John Richardson Harris (abt. 1789 - 1829)

Born about 22 Mar 1789 in Cayuga, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Birdsall) Harris — married 7 May 1813 in New York

Descendants

Died 21 Aug 1829 at about age 40 in New Orleans, Louisiana

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John Harris settled in the Republic of Texas before February 19, 1846.

Biography

John Richardson Harris was born at Cayuga Ferry (now East Cayuga, New York) to parents John and Mary (Richardson) Harris. 'John's birth is listed in multiple sources as either the 22 Oct 1790, or 22 March 1789. Using 22 Mar 1789 based on cenotaph located in Glendale Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas.

He married Jane (Birdsall) Harris (daughter of Lewis and Patience (Lee) Birdsall, of Waterloo, Seneca Falls, New York) on the 7th of May, 1813, and for several years resided in East Cayuga.

During the war of 1812-14, John volunteered and commanded a company in the line; and with his father, Col. John Harris, is honorably mentioned by Gen. Winfield Scott in his memoirs of the campaign. John moved to Missouri, and in 1819 was living at St. Genevieve, where he was joined by his wife and two children (DeWitt Clinton Harris and Lewis Birdsall Harris), and where his third child, Mary Jane (Harris) Briscoe, was born August 17th, 1819.

While in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, John met a man named Moses Austin, who was who was contemplating the colonization of Texas (then a possession of Spain) and decided to embark on the enterprise. In July of 1820, John secured a team to escort his family back to Cayuga. John accompanied the family as far as Vincennes, Indiana on horseback, where he then backtracked to Vandalia, Illinois where he had taken a contract to build a State house.

In 1824, John received a grant of land from the Mexican government of 4,425 acres (the grantor being Stephen F. Austin, Moses Austin's son, in Austin's Colony), which he located at the junction of Buffalo and Bray's bayous, about twenty miles from Galveston Bay, becoming known as one of the Old Three Hundred. In 1826, John laid out a town at this point, which he called Harrisburg. Soon after establishing Harrisburg, John brought out machinery for a steam saw-mill and purchased a schooner called the " Rights of Man," which, under the command of his brother David, plied between Harrisburg and New Orleans, supplying the colonists with provisions and other necessary articles, which were kept for sale at his store in Harrisburg. John also held the post of Alcolade (local judge) from the Mexican Government.

The country was too unsettled to admit of his family moving to Texas at first, but in 1829 everything promised well for their early removal to their new home. There were no sawmills in the colony until John's was erected. The machinery was on the ground ready to be put in place in August, 1829, when he found it necessary to make a trip to New Orleans for supplies. While in New Orleans, John contracted yellow fever and passed away on the 21st of August, 1829.

In 1833, John's widow, Jane Birdsall Harris, with her son, DeWitt Clinton Harris, moved to Harrisburg and participated not only in the hardships of colonial life in the wild country, but also shared dangers of the struggle for independence from Mexico in 1835-36.

From March 19th to April 16th, 1836, the home of Mrs. Harris was the headquarters of the provisional government of Texas. When Jane Harris heard of the near approach of the invading Mexican army, she and her household went on board a schooner, which conveyed President Burnett, Vice-President Zavala and others to New Washington, and herself and other refugees to Anahuac. The next day Jane was conveyed to Galveston Island and with many others was encamped there when the news of the glorious battle of San Jacinto, fought April 21st, 1836, reached them. About the first of May, Jane Harris and her two sons, Lewis B. and DeWitt Clinton Harris (who had arrived at Galveston, April 21st, for the purpose of joining the Texas army), returned to Harrisburg to find that every house had been burned to the ground by the Mexicans under Santa Anna.

Jane's house was rebuilt of logs that were hewn by Mexican prisoners and with various additions and improvements, stood until the 11th of October, 1888 when it was destroyed by fire.

Upon the organization of counties in the Republic of Texas in 1837 the name Harris was substituted for Harrisburg in honor of John Richardson Harris. The old town is now a suburb of the city of Houston.

Mrs. Jane Harris, his widow, could never be prevailed upon to leave her homestead and lived there until her death on the 15th of August, 1869.^[1][2]

Research Notes

John Richardson Harris is noted as the descendant (how?) of John Harris Sr. who was an English trader that settled in Pennsylvania and later secured grants of 800 acres on the Sasquahannah" (Susquehanna River).

In 1785, John Harris, Jr. made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr.

In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated, and in October 1812 it was named the Pennsylvania state capital, which it has remained ever since.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ John Henry Brown, Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas (Austin: Daniell, 1880; reprod., Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1978); p. 236-237.
2. ↑ Zachary T. Fulmore, History and Geography of Texas As Told in County Names (Austin: Steck, 1915; facsimile, 1935); p. 77-78.
3. ↑ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 7 February 2018.

See Also

• Find A Grave: Memorial #71720681