T. J. Harris Biography


	This biography appears on page 1198 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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	T. J. HARRIS, postmaster of Wilmot, and one of the early settlers 
of Roberts county, was born in Illinois, July 28, 1848. His father, 
Thomas Harris, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, emigrated to 
Illinois in 1830, became prominently identified with the community in 
which he lived and spent the remainder of his life in that state, dying 
some years ago at the advanced age of ninety-three. T. J. Harris is the 
youngest of nine children that grew to maturity, six of whom are still 
living. He was reared in his native state, enjoyed the advantages of a 
common-school education and after beginning life for himself followed 
different occupations in Illinois and Minnesota until the year 1880, 
when he came to South Dakota, locating in Roberts county, where he 
engaged in buying and shipping wheat for several firms, continuing the 
business until the fall of 1889, at which time he took charge of a large 
elevator at Wilmot. After managing the latter enterprise for a period of 
eight years, he resigned his position for the purpose of entering upon 
his duties as postmaster of Wilmot, to which office he was appointed in 
1897 and which he has since held, proving an efficient and popular 
official and performing his functions creditably to himself and 
satisfactorily to the public. 

	In addition to his official relations, Mr. Harris has large 
agricultural interests in Roberts county, owning two finely improved 
farms six miles south of Wilmot. He devotes considerable attention to 
these places, has reduced the greater part of his land to cultivation 
and realizes from it no small share of his income. Energetic and public-
spirited he manifests a lively regard in the affairs of his city and 
county and being one of the leading Republicans of the same, has 
achieved much more than local repute as a politician, being widely and 
favorably known as a judicious party organizer and successful 
campaigner. 

	Mr. Harris is a member of the Pythian fraternity, but his acts of 
charity and benevolence are by no means confined to this order, being a 
liberal donor to all worthy objects and free to assist those who have 
met with misfortune or discouragements. Mr. Harris has a fine home in 
Wilmot and, with his wife, moves in the best social circles of the city. 
He was married in September, 1900, to Miss Emnma A. Stowell, of 
Massachusetts, whose father, J. T. Stowell, was one of the pioneers of 
South Dakota, moving his family to the territory in 1880 and taking a 
prominent part in its subsequent history.