George W. Harris
The agricultural development of Allamakee county has been
greatly stimulated by the activities of George W. Harris, who
owns a valuable farm of two hundred and thirty acres in Postville
township, on which he still lives, although he has now retired
from active labor, leaving the most arduous duties of operating
his land to his son-in-law. As evidence of his success, it may be
cited that he is also president of the Farmers Cooperative
Company of Postville and of the Cooperative Creamery Company of
this city. Moreover, he has other interests and is a stockholder
in numerous prosperous enterprises.
George W. Harris was born in McConnelsville, Morgan county, Ohio,
December 22, 1851, and is a son of Elisha and Margaret
(Patterson) Harris, both natives of the same county. The father,
who always followed agricultural pursuits, came in 1854 to Iowa,
locating at Lybrand, Post township, where he continued successful
in the operation of his farm until his demise in 1898. The mother
had passed away about five years previous to that time. In their
family were fourteen children.
George W. Harris was brought by his parents to Iowa when but a
child and received his educational advantages in the district
schools of Post township, the first school which he attended
being conducted in an old-fashioned log schoolhouse located near
what is now known as the Minert cemetery, so named for Mrs.
Minert, who was the first to be buried there. Mr. Harris early
began to assist his father with the work of the farm and acquired
detailed information regarding agricultural operations. After
laying aside his text-books he remained at home until twenty-one
years of age, when he was married, continuing, however, after
that event, to operate his father's land for one year, at the end
of which time he purchased part of the farm he now owns. When he
acquired title to this property it was but a wilderness improved
with a little log house and a small thatched stable. Courageous
and persevering, however, he set to work breaking acre by acre
until his land brought him gratifying returns. He began with
eighty acres and, as his financial resources increased gradually,
added thereto until he now owns a farm of two hundred and thirty
acres highly improved and well under cultivation. His barns,
outbuildigs and sheds are modern and suitably equiped, his
residence is comfortable and all modern conveniences can be found
therein, while he has installed the latest type of farm machinery
in order to facilitate the labor and improve the productivity of
the soil. Although Mr. Harris has retired from the more strenuous
duties of the farm, leaving that part of the work to his
so-in-law, he still supervises in a general way his farming
interests. The land is largely devoted to mixed farming, raisig
the grai suitable to soil and climate, but his live-stock
interests are also important, he having given a number of years
to the improvement of his strain of high bred Poland China hogs.
As is but natural for a man of the business ability, enterprise
and alertness such as Mr. Harris possesses, he has become
connected with allied and other interests and at present serves
as president of the Farmers Cooperative Company of Postville and
in the same position in the Postville Creamery Company, being not
only a large stockholder in these institutions, but also having
done valuable work as an executive officer in promoting their
growth and effective operation. Mr. Harris is also a stockholder
in the Clay Products Company, the canning factory of Postville,
and is interested in the Plano International Machinery Company of
Plano, Illinois. It is a cooperative concern formed by farmers in
order to furnish them with machinery of the best grade at the
lowest cost. Moreover, Mr. Harris is a factor in financial
circles of Postville, being a stockholder in the Citizens Bank.
The marriage of Mr. Harris to Miss Ella Laughlin occurred May 4,
1872. Mrs. Harris was born in Post township in 1855, on the farm
which adjoins her present home. She is a daughter of John and
Jane Laughlin, natives of Scotland, who became early settlers in
this county, where the father attained prosperity as the result
of a long, useful and active life as a farmer. Both he and his
wife passed away on the farm located next to Mr Harris' and which
is now occupied by their son, J .R. Laughlin. Mr. and Mrs. Harris
became the parents of six children: Warner, who married Miss
Rachel Folsom and is now engaged in farming in Post township;
Nina, the wife of Arthur W. Swenson, an agriculturist of Franklin
township; Hazel, who married Alonzo Folsom, who now has charge of
the actual operation of Mr. Harris' farm; Mabel, the wife of
Richard Folsom, a farmer of Franklin township; Gerald, at home;
and Roger, deceased. He was the youngest of the family and a
promising young boy of ten years, who lost his life by being
accidentally shot.
Although Mr. Harris has withdrawn from the most arduous labors in
connection with farm work, he remains an important factor in the
agricultural advancement of Allamakee county, to the development
of which he has contributed in a considerable degree, while at
the same time promotig his private interests. He is honored and
respected in his vicinity as one who, by his own efforts,
attained to a substantial place and one who always was as
considerate of the interests of others as of his own.
-source: Past & Present in Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall, gg-granddaughter
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