Jesse Harris m. Hattie Glasscock b. 1858 Union Co, OH: d/o Joseph Glasscock, VA
PROF. JESSE HARRIS, Principal of the Haddam High School, is a well-educated and polished gentleman, thoroughly devoted to the duties of his profession. conscientious and faithful, and has made many friends since his sojourn in this county. He is a close student and an extensive reader, and has already attained an enviable reputation as an instructor. He is a native of Bangor, Iowa, and was born Dec. 16. 1856. He is consequently approaching the thirty-third year of his ‘age, and has made good headway on the road to prosperity. obtaining a high position among the educators of Kansas.
The early years of Prof. Harris were spent amid the quiet scenes of farm life, and he was taught to make himself useful from childhood. When a boy of eight years he began herding sheep. following this four years, and then began in earnest to work on a farm. He pursued his first studies in the common school. and remained a member of the parental household until a youth of eighteen years. Then desiring to increase his store of knowledge he repaired to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and entered the Pennsylvania College, pursuing a scientific course one year. At the expiration of this time be commenced teaching, which he followed one year, then resumed his studies and followed teaching and studying alternately for the next three years.
On the 17th of March. 1880, Prof. Harris was married in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Miss Hattie Glasscock. This lady was born in Union County, Ohio. Dec. 1858, and is the daughter of Joseph Glasscock, a native of Virginia who fell heir to twentyone slaves. Being an Abolitionist in sentiment and belief he immediately set his colored people free, and thus being deprived of a large portion of his income, went to work as a carpenter which he followed in Ohio- for several years. Then becoming crippled by an accident he occupied himself as a shoe-maker for a time. and later, secured 200 acres of land and engaged in farming.
In 1865 Mr. Glasscock removed to Missouri and engaged in farming, but met with misfortune, losing most of his property on account of Abolition principles. as his stock was poisoned and other outrages committed upon him. Being obliged to leave that section he removed to the vicinity of Fayetteville, Mo., where he carried on farming a few years, and then took up his abode in Mahaska County, Iowa. There he engaged in the breeding of fine horses, and in due time was enabled to purchase another farm. He finally retired from active labor and now makes his home with his children, having nearly attained to his fourscore years. He is a radical Republican, politically, and a member in good standing of the Christian Church. His wife, Mrs. Shady (Stratton) Glasscock, was a native of Ohio, and died in Iowa. in 1887.
The subject of this sketch after his marriage engaged in teaching near Marshalltown, Iowa, for two years and was uniformly successful. He had been given a first grade certificate as a teacher when twenty-three years old. At the expiration of the time mentioned, desiring a change of location, he went to a farm in Marshall County, Iowa, prosecuting agriculture in summer, but resuming his old profession in the winter. He remained a resident of the Hawkeye State until the fall of 1883, then set out for Kansas by team, crossing the Missouri at Plattsmouth and located near Haddam, engaged
‘ with Messrs. Moorehead & Knowles to operate the
stock-yards belonging to their ranche for eight months, serving at the same time as book-keeper. He then purchased eighty acres of raw land in Union Township-, upon which he located and made
[graphic]
some improvements, then sold out the following year. He purchased eighty acres of raw land in Mill Creek Township, which he improved with good buildings, and carried on farming there until December, l886. Then selling out, once more, he removed to the vicinity of Cuba, Republic County, where he purchased forty acres of land and taught there until September, 1888.
Wishing now to obtain further knowledge of his profession, as a teacher, Mr. Harris entered the Normal College at Great Bend, this State, taking a scientific course of seven months. He then resumed teaching in Republic County until the summer of 1889, and in July, that year, took up his residence in Haddam, and afterward entered upon the duties of his present position. H is home embraces thirty-seven acres of choice land which is operated by other parties. He has a neat residence, with pleasant surroundings, and his household circle includes four bright and interesting children-—Alma, Cullen, James J. and Vera. Formerly Prof. Harris was a member of the I. O. G. He and his wife are members in good, standing of the Baptist Church at Hickory Grove; politically, he is a sound Republican.
The father of our subject was James Harris, a native of North Carolina, and born near New Berne, in 1815. The paternal grandfather was David Harris, likewise a native of that State, and a farmer by occupation. Grandfather Harris left the South in 1833, emigrating to Indiana and locating on a tract of Government land near Winchester, where he carried on farming until his death. The great grandfather of our subject was Jesse Harris, likewise a native of North Carolina and a ship-builder by trade, living on the coast. His father, Johnston Harris, came from England and was a Quaker.
James Harris prosecuted farming and stock-raising in Indiana until 1846. He then removed overland by team to Iowa, settling in Henry County, but later changed his residence to Marshall County, where he entered land and improved a farm, becoming well-to-do. He died at Bangor, in May, 1884. He was a Quaker in religious life, first a Whig and then a Republican, politically, and a strong Abolitionist. He married Miss Matilda Pickett, a native of his own State and born in 1821. The mother of our subject was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Pickett, a farmer of North Carolina, and a preacher in the Quaker Church. He removed to Indiana in 1846, where he spent his last days. Mrs. Matilda Harris is still living at the old homestead near Bangor, Marshall Co., Iowa.
To the parents of Prof. Harris there were born fourteen children, the eldest of whom, a daughter, Mary, is now Mrs. Hockett, and resides in Sherman County, Kan.; Emily married John Clymer, and died in Topeka; Ruth married a Mr. Ilockett, and died in Iowa; Sarah, Mrs. George, resides in Leavenworth County, this State; Eunice died at the age of fifteen years; Eleazar B. is farming in Storey County. Iowa; Jobe L. died in infancy; Robert died when a promising young man of twenty years; James L. is farming in Marshall County, Iowa; Jesse, the subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Evangeline died when two years old; Edwin died when a young child; Anna, Mrs. Pruitt, is a resident of Logan County, this State; David M. lives in Marshall County, Iowa.
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source:
Pages 1188-1190
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Kansas
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Ohio OH Iowa IA Virginia VA