John W. Harris Biography


This biography appears on pages 491-492 in "History of Dakota
Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was
scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, [email protected].

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HON. JOHN W. HARRIS.

Hon. John W. Harris has in him those qualities which have ever
distinguished the pioneer and have made the efforts of the frontier
settlers resultant in the building of great empires. Recognizing the
natural resources and the opportunities of the country into which he
came, he has been a most dominant factor in the improvement of Mobridge
and of Walworth county through bringing into this section the man with
money to invest. It is a matter of satisfaction to his friends that
while he has labored so untiringly and effectively for the community he
has also prospered financially and is now numbered among the
substantial residents of his part of the state, his present business
connection being that of president of the First National Bank of
Mobridge.

Mr. Harris was born in Randolph, Wisconsin, on the 16th of June,
1876, a son of John and Arzelma (Parkinson) Harris. The father, a
native of Wales, was brought to the United States by his parents during
his infancy. He was reared and married in Wisconsin to Miss Parkinson,
a native of that state, and in the fall of 1881 they removed with their
family from Minnesota to South Dakota, settling in Spink county, where
Mr. Harris had taken up a tree claim in 1879. He settled upon this
claim, where he lived until his removal to Aberdeen, where his death
occurred in 1901. His wife, surviving him for eleven years, passed away
in 1912.

John W. Harris was reared in his parents, home and completed his
public-school education in the Aberdeen high school, from which he was
graduated with the class of 1894. The following fall he entered the
Archibald Law School in Minneapolis, which he attended for one year but
did not complete the course. Returning to his father's farm, he spent
the following year thereon and in 1896 engaged in merchandising at
Mellette, South Dakota, where he was prominently identified with
commercial interests for four years. In 1900 he disposed of his
business and in the spring of 1901 associated himself with banking
interests, establishing the Evarts State Bank at Evarts, South Dakota.
He was identified with this institution as its president until 1907, at
winch time the town was abandoned and he removed to Mobridge.
establishing the Mobridge State Bank. which was made a national bank in
June, 1915. As its president he has remained its chief executive
officer, directing its policy and making it one of the valued and
important business concerns of this part of the state. He is also
interested in several other corporations and has extensive holdings in
farm lands, for he has firm belief in the future greatness of South
Dakota as an agricultural district. Accordingly he has acquired eight
or nine thousand acres in Corson and other counties and his property
holdings are indicative of his success, which is the well merited
reward of his labors.

On November 24, 1896, Mr. Harris was united in marriage to Miss
Lettie E. Fox, a daughter of D. B. and Matilda (Weller) Fox, of Spink
county, South Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Harris have been born two
children: Loren, deceased, and John Quentin.

Fraternally Mr. Harris is identified with the following
organizations: Mobridge Lodge, No. 164, A. F. & A. M.; Selby Chapter,
No. 43, R. A. M., of Selby, South Dakota; Damascus Commandery, No. 10,
K. T.; Omega Council, No. 2, R. & S. M.; South Dakota Consistory, No.
4, A. & A. S. R.; Yelduz Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Aberdeen; the
Order of the Eastern Star, of which Mrs. Harris is also a member;
Mobridge Lodge, No. 205, I. O. O. F.; and Aberdeen Lodge, No. 1046, B.
P. O. E Politically Mr. Harris is a republican and has filled various
local and state offices. For seven years, from 1903 until 1910, he was
a member of the board of county commissioners in Walworth county and he
represented his district in the thirteenth session of the state senate,
having been elected in November, 1912. He has served on the town board
of Mobridge and is one of the foremost residents of this part of the
state. He and his wife are members of the Congregational church and
their influence has ever been a feature in moral progress as well as in
connection with the material advancement of the district.


*Above information furnished by Scott Thompson (#47322494). Thank you.