Biography - FITZHUGH L. HARRIS

Fitzhugh Lee Harris, one of the successful farmers and self-made men of Mount Olive township, Macoupin County, owning a very superior farm of 140 acres in sections 7 and 8, was born in Jackson county, Missouri, February 1, 1877, and is a son of Doctor Robert and Henrietta (Dalton) Harris, a grandson of William G. Harris and a great-grandson of Isam Harris.

The Harris family came from England about 1776, Isam Harris, our subject's great-grandfather, being the first to come to America. Mr. Harris first settled in Virginia, and in 1839 removed to Missouri, where he operated a distillery. Isam Harris was the father of 14 children, our subject's grandfather being the second son. Mr. Harris died while a resident of Missouri at the age of 108 years; his father lived to be 111 years old.

William G. Harris, grandfather of our subject, was born at Colfax Court House, Virginia, April 18, 1822, and migrated to Missouri in 1839, where he died in 1897. He always followed the occupation of farming.

Doctor Robert Harris, father of our subject, was born in Jackson County, Missouri, October 14, 1852, being the second of eight children born to his parents. He is now cultivating a farm in Jackson County, Missouri, being also engaged as a carpenter and contractor. He was a member of the "Texas Rangers" and was engaged in many battles against the Indians. Politically, he is a member of the Democratic party. He married Henrietta Dalton, who was born in Jackson County, Missouri, April 17, 1858. They are the parents of 15 children, nine of whom are living, namely: Fitzhugh Lee, our subject; Lillie M. (Patterson), of Eldorado, Kansas; Rose C. (Conway), of Jackson County, Missouri; Lottie, who resides with our subject; and Lucy F., Blanche, Chlora, Pearl and Myrtle, who reside with their parents.

Fitzhugh Lee Harris resided on his father's farm in Jackson County, Missouri, until he was 24 years of age, when he came to Macoupin County, Illinois, where he has since lived. Mr. Harris cultivates a very superior farm of 140 acres and also devotes much of his time to stock raising, in which occupation he has met with very successful results. He is a member of the Democratic party, although he takes but a citizen's interest in political affairs.

Mr. Harris was married August 31, 1901, to Lillian E. Reid, who was born in New York City, June 10, 1877. Mrs. Harris' parents moved from New York City to St. Louis, Missouri, when she was an infant, later removing to Kansas City, Missouri, where she lived until several years ago, when she came to Macoupin County. Mrs. Harris is a daughter of Robert and Annie (Foster) Reid, both natives of County Sligo, Ireland. Mrs. Reid, the mother of our subject's wife, immigrated to America when she was 18 years old in company with her brother. Her parents both died before she came to this country. Her husband, Robert Reid, came to this country in 1848, when 11 years of age. They were the parents of two children besides our subject's wife, namely: Jennie and Robert.

Joseph Whiteside Reid, uncle of Mrs. Harris, was born in County Sligo, Ireland, January 9, 1843. He removed to New York in 1851, in company with his widowed mother and remained there until he was 25 years old. While he was in New York City he and his two brothers, Thomas and Robert, began the manufacture of confectionery and proved fairly successful at that occupation. At the first call for volunteers in 1861, Mr. Reid enlisted in a New York infantry regiment under the command of General McDowell. Mr. Reid was in the Army of the Potomac, and took an active part in many battles, but never received even a scratch. He reenlisted a second time and served throughout the entire war. Mr. Reid took part in the Grand Review in Washington, D. C. After the war he returned to New York and again engaged in the confectionery manufacturing business, continuing at it until 1868. In 1868 he set out to travel through the South and purchased a ranch in Texas, where he lived but one year and then sold it and removed to San Francisco, California, where he again engaged in the confectionery business. Mr. Reid later engaged in mining in California and after some time engaged in freighting on the plains. After a time he again engaged in gold mining, this time in the Black Hills, being one of the first to settle there. He again engaged in freighting and later located in St. Louis, where he engaged in the candy business for five years, and then, in 1886, came to Macoupin County, where he engaged in fanning until his death which occurred September 8, 1903. Mr. Reid was a well educated man, a very fine conversationalist and was a leading figure in the communities where he resided. He was a personal acquaintance of Lincoln, Grant and many other noted men. Mr. Reid was employed as a tax collector in Richmond, Virginia, immediately after the surrender of that city. Politically he was a member of the Republican party. Fraternally he was a member of a New York City lodge of Masons.

On January 6, 1886, Mr. Reid was married to Jane Foster, who died in Macoupin County, August 26, 1902, at the age of 70 years.

Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 399-401.