Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-10-19
HON. D. N. HARRIS
Died at His Home in Missouri Valley
Monday, Oct. 3, 1911. Plated
Extra In May, 1856. Built
First House in Extra.

The following was written by Hon.
d. M. Harris on his 9Othsbirthday:
d. M. Harris was born in Dayton,
Ohio, July 81, 1921, and is therefore
80 years old Friday, July 81, 1911.
His parents died when he was only
ten years old, leaving family of eight
children, five girls and three boys,
the writer being the second son, the
Oldest leaving home at an early day
and: :his.residence not being known to
theswriter. The youngest was killed
in the Mexican War at the battle of
Of Buena Vista while fighting under
Gen. Taylor. The girls are all mar
ried and scattered throughout the
several states.
The writer hereof left Ohio at an
early date, after the death of his par
ents, and started for Mississippi, a
state that was new at that time, was
much talked of, and was thought to
be a good location for making money.
On reaching Tennessee in the spring
of 1887 he stopped in Williamsport,
Maura county, and finally located in
that little town, where in 1871. he
married Miss Martha Minerva White,
and to this union was born ten child
ren, six boys and four girls, all living,
three boys in South Dakota and three
in Iowa; one of the girls lives in Fort
Smith, Ark, one in Montana and two
in Iowa. This family never had a
death in it until January 18th, 1898,
when the wife and mother was called
away by death. Since that time we
have made our home with our daugh-
ter, Mrs. G. c. Lahman, of Missouri
Valley, who has made our home very
pleasant and satisfactory.
CAME TO Iowa.
In 1854 we moved from Tennessee
to Iowa. settling in Audubon county,
at what was known as Hamlin's Grove
where we builded our home. In 1855
we were elected County Judge of that
county, serving nearly three terms,
when in 1859 we were elected mem
Der of the Legislature of Iowa, sery-
ing two terms.
During this time, in May, 1856, we
purchased the undivided one-half of
so acres of land of David Edgerton
and located the town of Extra, (now
quite t1ourishing little city,) and
built the first house in the place, oc-
cupying the same for several years. In
1862 we sold out and moved to Panora,
Guthrie county, Iowa, and for some
time practiced law in that town and
edited the Guthrie County Ledger.
In 1866 we were on the Democratic
ticket for Lieutenant Governor on
the ticket with Judge Mason, of Burl-
ington, Iowa; served twice on the
Electoral ticket; once for State Sen
ator, and filled several minor offices.
The state being largely Republican, a
Democrat had but little chance for
promotion during that period. Dur
ing several years we edited a paper
and practiced law, and in 1868 we
changed our residence from Panora to
Missouri Valley, where we have since
resided most of the time, editor for
nearly fifty years.
In 1884 we were the delegate at
large of the State of Iowa in the Ma
tional Convention at Chicago that
nominated Grover Cleveland for Pres
ident, later represented Harrison Co.
in the State Legislature, and was
twice the Democratic candidate for
Congress in the 9th Iowa District;
served in the office of Mayor of Mis-
souri, Valley; was twice City Clerk.
So you can see that even a Democrat
had some honor in the dark days of
the party when it was thought priv
ilege to let Democrat live in this
grand prosperous state.
In looking back over our younger
days, it might be of some interest tC
know that the writer has been a Mas.
on sixty years, an Odd Fellow about