Ephraim Harrison
The Bureau of Land Management lists at least two land patents filed by Ephraim Harrison. Ephraim Harrison is also credited with filing the first recorded land entry in Calhoun County in 1830:Ephraim Harrison
"Harrison, Ephraim W 1/2 NE 1/4 80 acres Sec 12 Prairie Ronde Twp. 16 October 1830"In the book "So I'm Told, The Nineteenth Century in Schoolcraft Michigan", Retold by Mary Jane Swartz, appears the following passage on page 55 in reference to the arrival of the George Fletcher family from West Virginia:
"They [the Fletcher's] settled first in an area southwest of the Village on Section 23 but four years later purchased land from Judge Bazel Harrison, near Harrison Lake, and began farming. Later Fletcher purchased the Blacksmith Shop nearby that was started by Ephraim Harrison."Ephraim later set up in St. Joseph County as a blacksmith, he accompanied many future family settlements westward. His sons assisted in logging and hunting in the Cass County, Minnesota settlement where many of Alex Harrison I's sons and grandsons appeared at the same time. (This information was provided by Agnes Smith the granddaughter of (15.8.15) Samuel Ulysses Martin Harrison, given to her from a great granddaughter of Ephraim Harrison. The girls had grown up in the same logging community and were attempting to place the pieces of their family history together.)
Ephraim Harrison along with his brother Elias Stillwell Harrison served for a short time in the Black Hawk War (Prairie Ronde roster of volunteers). He also served during the Civil War and Sioux Indian War with the Minnesota 8th Infantry Regiment. Ephraim was described as the "wild one" of the family.
In the 1840 Federal Census, Ephraim "Harison's"
household in Leroy, Calhoun County, Michigan, comsisted of (living in the
adjacent household was his brother-in-law, William Bishop, husband of Ephraim's
sister, Martha (Harrison) Bishop):
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Ephraim apparently wasinvolved in a counterfeiting scheme prior to moving west. The following is by Frank E. Robson, Esq., of Lansing, Michigan taken from the “Michigan Pioneer Collections”:
"I give the following incident, which led to one of the most remarkable trials in central Michigan. While Mr. Charles Lay, in 1841 or 1842, was building a barn for Mr. Bishop, brother-in-law of Ephraim Harrison, he boarded with the latter a part of the time. This was in South Climax. Harrison, knowing that Lay was fond of reading, said to him: "You will find a lot of newspapers in that trunk which will afford you all the reading you want." One day while he was searching for new reading matter among the papers, he discovered that the bottom of the trunk was covered with silver dollars--bogus dollars that had been struck off, but had not yet been milled. He quietly slipped two into his pocket, and, putting the papers back in the trunk, closed it and went to his work. The next day he consulted Daniel B. Eldred of Climax. The result was that constable Ira Case was soon equipped with the proper papers and search was made on Harrison's premises, which led to the discovery of all the tools and implements for making bogus money. And to the astonishment of the people in central Michigan, John Grove Bean, deputy sheriff of Calhoun County, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Marshall, was arrested as the head of this gang of counterfeiters. He was [p.286] tried, found guilty and served his sentence out in the state penitentiary. Harrison, on the alert, escaped to the western country. Van Arman, I think, was on the side of the prosecution, in this trial.”In the 1850 Federal Census, of the Town of Metomen, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, page 190, the household of Ephraim Harrison listed (he was living in the household of Clark and Mary Gardiner, the brother of Maria (Gardiner) Harrison, the second wife of Ephraim's brother Elias Stillwell Harrison) enumerated on 30 September:
Missing from the 1850 census above were Ephraim's children Joseph, Francis and his wife Lucinda. Family tradition states that Ephraim and his older sons listed above were on their way to the west and Lucinda, Joseph, Francis, and the girls, may have stayed in Michigan until Ephraim was settled. The 1850 Federal Census of Porter Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, submitted by Joan Wood, a great great granddaughter of Abigail Bendure, confirmed this theory, the census was enumerated on the 10th of October (also notice that Henry was enumerated in both the Michigan and Wisconsin censuses in a span of ten days):
In 1851 and again later in 1855, Ephraim Harrison applied for bounty land in Wisconsin (transcribed land records). In 1853 Ephraim and his wife Lucinda sold land in Calhoun County, Michigan to his brother-in-law William Perley. William married Lucinda's younger sister Mary Jane Reynolds/Reynnells. Joan contributed a transcribed copy of the 1849 deed. The deed also stated that Ephraim and Lucinda were living separately. Velma McKay also submitted marriage records for Benjamin, Joseph, and Martha (Harrison) Harper.
