John M. Harrison

John M. Harrison

• John M. Harrison was born on 11 May 1830 in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois.
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  JOHN M. HARRISON. This leading merchant and banker of Flatonia, Texas, is a man whose earnest and sincere efforts to make life a success are well worth the imitation of all. His industry, sobriety, and economy as well as his honesty, have served to place him among the most prominent men in this section, and by all he is highly esteemed. He first saw the light of day in Quincy, Ill., May 11, 1830, and of the five children born to his parents, Robert P. and Elmira C. (Wilcox) Harrison, he was second in order of birth. His parents were natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. They moved from Quincy to Washington County, Missouri, when our subject was an infant, and there resided for some time. Later they moved to Christian County, Kentucky, and there made their home until 1849, when Dr. Harrison moved to Russellville, Logan County, Ky., from there to Texas, in 1851, settling for one year in Washington County. He then moved to Fayette County, there died in 1878, after a long and useful life. His wife died in Kentucky. Their children were named as follows: J. P., John M., Mary E., wife of J. B. Hill of Gonzales County; Ellen A., wife of E. H. Ibey, of Bosque County, and R. R., of this city, Flatonia. John M. Harrison received his education in the schools of Christian County, Kentucky, and remained with his father until his fifteenth year, when he began clerking in a dry-goods store in that State, remaining thus employed for three years. In 1851 he came to Texas, with his father and immediately began merchandising in Columbus, Colorado County. Columbus was at that time a village of over 1,500 inhabitants and our subject remained there for four years when he sold his stock of goods, and in 1857 moved to Fayetteville. In the latter city he carried on business until 1862, when he sold out and joined the Confederate service. After the war he engaged in merchandising at La Grange, carried it on for four years, and then moved to Flatonia, where he established his present business. At the close of the war Mr. Harrison was considerably in debt to his New York merchants, and this had to be paid as soon as he could make it. As he was left a financial wreck it was sometime before he could make any headway, but he persevered, and his business for fifteen years has been about $125,000 annually, carrying a general stock of goods noted for its excellence. Besides his mercantile interests, Mr. Harrison is the owner of farming lands in this and Colorado counties, and he is the owner of a private bank which has done a large share of the exchange business of the section. The banking business was established in 1884. In the year 1853 Mr. Harrison celebrated his marriage with Miss Margaret W. Hall, a native of Christian County, Kentucky, and daughter of Alexander Hall. Eight children blessed this union, two of whom died in infancy: Nettie, wife of W. H. Kerr, of Flatonia; Alma, wife of Jonathan Lane, of La Grange; Kate, wife of C. Foster, of Flatonia; Martha, wife of W. H. Nash, of Alvin, Brazoria County; H. H. and C. P., of Flatonia. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harrison take quite an active interest in church and church work, and he is a teacher in the Sunday School. Mr. Harrison is a member of the A. F. & A. M. Flatonia Lodge No. 436, and in politics is a stanch Democrat, being quite deeply interested in political matters. Mr. Harrison is one of the most successful business men in the county, and has the satisfaction of knowing that all his property is the result of his own exertions.
       Record of Southwest Texas (1894).

• Last Edited: 3 Apr 2013