My Genealogy Hound

Hon. Samuel T. Harrison, farmer, of Saline Township, Miller Co., Mo., was born in Barren County, Ky., in 1820, and was the seventh of nine children born to Reuben and Elizabeth (Hill) Harrison, who were natives of Amherst County, Va., and immigrated to Kentucky at an early day, the father becoming a well-known educator of Barren County. He was also engaged in farming, but concluded he could better his condition in Missouri, and accordingly immigrated to this State in 1826, locating in St. Louis County, where he resided until 1833. Then he moved to Cole County, stopping on the farm where a portion of the town of Proctor or Olean now is. After two years he entered Government land one and a half miles south of Olean, where he lived until his death, August 13, 1844. He was born in 1782. His wife, who was born in 1786, died July 12, 1871. Samuel T. Harrison (our subject) came with his parents to Missouri, and was reared on a frontier farm, receiving a somewhat limited early education, owing to the scarcity of schools, but this he improved in later years by contact with business life. He assisted his father in clearing his farm, and, owing to their very early location in the county, they were obliged to put up with many inconveniences, their nearest flouring-mill being a distance of sixteen miles. He was married in Miller County, December 15, 1842, to Miss Mary Jane Francis, a daughter of John and Fannie (Morris) Francis, who were Tennesseeans by birth and very early residents of Moniteau County, Mo. Later they located on a farm across the river from Tuscumbia, and after spending some years in Greene County, moved to Texas, where they died. In 1847 Mr. Harrison moved to Mt. Pleasant, where he remained one year, and then rented a place for three years, after which he entered 120 acres, and began improving it, also buying a farm in the Flatwoods. In 1853 he went to Texas, and after remaining there about six months, returned to Miller County, where he has since made his home. He added to his first entry until he at one time owned 1,300 acres. At the present time he owns about 244 acres, with 144 under cultivation, and in addition to this gives considerable attention to raising stock. He has always been interested in politics, and in 1858 was elected sheriff of the county, and was re-elected in 1860 without opposition, but resigned the position in 1861, and engaged in trading. In 1878 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, being elected by the Greenback party. Previous to that time he had been a Democrat. In the fall of 1888 he was a candidate for representative. On the 16th of September, 1875, he lost his excellent wife, who had borne him fourteen children, their names being as follows: James P., Minerva, Frances (Mrs. W. J. Dorley), John Perry (who died July 25, 1877), Reuben C., Nancy E. (Mrs. Etter), Cerilda Jane (Mrs. M. Smith), William M., Robert B., Mary Ellen (Mrs. Roark), Samuel T., Ann Eliza, Sarah V. (Mrs. Jones) and Ida Josephine. Mr. Harrison married his second wife April 4, 1877, her name being Phoebe Yarnall Williams, a native of Morgan County, Mo., and a daughter of Daniel and Mary (McLanglin) Williams, who were born respectively in New York and Pennsylvania, and were married in Ohio, coming in 1837 by ox team to Missouri. They settled in Versailles, where the father opened the first blacksmith’s shop in the place, and followed his trade until 1859, when he followed farming until his death, in 1881. His widow resides with her children in Morgan County. Mr. Harrison is now the father of four children by his present wife— Lillia May, Ethel Gertrude, Rhoda Brooks and Elmer G. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Pleasant Mount Lodge, No. 234, and is also a member of the Chapter. He belongs to the K. of L. and the Agricultural Wheel, and he and wife are members of the Christian Church at Eldon.