Lewis J. Harris

BERRY, ELDRIDGE, HARRIS, MILLER, SKINNER, WEEKS

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 6/29/2006 at 16:18:14

L. J. Harris, deceased, was a well known farmer of Monroe township, and those who were associated with him held him in high esteem. He was born in Indiana on the 14th of September, 1830, and was a son of Harvard Harris, a landowner of that state. He was married in the Hoosier state on the 14th of September, 1853, to Miss Sarah E. Berry, who was born in Marion county, Indiana, on the 6th of March, 1833. In 1854 they came by wagon to Madison county and settled in Monroe township, where Mr. Harris entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. His father made the journey with him and spent the remainder of his life in this county.

L. J. Harris erected a log house upon his farm and in this the family resided until 1861, when he built the residence which is still the home of his widow. As the years passed he made many improvements upon his place, bringing it to a high state of development. He was not afraid of hard work and long hours and his well directed industry was rewarded by abundant crops, the sale of which netted him a good profit on his year's work. He also raised live stock and found that a remunerative phase of his business.

To Mr. and Mrs. Harris were born eleven children: Mary Jane, who was born December 1, 1854, and died in childhood; Lucy Louisa, born March 1, 1807 who became the wife of T. E. Weeks and is now deceased; William I., born March 3, 1859, who resides in South Dakota; M. E., born September K. 1861 who is a farmer of Webster township, this county; Martha Ann, deceased who was born July 23, 1863, and became the wife of Byron Miller; Harbert H. who was born on the 16th of December, 1864, and died in infancy; Charles deceased whose birth occurred on the 25th of February, 1866; an infant who died unnamed; Sarah Frances, who was born on the 6th of March, 1868, and married. L. A. Eldridge, a farmer of South township; Zeresh E., born February 1, 1871, who married Walter Skinner, of Newton, Iowa; and Joseph E., who was born on the 2d of December, 1874, and is living in Newton.

Mr. Harris was a republican and served as township trustee and as constable. He was a good citizen and in the private relation of life manifested admirable traits of character. His work as a farmer was crowned with well deserved success and he became one of the representative men of his township. He died on the 1st of April, 1903, and was sincerely mourned not only by his family but by many friends and acquaintances.

Mrs. Harris still resides upon the homestead, which is operated by a grandson, Louis Irvin Weeks, whom she reared to manhood, as his mother died when he was but an infant. He was born on the 8th of May, 1879, and married Miss Maud Miles, by whom he has three daughters, Veva Elizabeth, Ruby Rosalie and Gertrude Fay. Mr. Weeks has recently purchased a farm in Nebraska but intends to continue his residence in this county.

Mrs. Harris takes great pleasure in recounting the stories of the early days in this part of the state and it seems almost unbelievable to one of the present generation that only fifty or sixty years ago such conditions as she tells of existed. At that time there were no roads and the old Indian trail which passed west of her home was the only highway in the neighborhood. There were no bridges across the river, which necessitated this being forded, and in times of high water it was very dangerous to attempt to cross. Winterset was but a small village and there was not a house between North Clanton and South Clanton. The principal crop raised was wheat, which was cut with a sickle and tramped out with horses. The grain when so separated from the chaff was at first taken to Indianola to be ground into flour, although later the Buffalo Mills were established in this county. In that early day the wheat was often severely infected with a disease known as smut, so much so that the flour and the biscuits made there-from were black. Indians were numerous although not hostile and Mrs. Harris was afraid of them. On one occasion her husband and father-in-law went to Ringgold county to look at land but as Indians were numerous there her husband remarked "It would be no use to try to fetch Sally down here." During the early part of their residence in Madison county their only artificial light was from grease lamps and candles and when Mr. Harris brought home a glass lamp which burned kerosene Mrs. Harris was fearful that it might be dangerous and was unwilling to use it. While a girl living in Marion county, Indiana, she saw the first train enter that county and a number of years later witnessed the arrival of the first train in this county. Although she has reached the advanced age of eighty-two years she is still hale and hearty and takes a great interest in all that is going on around her. Her reminiscences of the early days are not only of interest but also of value as they enable the men and women of today to realize more clearly the sacrifices that the early settlers made in laying the foundation of the present prosperity of the county.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915,” by Herman Mueller.