Household Name Sex Age Born Occupation 12-12 Reynolds, Benjamin m 66 VT Farmer Mary f 55 Mass Samuel m 25 Ohio Farmer Experience f 19 Ohio Charles m 16 Ohio Harrison, Lucinda f 33 Ohio Henry m 12 Ill Almira f 9 Mich Francis M. m 8 Mich Martha f 2 Mich Joseph m 4 Mich Ephraim m 11 mos. Mich
Ten years later, in the 1860 Federal Census of the Town of Maxville, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, there is an Ephraim Harrison, age 63, born in "KY", occupation "Blacksmith" (1860 census image). In the 1860 Federal Census of Porter Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, Lucinda Harrison, age 41, is shown living in the household of Russell Reynolds [possibly her brother Buel or Buell Reynolds], without any of her children. Lucinda (Reynnells/Reynolds) Harrison apparently married again, Joan Wood also submitted the following marriage from "1836-1866, Marriage Records of Van Buren County", page 591:
State of MichiganSeven years later, in the In the 1870 Census of Arlington Township, Van Buren County, Michigan was listed:County Van Buren
"I certify that on the 27th day of March AD 1863 I married John Ruppell [sic, Russell] of Bangor aged 43 years to Lucinda Harrison same place aged 40 years present Mary Reynolds and John Reynolds.[Unreadable]Justice of the Peace"
251-252 Russell, John 52 M farmer 1200 275 OhioAlthough her age above is undoubtedly an error (or vanity on her part), this appears to be Ephraim's' former wife. In the 1880 Federal Census, of Arlington Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, ED# 206, sheet 329A, the Russell household listed:
Lucinda 40 F keeping house Ohio
Franklin 14 M works on farm Wisconsin
Ettie P. 10 F Michigan
Lucy A. 7 F Michigan
Mary 6 F Michigan
#254 256 Russel, John 63 Farmer OhioThe Michigan Genealogical Death Indexing System shows Lucinda's date of death as 25 November 1882, age 62 years 9 months 26 days, her parents were listed as Benjamin and Mary Reynolds, birthplace listed as Ohio, place of death Arlington Township, Van Buren County.
Lucinda Wife 61 Keeping H. Ohio
Mary Daughter 15 Mich
Cross, David Son in Law 28 Farmer Ohio
Lucy Daughter 17 Keeping H. Mich
Edna M. G. Daughter 1 Mich
13.4.1 Benjamin F. Harrison was born in about 1828 in Michigan. Benjamin married (1st) Calista R. Walton on 25 May 1853 in Laporte County, Indiana (marriage record) and (2nd) Henrietta Marsten Simms on 21 December 1862 in Nelson, Buffalo County, Wisconsin.
13.4.2 John
Strange Harrison 
was born on 12 July 1833 in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan.
John married Minerva Jane Keeler, daughter of Henry and Abigail (Bendure)
Keeler.
13.4.3 Bazel Russell Harrison was born in about 1835 in Michigan.
13.4.4 Henry Harrison was born in January 1837 in Illinois or Michigan. Henry appeared in both the 1850 Census of Michigan and Wisconsin; the ages were 12 and 13 respectively, it is probable that he was enumerated twice. In the 1860 Federal Census of the Town of Green Lake, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, recorded on the 9th of July, pages 140 and 141, Henry was living with the Hurlburt family (Harriet and Orlando had both attended school that year; Harriet's last name was recorded since the household was continued from the previous page):
#1196 1059 Henry Hurlburt 36 m farmer 5000 600 Con.Henry married Marietta A. Hulbert (he stated in their divorce record that they were married on the 29th of July 1860 in Green Lake, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin her maiden name was listed on her son, Frank M. Harrison's death certificate as Marietta A. Hulbert--she is also about the right age to be the "Harriet Hurlburt", age 14 listed in the 1860 census above--an additional note: Orlando F. Hurlbert, born in December 1853 in Wisconsin, was also living in Spokane County, Washington in the 1900 census, in 1910 he was recorded living in Skagit County, Washington).
Mary 28 f Pen.
Harriet Hurlburt 14 f Wi.
Orlando 7 m "
Henry Harrison 21 m laborer Ill.
Henry and Marietta later separated and he filed for divorce in 1899 on the grounds of abandonment. Sue Countryman submitted copies of their divorce record from Spokane County, Washington. They were both living separately in Washington State in the 1900 census. Henry Harrison died in 1910 and is buried in Chewelah Pioneer Cemetery in Stevens County, Washington next to his son Francis.
