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Israel Hopkins Harris was bom in Contrevilio, MontgomQry
' - Vi >1- I'l.l
county, Ohio, November 23, 1823j ^ was the son of Jaines "Harris
and Hebeooa C. Jennings; the grandson of
Mead; the great grandson of Israel Harris and SatTOfili^l; the
great'^great-grandson of Johh Harris and Rachel Moss# ' " V
Israel Harris, the gu^at-grandfather of Israel llopkinit
Ilarris, was born Feb. 16, 1746, at Cornwall, ConnB In May, 1775, he
joined the famous body of young patriots afterwax^i known as the
"Green Movintain Boys," and assisted as orderly sergeant in the
daring inish to and capture of Ft. Ticonder^^SL, sorrihg with Both
Warner and probably sharing later in the outlawry of the.leadem
Of the "regiment,*- which by its success opened the road;-for the
'
ill-fated expedition of Montgomery, and furnished supplies for the
siege of Boston, He was still with Warner's forces when that
oomn^ander joined General Stark near Eennington, Vermont, in the
late siBumer of 1777 and defeated the efforts of Colonel Baixn to
gels'0 the supplies laid up at that place for the patriot forces,
a defeat which caused the' surrender of Bux^ynft" at Saratoga tiro
months afterward- Sarl;^in 1778 he was made lieutenant, and for
bravery on the battlefield given his comniission as captain in the
old "Continentals* in 1779.
In October, 178o, owing to complete disability, the result
of wounds and exposure, he waus honor^^y discharged, and returned
his former home, where he remained until 1782, when he
racioved to Rutland, |f^rmont. His record as a brave soldier, and
above all his connection with the most fsanous beuid of partiean
troops the Horth could boast of, made him an instant leader in
that villaf^e. He was one of the original members o^f 'the Congrega-
t-tonal ohurch organised October 5, 1783, and served
on the official board for many years
His second son, Isrcial, was born in Williamstown, Massa-
chusetts, and early in this, century moved to oentrevlllfe, Mont-
gonery county, Ohio, where he lived upon the old Harris
settled by him, until his
James Harris, the father of Israel Hopkins Harris, was born
March 31, IBol. He was pre-eminently a man of^, affairs, and early
left his father's farm to enter business life in the village of
Waynesrille, Ohio, some nine miles from his birthplace.
Here he soon built up a profitable business for his general
store* Ha was one of the first porkpackers and tobacco buyers in
southern Ohio. He died southern Ohio. He died y/ .i / jyy Y )
His wife, Rebecca G. Jennings, was bom in Gloucester county,
Hew Jersey, October 2, 18o4. She came from an old i=Ing;lish family
whc^e lineage can be traced back to the Conquest. She died at
the residence of her son, Israel, in V/aynesville, September 9,
1879. She was a wom^ of strong individuality, and her example
influenced for good all who Iq^ew hery" , i / ^ /': i- /-
Israel Hopkins Harris^^m- ijt- mwhm.:^r
-^amt w&a the oldest of five children. After a course in the
Y"iTTfrgft school, Under the tutor^ip of
VI.C. Gould of Franklin, Warren county, Ohio, So great wad his
( t
noini/'c le&ne oJ" beldBcie turn ed iciitljp ifixfl" Isixr^tBn
eattfoo ^l^eX(pBAa It IIbI: arfi isii 90llo8 alaV ItP asjiXo
egrtBjio afooit iSifls nooa erf efl0cf gnrmjjJ'efl .d;WI ai aionod rtfiw
ien*Haq B" -lol rfqeaoL lexl^toncf axrf jaivBrf aSTPri^Bl sM^
rf^ l&vrwfne rf 6681 nl ni^jbai^ lexU'B^t airf wiiiar
briB a3Jod"8 iro mil edd nx rten^Bq loxiuJt exf^ aa aeeniajxcf ,^*bjtocf
BBW inBcf-Bxfd^ \8d8I ni .lan^q axrf lo dd^ab edd ledU .atrm
ixjorf^txw egBiufax^ ain*iBH eHI* lo acoBfl add" lebxUr bad'B'xaqo
TWi lanfu^aO ^airtiBH iiM lo eaxoiaf) add Ixttjttfr.rroxd'qiniechti
JbriB flrtnoflYa b eiuBoecr atnad ed^ ineffl0;|anBni, aid letoU
ad"! 'Ip ^i^xaolo add" inaa axioid^Jsq ad"! lo Y^ffl
d'tBSir Bilf Ycf aaoi iBnoaneq add" od" ddocf ejjb dd"*xw e^ot>b
eraooed bed dbdw lo eocjBiBeqqBaii) add" ycT beauBo bxov add" od" fata
