John W. Harris Biography


	This biography appears on pages 491-492 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				HON. JOHN W. HARRIS. 

	Hon. John W. Harris has in him those qualities which have ever 
distinguished the pioneer and have made the efforts of the frontier 
settlers resultant in the building of great empires. Recognizing the 
natural resources and the opportunities of the country into which he 
came, he has been a most dominant factor in the improvement of Mobridge 
and of Walworth county through bringing into this section the man with 
money to invest. It is a matter of satisfaction to his friends that 
while he has labored so untiringly and effectively for the community he 
has also prospered financially and is now numbered among the 
substantial residents of his part of the state, his present business 
connection being that of president of the First National Bank of 
Mobridge. 

	Mr. Harris was born in Randolph, Wisconsin, on the 16th of June, 
1876, a son of John and Arzelma (Parkinson) Harris. The father, a 
native of Wales, was brought to the United States by his parents during 
his infancy. He was reared and married in Wisconsin to Miss Parkinson, 
a native of that state, and in the fall of 1881 they removed with their 
family from Minnesota to South Dakota, settling in Spink county, where 
Mr. Harris had taken up a tree claim in 1879. He settled upon this 
claim, where he lived until his removal to Aberdeen, where his death 
occurred in 1901. His wife, surviving him for eleven years, passed away 
in 1912. 

	John W. Harris was reared in his parents, home and completed his 
public-school education in the Aberdeen high school, from which he was 
graduated with the class of 1894. The following fall he entered the 
Archibald Law School in Minneapolis, which he attended for one year but 
did not complete the course. Returning to his father's farm, he spent 
the following year thereon and in 1896 engaged in merchandising at 
Mellette, South Dakota, where he was prominently identified with 
commercial interests for four years. In 1900 he disposed of his 
business and in the spring of 1901 associated himself with banking 
interests, establishing the Evarts State Bank at Evarts, South Dakota. 
He was identified with this institution as its president until 1907, at 
winch time the town was abandoned and he removed to Mobridge. 
establishing the Mobridge State Bank. which was made a national bank in 
June, 1915. As its president he has remained its chief executive 
officer, directing its policy and making it one of the valued and 
important business concerns of this part of the state. He is also 
interested in several other corporations and has extensive holdings in 
farm lands, for he has firm belief in the future greatness of South 
Dakota as an agricultural district. Accordingly he has acquired eight 
or nine thousand acres in Corson and other counties and his property 
holdings are indicative of his success, which is the well merited 
reward of his labors. 

	On November 24, 1896, Mr. Harris was united in marriage to Miss 
Lettie E. Fox, a daughter of D. B. and Matilda (Weller) Fox, of Spink 
county, South Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Harris have been born two 
children: Loren, deceased, and John Quentin. 

	Fraternally Mr. Harris is identified with the following 
organizations: Mobridge Lodge, No. 164, A. F. & A. M.; Selby Chapter, 
No. 43, R. A. M., of Selby, South Dakota; Damascus Commandery, No. 10, 
K. T.; Omega Council, No. 2, R. & S. M.; South Dakota Consistory, No. 
4, A. & A. S. R.; Yelduz Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Aberdeen; the 
Order of the Eastern Star, of which Mrs. Harris is also a member; 
Mobridge Lodge, No. 205, I. O. O. F.; and Aberdeen Lodge, No. 1046, B. 
P. O. E Politically Mr. Harris is a republican and has filled various 
local and state offices. For seven years, from 1903 until 1910, he was 
a member of the board of county commissioners in Walworth county and he 
represented his district in the thirteenth session of the state senate, 
having been elected in November, 1912. He has served on the town board 
of Mobridge and is one of the foremost residents of this part of the 
state. He and his wife are members of the Congregational church and 
their influence has ever been a feature in moral progress as well as in 
connection with the material advancement of the district.