John L. Harris, M. D. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1714-1715 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOHN L. HARRIS, M. D., well-known physician and surgeon, of 
Webster, Day county, South Dakota, was born at Battle Creek, Calhoun 
county, Michigan, on January 3, 1849, the son of James M. and Eliza 
(Cosad) Harris both natives of New York state. Both families were 
founded in America in colonial times, and one of the Doctor's ancestors 
served as a soldier in the Continental army. Three of his uncles served 
in the war of 1812. The father of the subject first removed from New 
York to Michigan in I84r, and was a pioneer of Calhoun county. He came 
to South Dakota in 1880, but in 1898 returned east to Chicago, in which 
city he died in 1903, in his eightieth year. The mother died in 1849. 
Doctor Harris passed through the common schools of Battle Creek, and 
then attended Olivet College, at Olivet, Michigan. He began reading 
medicine in 1870, and subsequently he took a course of lectures at 
Chicago. In 1873 he began the practice at Eastport, Michigan. In 1874 he 
entered Hahnemann Homeopathic Medical College, Chicago, where he was 
graduated in the class of 1875. The Doctor then resumed his practice at 
Eastport, but after a year's time he located at Ovid, Michigan, where he 
practiced until 1877, and then removed to Roanoke, Indiana. In the 
spring of 1880 he came to South Dakota (then a territory) and began 
practicing in Brown's Valley, Minnesota, but having his residence in 
Roberts county, South Dakota. In June, 1881, the Doctor located at 
Webster, where he was the pioneer physician. Dr. Harris became a member 
of the state board of health in 1886, and was chosen secretary of the 
board in 1887, and president in 1888. In the fall of 1890 Dr. Harris 
took his family to Chicago and spent the winter in that city, during 
which time he attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons, receiving 
his degree from the same. The Doctor is a graduate of both schools of 
medicine, but has not practiced homeopathy since 1877.

	In March, 1875, Dr. Harris married Miss Sarah J. Buckley, who was 
born in New Brunswick, Canada, and to their union a son and daughter 
have been born as follows: Lyle, who married Rev. Donald McLean, and Rex 
W., a law student in the University of Minnesota.