No history of North Branford would be complete without reference to Nathan Harrison, who spent his entire life within its borders, living always in the same house. He was born June 27, 1836, and his life record covered the intervening period to the 23d of November, 1911, when he was called to his final rest. His parents were Albert and Annie Hall (Foote) Harrison. The father was born in North Branford where he followed farming throughout his entire life, passing away at the age of forty-six years. He was a son of Nathan Harrison, also a native of North Branford. The mother was born in Northford and passed away in North Branford. In their family were six children, only one of whom is now living, Charles A. Harrison, who is an attorney at law with offices in Wallingford, but who lives in North Branford.

Nathan Harrison acquired his education in the district schools of North Branford and in the academy at Newtown, New York. Starting out in the business world he became connected with the native timber and lumber business, operating a sawmill as well as engaging in the sale of lumber. He made a specialty of cutting timber in the woods and making ties and poles for railroads, supplying all the ties and poles for the trolley lines in East Haven and in part for New Haven when the road was built. He also had the contract for furnishing supplies to the Shore Line Electric Railroad. He dealt extensively in native timber and lumber, building up a big business in this connection. At the same time he continued the management of his large farm in the northern part of North Branford. He had an extensive tract of land and continued its cultivation according to the most progressive methods. As a business man he was active and prominent, allowing no obstacle or difficulty to bar his path if it could be overcome by persistent, earnest effort and thus he remained an active factor in the material development of his county until death ended his labors.

Mr. Harrison was an honored veteran of the Civil war. In response to the country's call for troops he enlisted as a member of Company B, Twenty-seventh Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, in 1862, many Branford and North Branford men joining that company. He participated in the engagements at Fredericksburg, at Gettysburg and in other important battles of the war and became deaf from the heavy cannonading at Gettysburg, so that his hearing was greatly impaired throughout his remaining days.

Just before going to the front Mr. Harrison was married in New Haven on the 24th of September, 1862, to Miss Anna Louise Strickland, who was born at the corner of High and Chapel streets in New Haven, in which city she was reared, her parents being Royal Nelson and Mary Louise (Hayden) Strickland, the former a native of Salem, Connecticut, and the latter of Essex, Connecticut. The father was a confectioner and fruit merchant and conducted a store at the corner of Church and Chapel streets in New Haven for many years. Both he and his wife, however, are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Harrison were born six children, of whom one has passed away. Lewis Irving married Ida Gaylord, of Meriden, Connecticut, and they have two children, Nathan Louis and Floyd Gaylord. Albert Eugene, a farmer of North Branford, married Emma Isabel Rose and to them were born nine children, of whom the second, Emma Louise, died in infancy. The others are Earle Vincent, Emma Louise, second of the name; Nathan Albert, Jennie Benton, Marion Rose, Frederick Eugene, Isabel Alberta and Clifford Ellsworth. Louis Strickland, a farmer of North Guilford, married Leola Josephine Rossiter, of North Guilford, and their children are Ruth Leola and Emily Louise. Royal Nelson, who cultivates the old home farm and is also engaged in the native lumber business, married Anna Augusta Rose and they have three children, Herbert Rose, Nelson Irving and Leland Wilford. Frederick, the next of the family, died in infancy. John Rose, a lumberman and mill owner of North Branford, married Anna Jackson Harrison, of North Branford and they have five children, John Ellsworth, Donald Linsley, Anna Elizabeth, William Reginald and Elsie C.

Mr. Harrison gave his political allegiance to the republican party and he was an active member of the Congregational church of North Branford, in which Mrs. Harrison has been a Sunday school teacher for thirty years. Mr. Harrison also belonged to Admiral Foote Post, G. A. R., of New Haven, and to Corinthian Lodge, F. & A. M., exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft and at all times guiding his activities by the highest principles. He was a very progressive citizen and public-spirited man and did much for the improvement and welfare of the community in which he lived. He labored most earnestly to have the telephone company put in lines in the rural district of North Branford and did much to kindle an interest in this project and keep it alive. He was also greatly interested in the project of building the Shore Line Electric Railroad through North Branford and offered to donate a mile of ties, poles, etc., if the line would be built. He also offered pole equipment to the telephone company in order to get them to establish a telephone line in North Branford. At all times he stood for public progress and improvement and cooperated heartily in every movement which he believed would benefit the community in any way. He would never accept public office on account of his defective hearing, but there are few men who have done such valuable public service in the com-munity as did Mr. Harrison. His worth was widely acknowledged and all who knew him entertained for him the warmest regard. The Harrison farm home, which he occupied and on which his widow still lives, is one of the best equipped farms in New Haven county, for the house and barns are supplied with spring water piped through the buildings, there is a private gas plant upon the place and all of the comforts of city life have there been secured. Mr. Harrison followed the most progressive methods and the same spirit of progress is manifest in Mrs. Harrison's management of her property interests.