^aavii ttiedd" d^q B
lo xroBBeri Yt^ Bwols don ^aaeniax/cT nx Inlaaaoona bbw H
i>oo^ dfidd dd"iw bad*!!!!/ ed aanBoad oaIb dncf (dnoii^bxji boo^;^ a"ijsP
Yva lo 3ixibau9d8rxabn& d^o^iodd" b bna Y'^daBbni aaeleixd" dnei^i/t
eatOYiera y^ badaxnd aBw eH .dlnaart axtJ doalla bXuoo rioxdw XxBd^b
-vxaado Ycf.abnocf a'naia daoca nadd *xed'd'ad biow aid abBcs ad aamoad
aexd^rlBi/p ainsa edT .laddeX ai es Ilm 8b dxixqa nx dx jptl
baldBne .aTXBm cmo aid ni ledasaib biovB od mid beldjsne' ridxdw
enx/diolaxm H^oidd baiellna aTleddo nedw viecaeq od obXb firiri
ward ed darid beniBeX dona Ynsin boA .dluBl nwo ixedd nsdd ^eddB^x
aaBnbnxd baB-eoxdanj; cecped' od wod
add ^fcaiH aaeaiaad b 8b oxdO nx nwomf Y^ebiw d^xorid dna
aeoneioa Xmndsn add lo dnebuda b bjs aiiiaH .nM io no^X^adBqm
snen aid ^idam ins oxdnaXdA add aforoB gpxdoBatt ,t[ebxw icbI aB^
familiar in Rdinburg, Berlin and Paris. VMle aty^e he
. ^ 0
was attracted to theMft newly
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developed study of geolofj. Th<iis science he followed v/ith all
the- ardor of a lover for his mistress, often forgetting'; to retire
urrtil late at night in the rapture of verification or- discovery.
The allied sciences of mineralogy and conchology v/ere taken up
later, and later still followed arclplogy. His collection
(aJi-
of specimens in the four lines of research named was scawicely
surjDassed for completeness and accuracy of nomenclature in the
world. Certainly no other private cabinet in America could
compare with it. Scientists both at home and abroad have made
tho pilgrimage to ^-aynesville to seek its aid in their studies,
finding in it rare .specimens lacking; in other collections.
It was the desire of '^'r. Harris to leavo tlie r.^sult of his
yeai's of labor and study to some institution wliere it would do
most to advance the cause of education, and at the same time
serve as a perpetual moniament to his memory. Tlany colleges and
universities presented their clairas for Ms consideration, but
he finally decided that the collection should be offered to
I
:
the national Museum in the Smithsonian Institutlt in Washington,
r
\^on the oondition that it should be preserved separate and
int?3u3t under the name of "The 1.Ih Heirris Collection," and this
decision was endorsed by his wife and children.
After his death the mana^;ers of the Instrntut^"^ were notified of
Harris* offer, aM they^accepted the coilectlon upon
P f
the "terms proposed. Prof.;^ _ SchuchiB*B>>, ctu^tor of^ the
Museum, one of Lieutenant Peary's companions in the rrreenland
I, was dispatched to pack and ship it to Washin^^;ton which
^.. ;,, . , / ;5'- ^ ^..V
was done iProfessor SchuchjtfW was one of Mr.
constant correspondents, and his ar^'uments "had-lar^-^ely
influenced Mr. Harris' final decision
' " Less important from a scientific standpoint, but equally
well-knovm to the f?;eneral public, v/era thecollections of rare
coins' end fresh water pearls. Embraced in the' foi'me'r were-
specimens of the coinnr's art datin^^ back to the days of the
Hornan Republic .
N^r. Harris has been called the father of pearl hunting
in the Mi amis, being almost the first man to appreciate and
Jflo
malce known the beauty and value of the mussel pearls
For man;; yoa-"f l:- purd .ised almost the entire "riroduct
of the two Mi amis, and retained for his o\m gratification many
of the most valuable specimens, some of which from their rai'e
coloring Tiffany pronounced tdmost priceless.
The latter two collections passed with the remainder of the
estate \jo his heirs.
Mr, Harris served the village in which he lived In many
positions of trust, but could never be induced to enter politics
or accept any position which would interfere with the
life he laid out for Mmsalf in early years.
He was a member of the American Association for the Ad
vancement of Sciience, belpnged to the Natural f?lstory Society
of Cincinnati, the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical