William Harris, Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

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William Harris.  Among the men of sturdy character who have left an 
impress not to be forgotten in the sections of Louisiana which for many 
years benefited through their industry and enterprise, was the late 
William Harris, capitalist, who spent the closing years of a busy and 
estimable life beautiful home in the City of Alexandria.  For a long 
period Mr. Harris was one of the large rice Planters in Southeastern 
Louisiana, and is credited with being the first to go into the business 
on a large scale in the state.

William Harris' was born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, in 1828, son 
of William and Margaret (Earhardt) Harris, natives of Georgia, in which 
state the family was established by the grandfather, who a soldier in 
the Revolutionary war and who, on account of this service, received a 
grant of land Georgia, young William's early education was not neglected 
and being of quick intellect, he later became, a man of solid information, 
but his home surroundings did not satisfy him and he was yet a boy when 
he started out for himself and finally reached Louisiana.  His first 
employer in the state was a planter named Brown, for whom he worked 
for three years, and for some time afterward worked on the Chambers 
Plantation, taking a great deal of interest in all he did and thereby 
made friends and gained valuable knowledge and experience.

Mr. Harris then took charge of the Hermitage Plantation in St. Charles 
Parish, and through discretion and shrewd management kept the 
plantation mules from being seized by the Federal troops during the 
war between the states, and in many other ways gave assistance to 
the Confederacy.  He kept on managing the above plantation and began 
to rent land as he became more and more interested in rice planting.  
The first Place so rented and planted was the Red Church property, 
and later he rented the Zachary Taylor place, his ventures in rice 
planting proving entirely successful.

In 1869 Mr. Harris bought the Hard Times Plantation in Rapides Parish, 
and still later the Willow Glenn Plantation, neither at that time, 
according to the judgment of his friends, being promising propositions, 
for the entire parish was yet suffering from the ravages of war.  
Apparently, though, his business judgment was sound, as later they 
became profitable investments.  In 1878 he brought his family to 
Rapides Parish and later built a comfortable residence on Hard Times 
Plantation.  With the enterprise and public spirit that always 
distinguished him, he heartily co-operated with his neighbors in 
reclaiming and further developing the land and building good roads, 
the latter being a great achievement for the public as thereby the 
toll gates, long held a burdensome piece of taxation, were abolished.

Mr. Harris was married in 1869, at Evan Hall, in Ascension Parish, 
Louisiana, to Miss Margaret Calderwood, who was born in the Town of 
Kilmarnock, Avershire, Scotland, January 11, 1838, daughter of William 
and Mary (Lockhead) Calderwood, the latter of whom died in Scotland.  
William Calderwood then brought his children to the home of his 
brother, Dr. John Calderwood, a prominent physician at that time 
at Monroe, Louisiana.  Mr. Calderwood lived for twenty years 
afterward, being of assistance to his brother but never establishing 
a business of his own.  Mrs. Harris was educated at Monroe and New 
Orleans and was in the latter city during the yellow fever epidemic 
in 1873, and continued to live with her uncle until his death.  
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harris, two of whom died 
in infancy, and William C., who died in 1912.

William C. Harris grew up and married in Rapides Parish, and had a 
family of live children, four of whom are living:  Mrs. L. W. Wicks, 
Mr. Wicks being a merchant at Alexandria. and they have a daughter, 
Margaret Calderwood;  Annie Leska Harris, who was connected with 
hospital work in New York City, and is now in Butte, Montana;  
William Calderwood, who is a soldier in the United States Army;  
and Cherry Harmon, who is a student in the Alexandria High School.

During his active years, Mr. Harris devoted himself almost exclusively 
to his planting interests, although for a short time he was a partner 
with a Mr. Seward, in a rice mill at New Orleans.  He was a successful
business man because his judgment was sound and deliberate, and it 
was often consulted by others to their benefit.

In 1906 Mr. Harris came to Alexandria and erected the handsome 
residence on Fourth Street, which Mrs. Harris owns and occupies, 
and here his death took place in 1915.  He never sought or had been 
willing to accept political office, but was always hearty in support 
of the democratic party and during his years at Alexandria was 
closely and intelligently interested in civic progress.  Although 
unostentatious in his charities, he was very generous, being 
particularly liberal to the Presbyterian Church, of which both he 
and wife were members.

NOTE:  The referenced source contains a black and white photograph 
of the subject with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 205-206, by Henry E. Chambers.  
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and 
New York, 1925.