McDonough ILGenWeb

HARRIS, John Edward, a well-known farmer of Bushnell. McDonough County, Ill., of which city he is serving as Mayor, was born in Marietta, Fulton County, Ill., on December 25, 1854, and after his public school days were over, pursued a course of study in Abingdon College. He is a son of John and Emeline (Brooks) Harris, and a grandson of John and Katie (Myers) Harris, members of the family after which Harris Township was named, a complete record of whose lives appears in another part of this volume. Mr. Harris was reared on a farm until he was fourteen years of age, and lived in Harris Township, Fulton County, for the greater part of the time until he moved into Bushnell. Here he is extensively interested in the grain business, in connection with Mr. Warren, of Peoria. On December 9, 1880, Mr. Harris was married to Alice Hiett, who was born in the state of Virginia, and came to Pekin, Ill., with her parents at about the age of six years. Four children are the issue of this union, viz: Mazie, Georgia, Ruble and Lee. The family resides on premises purchased by Mr. Harris from J. E. Chandler, and it occupies one of the handsomest homes in McDonough County. In politics, the subject of this sketch is a prominent Republican, and is influential in the councils of his party. His first public service was as Supervisor of Harris Township, Fulton County, in which capacity he served three terms. He has been Mayor of Bushnell since 1891, and under his administration of the city's affairs, fifteen blocks of brick pavement have been laid. In November, 1904, Mr. Harris was elected to the State Legislature from the Thirty-second Senatorial District. Under his general supervision as Chairman of the Committee on State Institutions a number of creditable buildings were erected. He also acceptably served as a member of the Committees on Elections, .Judicial Appointments, Municipal Corporations, Public Charities and Appropriations, and had the satisfaction of assisting in obtaining liberal appropriations for such institutions as the Soldiers' Home, at Quincy, the Insane Asylum at Watertown and various State Normal Schools. In his fraternal relations, Mr. Harris is affiliated with the T. J. Pickett Lodge No. 307, A. F. & A. M., of Bushnell, and with the K. of P. Lodge No. 101. In his religious faith, he is a member of the Christian Church. Altogether, he is man of broad intelligence and high and forceful character, and has rendered valuable services to the community.

---

Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, pages 898-899, extracted 04 Jan 2019 by Norma Hass.