 years of age. There is no marker for her at the Minert cemetery in Post Twp. She may be buried with her first husband Peter Stull. William is buried in the Post twp. Allamakee Co. IA Minert cemetery. 

William J. Harris and Mary Inman had 6 children:

28.  Elizabeth Harris c1853-?
29.  Stephen B. Harris 1844-1915    
30.  Thomas Harris 1846-1909
31.  John Westley Harris 1846-1926 
32.  Sarah Jane Harris  1850-1868       
33.  George Washington Harris 1852-1931

34.  William Theodore Harris c1865-1907
35.  Alfred Wyman Harris 1869-1892

His body was interred 1854 in Morgan Co. OH, Pisgah Cemetery.   Ruth died October 11, 1869 in Morgan Co. OH, at 51 years of age.

Esau Harris and Ruth A. Barkhurst had 14 children:

George (1838-18490, Rebecca (1839-1840), John (1840-1917), Arminta (1842-1921), Esau (1846-?), Dawes (1850-?), Hull (1852-1856), Eva (1854-?) & her twin sister who died at birth, Titus (1858-1890), Dock (1860-?) & Margaret (1862-?). Twin boys (1857) died in at birth or in infancy.

He married Margaret Jane Patterson (note: clicking this link will take you to my very old Yahoo website) in Morgan Co.OH on May 14, 1843.  Margaret was born in Morgan Co.OH on December 23, 1827.  She was the daughter of William Henry Patterson and Mary Elizabeth Taylor.

Elisha Harris

Margaret Patterson Harris

Elisha farmed land purchased from his father-in -law in Bloom Twp. Morgan Co.OH until the spring of 1854. A passage from 'The Elisha Harris Family' by K. Kenny, a grandson: "Into this raw, rugged, wild country in 1854 came an emigrant train of 10 wagons, with Eisha Harris in the lead with his 4 wagons, coming from the vicinity of McConnelsville, Morgan Co. OH.  They settled in the log house on the Bates farm about a half mile south of Lybrand."

He bought an unfinished Hotel from John Cooper and moved his large family into it as their home.  Elisha eventually bought all the land comprising Lybrand, making a farm of it. He converted the shops into barns, and sheds for produce and stock. The Great Stone Hotel was located on the main  road between McGregor's Landing and Decorah.  This was the old "Double Trail" to the Indian village of Chief Decorah and it ran through this settlemant from Hickory creek at Hardin and crossed the Yellow river at what was called 'dry sink'.

The 'Stone Hotel', home of Elisha & Margaret Harris in Lybrand

Elisha frequently was mentioned in the local paper.  The  Postville Review, October  1873 gives news of the local elections.  Elisha  received 1 vote in the  election for Justice and one vote for road supervisor in district 6. He served as postmaster of the Lybrand PO for a time, resigning in 1869.

Other newspaper items:
1874- "A note given to Cou. Hughs, by Karl Doeming, has recently been lost.  Supposed to have been lost in Postville.  The note calls for $200.00 due in six months after date.  The finder will be well rewarded by leaving the same at this office.  The note is at present in favor of E. Harris."  
1879- "The following square-toed subscribers are entitled to thanks for a little of the needful:  B.W. Rathbun, H. Stone, Levi Haines, E. Harris, Myron Rose, L.H. Carter and P.W. Lucas." 
1881- "Last Wednesday Elisha Harris was bitten by a rattlesnake on one of his arms.  He immediately came to town and found Dr. Green, under whose care he is doing fine.  The arm was badly swollen and had it not been promptly tended to, it doubless would have been very bad."

"A VERITABLE CYCLONE.  IT BARELY MISSES POSTVILLE!!!
     Houses, School house, Barns and Everything in the Track, entirely Swept away, but no lives lost! " 

This was the headline of the Postville Review of 10-1-1881.   A lengthly article lists the property owners and their losses.  Among those were: " ...The large stone house owned and occupied by Elisha Harris, and known as the old Lybrand Hotel, was not struck by the full force, but it was unroofed and the walls of the entire structure are so badly damaged as to be valueless.  Mr. Harris' damage is not less than $3,000."

Subsequent issues of the Postville Review tell of the rebuilding: "Elisha Harris has torn down the walls of the old stone house and is going to build a frame.  The family live at present in the wood-house.  He has new roofed his graniary also...." and "Elisha Harris will not build this winter, but intends to early next summer."

Elisha was in ill-health for some years prior to his death.  He sought medical treatment in Milwaukee in 1886; traveled to California in 1886 & again in 1887, hoping the climate would help his ailments; and finally in 1891, he went to Baltimore, MD for medical care.  It is not known if any of the medical treatments helped his condition, nor exactly what he suffered from. 

He traveled a great deal after Margaret's death, visiting his children in Kansas & California.  He wrote lengthly letters to the editor of the Postville Review, describing his travels through the Western U.S. and thoughts about the lands he was seeing.  He even survived a train wreck on one of his trips! For a time there was rumor that he had taken a second wife, when he rented his Post twp. farm and purchased a small farm in Kansas, but the rumor was untrue. 

In 1893, Elisha  visited the Chicago World's Fair & Exposition  with a few townsmen; J.R. Laughlin, John Hammel, Sam Harris & Arthur Swenson, among them. 

Margaret died of consumption on August 2,1885 in Lybrand, Post twp. Allamakee Co. IA. Elisha died of dropsy at the home of his son James, on February 9, 1896 in Postville.  He had been gravely ill for only a few weeks.  He was 75 years of age.

They are buried in Minert Cemetery, Post twp. Allamakee Co. IA.  Their  grave marker with inscription was purchased from E. H. Prior Monuments of Postville.  It cost $50.

Elisha Harris & Margaret Patterson Harris gravestone
Inscribed are 4 names:
Elisha Harris 1820-1896
Margaret wife of Elisha
Infant Harris 1868-1868
Bertha May Harris 1870-1870

Several issues of the Postville Review ran the following:
Farm for Sale.  A good farm of four hundred acres known as the Elisha Harris farm, lying 3 1/2 miles northeast of Postville.  Good house and barn. Well watered and wood on place.  All but about 40 acres plow and grass land.  Apply to Ellison Orr, Executor.

Elisha Harris and Margaret Patterson had 14 children:

36.    Mary Elizabeth Harris +
37.    William Harris +   
38.    Nancy Ellen Harris +
39.    Amanda Jane Harris +  
40.    George Wesley Harris +
41.   James McGarry Harris +
42.   Susannah Caroline Harris +
43.   Delila Ann Harris +
44.   Henry Samuel Harris +
45.   Elisha Harris 1863-1863
46.   Margaret Union Harris +
47.   Charles Andrew Harris +
48.   boy Harris 1868-1868
49.   Bertha May Harris 1870-1870

She married twice.  She married  William Weekley in 1836.  William was born in Belmont Co. OH 1816, the eldest son of Benjamin Weekley. This notice appeared in an area newspaper in August 1847: "Margaret Weekley, having left my bed and board I pay no debts..."

She married again in 1853. The name of her second husband is unknown.

Margaret died in 1856 in Noble Co.OH at 35 years of age.

Margaret Harris and William Weekley had 7 children:

Roseann (?-?), Benjamin (c1838-?), Levi (1845-1922), Sally (c1850-1870), William (c1842-?), Nancy (c1846-?) & George (1840-1897).

He married unknown Barkley.   

Silas Harris and unknown Barkley had 3 children:

Amanda (1848-?), Silas (1850-?) & Curtis (1852-?)

I would be very interested in additional information on Silas Harris.

He married Elizabeth Howard abt 1850.  Elizabeth was born in Morgan Co.OH on November 14,1823.

Tragically, their son George brutally murdered his wife in 1891.  He was convicted and imprisioned & died in the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus.  Elizabeth took in & raised her young granddaughter Minnie. 

Sampson, James' brother,  cared for  Elizabeth at some point.  He became her guardian when she was judged to be an imbecile.

James died June 17, 1886 in Noble Co. OH, at 62 years of age. Elizabeth died May 5, 1904 Ohio, at 80 years of age.

James Harris and Elizabeth Howard had 8 children:

Nancy (c1845-?), Esau (1860-?), George (c1858-1898), Lyle, Charles (c1844-?) , Mary Elizabeth (c1847), James (c1859-?) & Elizabeth (1862-?).

He married Roseanna H. Floyd in Noble Co OH on October 25,1857.  Roseanna was born in OH on July 31, 1831.

David was a veteran of the Civil War. He served Ohio, was drafted into G Co. 66th Inf Reg. OH on September 28, 1864. While stationed at Gouldboro camp in NC, March 1865, he contracted some form of chronic diarrhea which affected him the rest of his life and for which he was awarded a disability pension.  The battle at Goldsboro, North Carolina on April  6,1865 was the last battle this regiment fought in the Civil War. He mustered out at Near Bladensburg, MD on 03 June 1865. He filed for pension June 27, 1880. His widow Rosanna filed October 22, 1891.

David died October 11,1891 in Enoch Twp, Noble Co.OH at 64 years of age.  From the Postville Review, 9/26/1891: "In answer to a dispatch that his brother was not expected to live Mr. E. Harris and nephew, Sam Harris and wife left on the 5 o'clock train last evening for Ohio." 

Roseanna died March 3, 1916 in Caldwell, OH, at 84 years of age.They are buried in Olive Cemetery, Noble Co. OH.  

David McGarry Harris and Roseanna H. Floyd had 9 children:

50.  Edward 'Dallas' Harris 1866-?
51.  Olive Harris 1875-?
52.  Celia Ellen Harris 1857-1961
53.  Elisha Harris 1870-?  
54.  Cornelius Lincoln Harris c1864-?
55.  Martha Harris 1858-1858
56.  James William Harris +
57.  Sampson A. Harris +
58.  John Floyd Harris 1884-1919

He served in the Civil War and distinguished himself by winning a Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry at Vicksburg. There is a tree planted in his honor at Gettysburg. He enlisted in 1861, in Company K, Thirtieth Ohio volunteer infantry, where he served three years.  He was in the Army of the Potomac until after the second battle of Bull Run and in the East participated in the battles of Second Bull Run, South Mountain, and Antietam.  He was then transferred to the southwest, and there participated in the siege of Vicksburg, in which he was a member of the "forlorn party," a detachment detailed to build a bridge; eighty-five per cent of the hundred and fifty losing their lives; also in the battle at Jackson, Miss.

Sampson Harris

He married Caroline Brown in Noble Co., OH, June 17,1866.  Caroline was born c 1845. She was the daughter of James Brown and Hannah Marquis.  After the war Sampson farmed, having inherited the family homestead from his father George. 

Harris homestead in Olive twp. Noble co. OH.
The large brick home was built by George & Elizabeth's son, Sampson Harris, in 1895.
The house was torn down in about 1995.

Sampson died on October 29, 1905 at 64 years of age. Caroline died in 1910 at 65 years of age. They are buried in the Olive cemetery, Caldwell, OH.

Sampson Harris and Caroline Brown had 8 children:

George (1867-1958), James Stant (1869-1919), Meribah (1872-1953), Daisy (1874-1964), Eve (1877-1957), Bernice (1881-1962), Maggie (1883-1971) & DeWitt 'Dare' (1884-1958).

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This page was updated on 07/08/2006

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