John Harris Sr. (1673 – December 1748) was an early American businessman who emigrated from Britain to
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
late in the 17th century. Harris would later
settle along the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
and establish a ferry there. This ferry would eventually develop into
Harrisburg
Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, which was named in his honor.
Biography
Harris was born in
Yorkshire, England, the son of
Welsh parents. He worked in the
City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
as a
brewer
Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...
until middle-age.
When Harris landed in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, his total wealth was sixteen
guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
(about four ounces of gold). He began to improve his fortune through contracts to clear land and open streets in the city. He formed a firm and lifelong friendship with
Edward Shippen, the second Mayor of Philadelphia, justice of the State Supreme Court and later president of the
Provincial Council. Harris would go on to marry Shippen's niece Esther Sey (Say), also a native of Yorkshire, England. He developed cordial relations with the family of
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...
as well.
[
In 1705, the first John Harris received his trader's license to "seat himself on the Sasquahannah" (Susquehanna River) and "to erect such buildings as are necessary for his trade, and to enclose and improve such quantities of land he shall see fit."][Brown, Mrs. Carlyle C. ''History Of John Harris Founder Of Harrisburg PA, USA''. ww.angelfire.com/on/Canadiangenealogy/harris.html History Of John Harris Founder Of Harrisburg PA, USA 9 Nov. 1999. ''This information was researched and compiled by Mrs. Carlyle C. Browne ( Sarah Ann Harris, fifth daughter of Alfred Bingham Harris, and granddaughter of Elisha John Harris of the Mansion, Harrisburg PA, USA) in 1971''.] At first a roving trader, he eventually established a trading post along the river. Soon after, he became known for his fair dealings with the local Indians and later, wise counsel to the settlers, reputations which became traditional with him and his sons.
In 1733, he was granted the right to operate a ferry across the Susquehanna and for more than half a century "Harris's Ferry" was the funnel through which much of the Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
, Irish and German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
migration trickled west. In the same year Harris acquired, through grants, two tracts of land adjacent to his ferry, totaling . Today, the area has been developed into downtown Harrisburg. John Harris Sr. had seven sons and two daughters.
Death
Harris died in December 1748 and left the management of the estate and control of an important strong point on the frontier to his son John Harris Jr
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
.
See also
* History of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
References
External links
The John Harris–Simon Cameron Mansion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, John Sr.
English emigrants
British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Businesspeople from Philadelphia
1673 births
1748 deaths
People from colonial Pennsylvania