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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 144-145
HON. JOSEPH HARRIS, one of the men of Grant county who have assisted in making history within the legislative halls of the State capitol, is now resting from his labors and enjoying a well-earned repose in the city of Cuba, Grant county.
Joseph HARRIS was born in Cornwall, England, March 8, 1823, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (JACKA) HARRIS, natives of England. The father died in England when our subject was a small boy, and the mother married Thomas NICHOLS later coming to Hazel Green, Grant Co., Wis., where she passed away. To her first marriage four children were born: John died in England before our subject came to this country; Charles came to Wisconsin, crossed the Plains to California, and mined until his death, in 1898; Mary A. married John VIVIAN, in Wisconsin, and she and her husband went to California by water (Mr. VIVIAN succeeded beyond his wildest hopes, and when he died, in 1895, left a magnificent property, including 4,000 acres of land. His family all reside in California); Joseph is our subject.
Mr. HARRIS received his early education in the schools of his native land and when he came to America in April, 1844, he settled at Hazel Green. In 1849 the gold fever broke out and among the thousands who crossed the Plains in search of the king of metals was Joseph HARRIS. After some two years, during which time he successfully prospected and mined, Mr. HARRIS returned to Hazel Green, but the love of the venturesome life proved too strong, and he returned to California in 1852, again remaining two years. In 1854 he again returned to Wisconsin purchasing land in Hazel Green which he still owns, and which he developed into one of the finest stock farms in Grant county. In addition to this he also owns a fine farm of 340 acres in Smelser, and he is one of the prosperous farmers and stockmen in that section of the county. For many years Mr. HARRIS continued to raise stock for the Chicago market, but he now resides at his comfortable home in Cuba City, retired from active business life.
In 1846 Mr. HARRIS married Miss Rebecca BAWDEN, and eleven children have been born to the them: John T., for twenty years a resident of Texas; Mary A., now wife of John McCARTHY, of Minnesota, who has four children; Rebecca, now wife of Josiah KEMPTHORNE, of Iowa, who has four children; Charles, married, a farmer of Smelser township; Joseph, married, a prominent butcher of Cuba City; Ethelinda, educated at the Platteville Normal, and now wife of G. W. MARVEL, of Nebraska (she has a family); Jacob, married, a stock dealer of Cuba City, and a member of the Cuba City Bank, which was organized in 1898; Nettie, now wife of Rev. Mr. THOMSON, a Congregational clergyman, now stationed in Ashkum, Ill. (they have a family); Laura B., educated at the Platteville Normal School, and now the wife of Matthew HENDRICKS, one of the leading merchants and bankers of Cuba City (she has a family); Allie B., twin sister of Mrs. HENDRICKS, now the wife of Prof. T. J. METCALF, of the Platteville State Normal, from which institution of learning they both graduated (after his marriage Prof. METCALF removed to Merrill, Wis., where he began to practice dentistry, having also graduated from the Chicago Dental College); and T. H. HARRIS, a graduate of the Chicago Dental College, now a dentist at Beresford, South Dakota.
Mr. HARRIS was originally a Henry Clay Whig, and when the Republican party was formed gave his support to its principles, and has continued in its ranks ever since. In 1860 Mr. HARRIS was honored with election to the Legislature of Wisconsin, and re-elected two terms, after which he refused the nomination several times, feeling that he had given as much of his time as he could spare from his business to affairs of State. In addition, he filled all of the town offices from time to time, and always received the hearty support of his constituents. Mr. HARRIS was reared in the Church of England, but is a man of wide sympathies and broad opinions, and he willingly gives his support to any church work, feeling that every denomination is working for the betterment of humanity.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck