Bio of Harrison, Lewis H. - Grady County, Oklahoma Transcribed by: Gene Phillips 18 Jun 2006 Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== LEWIS H. HARRISON is a pioneer settler in this section of Oklahoma, a builder of its first school house and church, and especially identified with the grazing interests of Stephens county south of Duncan. He has a small but profitable stock farm near Bailey, which he occupies in summer, and moves to Duncan in the autumn where they have the benefit of superior schools. Mr. Harrison was born near Caffrey station, Choctaw Nation, on the 23rd of May, 1866, his father, who was a quarter blood of that tribe, having married a pure Choctaw woman. His mother died while he was yet an infant, and the boy was reared and educated by his paternal grandparents. Although his education was neglected, his surrounding influences were morally good. When he was about fourteen years of age his father brought him from the Choctaw to the Chickasaw country and here he took the trail as a cowboy and followed it until his marriage. For six years he was in the employ of James Rainey, in Rush Creek—a locality which afterward became the site of Bailey—and during the succeeding five years he joined the Addingtons on the Keno ranch. About this time he was called home to divide the estate of his father, and after he had received his portion, chiefly stock, he was the possessor of interest of such importance that they required his entire and close attention. While riding the range south of the present site of Duncan, Mr. Harrison came into possession of so large a tract of country that after accommodating his stock he decided to plant a colony there. He thereupon induced a number of settlers from Arkansas to locate on the land, and proceeded to. erect for them the first school house and church in this section of the country; He was well assisted in his pioneer work by Messrs. Hurd, Purden, Cluckand and B.L. Deaton. The building, which provided for both educational and religious advantages, was built of logs, sixteen by thirty-two feet in dimensions, and was erected in 1885. When the railroad came through Mr. Harrison sold seven miles right-of-way through his land, which is an indication of his importance as a landowner at that time. After his marriage in 1890 he located at Doyle, in a short time removed to a point southwest of Duncan, and still later to Bailey, where the family remained for seven years and where they received their allotments for land. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison now own some 1,400 acres there, a large tract in Grady county and property in the city of Duncan. Mr. Harrison bears a strong resemblance to his mother's people. While without a technical knowledge of the forms of good English, he is possessed of a remarkable vocabulary and is really an entertaining conversationalist, and although he failed to acquire a thorough education himself, he has the wisdom to bestow it upon all his children. In Masonic circles Mr. Harrison is well known in this section. He joined the order at Velma, Oklahoma, was triade a Chapter Mason at Rush Springs, and a Shriner at Oklahoma City in 1906. ZADOC HARRISON, the paternal grandfather of our subject, brought his family into Indian Territory prior to the Civil war, in which he participated as a captain in the army of the Confederacy. His children were as follows: Hilburn and Joel, deceased; William H., a citizen of Moon, and a representative in the Oklahoma. legislature; John and Robert, of Atoka, seat of the county by that name; Susun, deceased, who married a Mr, McVay and died without issue; Martha, who became the wife of Dr. Spruell and died leaving two children: Rebecca, wife of A. J .Allen, of Center, Oklahoma; and Daniel, the father of Lewis H. Daniel Harrison was born about 1837 and spent his life mainly as farmer and a grazer. He enjoyed a collegiate education, but, made no practical use of his attainments. He first married Huahoka, a full blooded Choctaw, woman, and as he was a quarter blood himself his children partook strongly of the Indian type. After the death of his first wife, he married Lizzie Mayfield, who survived him without issue. He lived in both the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, and at his dath [death], August 23, 1888, he left a fair estate. He was a citizen of high morality and taught it to his son; was a Master Mason, and took an active interest in all matters pertaining to the improvement of his people. During a portion of his active career he sold goods in both Kinlisha county, Choctaw Nation, and Pickens county, Chickasaw Nation. Lewis H. Harrison married Egdalee Breazeale, on the 15th of October, 1890, his wife being the daughter of John Breazeale, a soldier of the Confederacy, who died in Texas in 1872. Mr. Breazeale was of German ancestry and his wife, Rosanna Lemons, of Scotch-Irish blood, the parents both passing away during the same year leaving the following children: Mary J., who married a Mr. Selby and died in Cooke county, Texas, the mother of a family; Francis, who also married and died in the county named, the father of a daughter; H. M., deceased, without issue; Cynthia, wife of O. O. Burt, of Roger Mills county, Oklahoma; Rosalina, now Mrs. John Hicks of Bailey, Oklahoma, Mrs. Lewis H. Harrison; and John, who is now a resident of New Mexico. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are: Emmett E., Cassie M., Doyle W., Cervera and Nellie C. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html