13.4.5 Almira Harrison, was born in about 1841 in Michigan. She married John Tatterson on 15 May 1856 in Waushara County, Wisconsin.
13.4.6 Francis
M. Harrison
was born in about 1842 in Michigan and according to the pension
request (viewing pension images requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader) of his wife, which was filed in January 1888 in Pierce
County, Wisconsin, he died on 6 January 1888. Francis served in Company
I of the 2nd Minnesota Infantry Regiment and after the Civil War he married
Jannette Moore on 23 April 1865 in Lake City, Wabasha County, Minnesota
(their marriage certificate listed
their residence as Florence, Goodhue County, Minnesota).
Census data show's Jannette's birth as about 1840 in New York and the pension file listed her death as 31 March 1895 in Little Falls, Morrison County, Minnesota. In the 1860 Federal Census, Jannette or Genet as she was recorded, was listed on the same page as Francis' siblings, Joseph and Martha Harrison, in Lake City, Goodhue County, Minnesota (see below under Martha Harrison).
In the 1870 Federal Census of Gilmanton Township, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, Post Office Fountain City their household listed (his brother Henry was also in Gilmanton Township--see above):
#1749 1783 Harrison, Francis 27 m Farmer 600 500 MichiganI have not been able to locate Francis and Jannette in the 1880 census. Her pension request lists two children (there is a line drawn through her Janetta's name, probably because she was older than 16 at the time of Francis' death): Janetta M. Harrison, born on 5 September 1871 and Clarence M. Harrison, born on 17 September 1873 (Herbert, a son born in about 1866, listed in the 1870 census was not listed on the pension request).
Jennett 30 f Keeping house New York
Herbert 4 m at home Minnesota
In the 1890 Veteran's Census Schedule, Francis is listed as deceased, Jannete as his widow, in Lake City, Wabasha County, Minnesota. Their place of burial is unknown. Their three known children were:
13.4.6.1 Herbert Harrison, born in about 1866 in Minnesota, probably died young.
13.4.6.2 Janetta M. Harrison, born on 5 September 1871.
13.4.6.3 Clarence Moore Harrison, was born on 17 September 1873.
13.4.7 Joseph
Harrison
was born in about 1846 in Michigan. He served in the Minnesota Voluntary
Infantry, Company I, Second Regiment for the term of three years.
Joseph married 1st Margaret Jordan Curtis at Red Wing, Minnesota on 3 July
1866 and married 2nd Jane Comstock on 27 November 1879 in Diamond Bluff,
Wisconsin.
13.4.8 Martha Harrison, was born in about 1848 in Michigan. She is 'possibly' the "Eliza" Harrison, daughter of Lucinda, buried near her Reynnells grandparents in Chamberlain Cemetery, just outside of Lawton, Michigan.
'Possibly', because there is a Martha Harrison, living with the Jackson family, along with Joseph Harrison in the 1860 Federal Census of Township 112 N R 13 W, Post Office Lake City, Goodhue County, Minnesota, recorded on the 6th of July:
#666 610 John E. Jackson 36 m Farmer 2000 1000 EnglandLiving in household 669 of 611 enumerated on the same page, was "Genet Moore", age 20 born in New York. "Genet" was probably the future wife of Joseph's and Martha's brother, Francis M. Harrison.
Rebecca 34 f Housekeeper "
Henry C. 9 m Penn.
Rebecca 6 f "
Wm. 4 m Minn.
Heffie 1 f "
Martha Harrison 14 f Mich
Joseph " 16 m "
13.4.9 Ephraim Harrison, was born in about 1850 in Michigan.
13.4.10 Franklin Harrison, was born on 16 May 1856 in Wisconsin according to the 1860 census data above (his guardianship papers stated that he was born in Michigan). Franklin Harrison's guardianship papers from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), revealed a telling part of the Ephraim Harrison and Lucinda (Reynolds/Reynnells) Harrison saga. "Frank" Harrison is listed in the 1880 census of Lawrence Township, Van Buren County, Michigan working as a laborer on the Joseph and Alice Southwell farm. Frank listed his age as 24, single, born in Michigan, he also incorrectly listed his parents place of birth as "N.Y.". In the Van Buren Republican, a Decatur newspaper, Frank's marriage announcement to Lucy Crawford appears on 18 August 1880 on page 3.
This web page is authored by Scott Duncan. All information listed without a reference should be verified. Any additions, questions, or comments should be sent to:
