VT-HISTORY-L Archives

From: "richboyd" <>
Subject: Ephraim Harris/Eliza Barber
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 20:11:53 -0500

This is cross-posted from the Harris-Hunters List.

>>>>>>>>
The below was given to me and I have no idea where it came from or who the
author was. I do know that this is NOT part of my Harris Lineage and hope that
it will help someone on the list. I have no further information on Henry
Sylvester Harris or his descendants. I have typed it with spelling errors as the
original had. A quick check of Ancestry.com census records supported much of
what was written. Connie Bradshaw

"HENRY SYLVESTER HARRIS

This history of western Nebraska would be incomplete without mention
being made of the well known and familiar name of Henry S. Harris. He was the
first sheriff of Rock county, Nebraska and attracted wide public attention by the
capture of several notorious horse thieves during his term of office. He was
of fearless character and a typical frontiersman and even before his election
to office captured Bohanan and Arnold, two daring horse thieves who had
infested the territory. Mr. Harris made a most capable officer and he came to be
dreaded by violators of the law. The subject of our sketch was born in St.
Laurence county, New York in the year 1850 (October 21) hs parents being
EPHRAIM H. and Eliza (Barber) Harris. The father was born in VERMONT and was
English ancestry and he was a lumberman. The mother died when our subject was a
baby, and she was a full blood French lady, came to this country from France.

In 1853 Ephraim Harris came west to Wisconsin and the family with the
grandparents followed in 1854 and settled near the city of Waupaca. Our subject
was reared here until he was sixteen years old and then commenced work in the
lumber woods. For nine winters he followed lumbering. In the spring he often
engaged in log driving along the streams of Wisconsin. In 1875 he came
further west and located in Greeley county Nebraska on a farm. On this trip he
made a long drive with a team and covered wagon, coming all the way from
Wisconsin and stopping 3 years in Iowa. When he reached his new home on Government
land in Greeley county, he had but $27.50 to begin life with. He built a sod
house commenced breaking his land and had his first crop eaten up by
grassshoppers. In 1878 he moved to Holt county and settled near the village of Stuart on
low level land that he used for haying purpose. Bad luck met him here and
his crops where drowned out several years in succession, and he moved again to
other localities, until 1885 he went to Rock settling on school land. Here he
put up buildings, made good improvements. It was while living there that he
was elected sheriff and had the experiences related in opening lines of this
sketch.

{part of the next line is illegible and I have guessed at what it says}

Henry S. Harris married in 1870 to Miss Matilda Harris a native of
New York State and a daughter of Orsemuis and Annie (Allen) Harris the former
being a native of Vermont.
Mr. and Mrs. {Harris} are the parents of ten children. Adaline, Charles,
Fred, Franklin, Earl, Ada Mae, Bert Allen, Myrtle Alma, Inez Maud, and Ben
Raymond.
In 1893 Mr. Harris went to Chicago and spent 6 years working in that
city, then returning in Nebraska settled on the North Loup river 20 miles north of
Burwell. In 1902 he located where he now lives, on section 24, township 24
range 17 and built a fine home and ranch having 640 acres used princapally for
stock purposes. Mr. Harris has had varying experiences and many hard trails
during his life on the frontier, but he has made his way to success and
prominence as a rancher and farmer. He has been in a number of states. He was the
first man to take a family to upper Spring creek country in Greeley county
Nebraska, and now has settled down permantly to enjoy a life of peace and comfort.
Mr. Harris has done his share of pioneering and has performed a good part
and in respected as a good citizen by all who know him."


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• Ephraim Harris/Eliza Barber by "richboyd" <>