Harrish
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
HARRY A. HARRIS. Among
the earliest pioneers to Okanogan county and the most industrious and substantial
ones, we are constrained to mention the gentleman whose name initiates
this paragraph. At the present time he is operating a first-class
blacksmith shop in Conconully and is the recipient of a fine patronage.
He is a skillful and rapid workman and has won his present success by virtue
of real merit. He has a well located and beautiful home and other
property.
Harry A. Harris was born in Boston, Massachusetts,
on June 13, 1839, the son of Henry and Eliza (Boutwell) Harris. The
father was born in England and came to the United States when young; the
mother came of English ancestrage, but was born in Vermont. Our subject
was reared on the farm and educated in the public schools while growing
up at Barry, Vermont. In 1855 he went to Wabash county, Minnesota,
being one of the first settlers, and in 1863 went to Vermont and worked
at his trade in various towns of that state, also in some of the factories
and machine shops. Later he was in Minnesota, then journeyed to Massachusetts,
after which he came again to Minnesota, settling where the town of Windom
now stands. He had wrought at his trade in all the sections he visited
and opened a shop as soon as he settled in Windom. While there he
married Miss Alice J. Holmes, and one child was born to them. Fate
decreed that misfortune should be his lot for a time and his wife and child
were the first to be buried in the Windom cemetery. Immediately came
the terrible grasshopper panic and Mr. Harris lost everything. He
left Windom for Sun Falls, Dakota, with no family and no property.
In 1877 he came to Seattle, Washington, then to Almota on the Snake river,
and in 1881 was found in Walla Walla, whence in 1887 he came to Conconully.
In all these places he was industriously engaged at his trade. He
opened the first shop in Conconully and did about all the business between
Chelan and British Columbia. During the big fire he lost his shop
and everything else, and again at the time of the flood everything was
swept away. But Phoenix like he rose from every misfortune and now
is prosperous. Mr. Harris was married a second time in Sun Falls,
Dakota, and has two daughters, Alice D., and Vada, wife of William Chatham,
near Conconully.