Ellen Douglas Mitchell

Ellen Douglas Mitchell

• Father: William Douglass Mitchell b. 3 June 1830, d. 10 January 1907
• Mother: Francis H. McGowan b. 4 June 1834, d. 25 January 1918

• Ellen Douglas Mitchell was born on 19 September 1866 in Texas.
• William Douglass Mitchell and Francis H. McGowan appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Livingston PO, Polk County, Texas. Other members of the household included Ellen Douglas Mitchell, Mary Alice Mitchell, Anna Hall Mitchell, Lewis Mitchell, Mary Josephine Mitchell and Mary A. (?)
• William Douglass Mitchell and Francis H. McGowan appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in San Jacinto County, Texas. Other members of the household included Ellen Douglas Mitchell, Anna Hall Mitchell, Mary Josephine Mitchell, William Bolden Mitchell, Annie J. Mitchell and Sallie C. Mitchell.
• She married Henry Holmes Harrison, son of John M. Harrison, circa 1887.
• The following appeared on 10 January 1900 in The Shiner Gazette: [Died] Thursday December 22, 1899, Frances Arbuckle Harrison, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Harrison. She was aged 4 years and 10 months and was a bright, promising little girl, universally loved for her winning ways and dainty, sweet little personality.
• Henry Holmes Harrison and Ellen Douglas Mitchell appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas. Other members of the household included Helen Holmes Harrison, Marie Wilcox Harrison and Alma Lane Harrison.
• Henry Holmes Harrison and Ellen Douglas Mitchell appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas. Other members of the household included Helen Holmes Harrison, Marie Wilcox Harrison and Alma Lane Harrison. Also in the household were three female boarders, all public school teachers.
• Ellen Douglas Mitchell died on 25 June 1917 at age 50 in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas, in a house fire.
• Her husband Henry Holmes Harrison became a widower at her death.
• She was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas.
• The following appeared on 29 June 1917 in The Weimar Mercury: (Flatonia, June 25) Mrs. Henry. H. Harrison, wife of a prominent stockman and former merchant of this place, was burned to death in the flames when their home in the northeastern part of the city was consumed by fire at an early hour this morning.
       How the fire originated has not been determined. When it was discovered in a closet, at about 3 o'clock, both Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, who were the only members of the family at home, attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the incipient blaze, and while her husband was occupied in giving the alarm over the telephone, Mrs. Harrison ran upstairs, presumably to save some valued article, and her absence was not noticed for some minutes, Mr. Harrison supposing that she had then left the house. When he came out and looked about for her she was not to be seen, and by this time the flames had made such headway that there was no possibility of a search in the house being made nor of the fire being extinguished, although the alarm had been made general all through the town by ringing bells, blowing whistles and firing pistol shots, and a large crowd had gathered to see the fire, which was spectacular in the extreme.
       It was two and one-half hours before the flames died down sufficiently to allow any search to be made for the body. Until this time it had not been certain whether Mrs. Harrison had perished in the burning house, or had wandered away while overcome by excitement; but she could not be found elsewhere, and immediately after the search in the burning embers was begun some charred remains were found, and later other parts, shrunken and distorted out of all human resemblence, setting at rest all doubt as to her horrible death.
       Mrs. Harrison, previous to her marriage, was Miss Ellen Douglas Mitchell of Cold Spring, San Jacinto county, and taught several terms of school here. During her long residence in this city after marriage she had entered energetically into the social life of the community and was known as a leading spirit in intellectual and philanthropic work.
       The family consisted of three daughters, one of whom, Miss Helen, has recently been instrumental in the formation of a Red Cross chapter here and is now at Wichita Falls, attending the National Honor Guard Girls' encampment. Another, Miss Marie, is visiting in Houston at the home of her aunt, Mrs. John Lane, a sister of Mr. Harrison. Both were immediately notified by wire. The remaining daughter, Miss Alma, was spending the night with her grandmother, Mrs. J. M. Harrison, in another part of the town at the time of the tragedy.
       The house was a handsome two-story frame residence. Nothing was left standing above the foundation except two tall brick chimneys, built up from the ground, which after the fire loomed from a square of glowing embers like ghastly monuments to the destruction they had witnessed. The contents of the house, inciuding many rich furhishings and elaborate furniture, represented a total loss of well over $10,000, partially covered by insurance. This fire was the first in Flatonia for some fifteen months.
       Mr. Harrison was nearly crazed at the loss of his wife, and the tragedy has had a depressing effect upon the entire community, coming as a climax upon the heels of several violent deaths by accident here within the past two weeks.

• Last Edited: 3 Apr 2013

• Charts: Descendants of ABERCROMBIE Charles & Edwina Malinda "Dicey" Booth