Blog no. 39

James Elzie Harris was born on April 20, 1846, in Marshall County, TN, to Ephraim Harris and Frances Matilda Dunnegan. He had many siblings but was the first and only of his family to move to Maury County, TN.

On January 1, 1873, in Williamson County, TN, James married Laura Susan Jane McMahon. They had 8 children. Their names were Madora “Dora” (Harris) Glenn, George Ephraim Harris, James Henderson Harris, Mallie Tea (Harris) Elam, McDonald “Don” Harris, Jessie Willburn “Will” Harris, Otho Martin Harris, and Charles Percy Harris.

Sometime around 1870, James moved to Maury County, TN, where his family would eventually be well-known. James and his family lived in a home they called “Brittain,” which was built by Laura’s grandfather, George Douglas Blair, in 1812. The home was stood in the Port Royal area of Spring Hill, TN, until 2008 when it was torn down by a developer. He and his family were very involved in the Port Royal Presbyterian Church, and the involvement would last generations.

Sadly, on November 2, 1924, in Maury County, TN, James died. He was buried in Spring Hill Cemetery, in Spring Hill, TN. James had many grandchildren, and two of them, Mattie Laura Harris and Effie Heiss, are people I have written a blog about in the past. The Harris Family is one of the most known families of Spring Hill, TN’s history, and that is because of James and Laura Harris.

Special thanks to Mike Hoover and Effie Heiss for providing me information and photos on James and his family.