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W ILLIAM HENRY HARRIS
1859-1925

William Henry Harris was born May 2nd, 1859 at Owenville, North Carolina. His
parents were Jesse Richardson Harris and Jane Owen Harris. William Henry grew up on
the family farm with his parents and grandparents, Owen Owen and Jennie Fowler Owen.
William Henry had the following brothers and sisters:

Born Died
Owen Owen 6 January 1858, July 1875 of drowning
Theophilus Holmes 10 April 1861
Thomas Almore 30 May 1862 September 19, 1862
Jane Elizabeth 15 August 1863 November 19,1863
Abner Rose 16 June 1867
Ida Viola 7 June 1869
Laura Bisel 30 April 1871

William Henry and his brother Abner Rose were engaged in turpentine for some
time in Owenville, Roseboro area. William Henry decided to try his luck else where. He
migrated to Georgia. There he met and married Margaret Fouraker, daughter of Nancy
Daugharty Fouraker and Ichabod Fouraker near Fargo , Georgia.
After their marriage they lived at Live Oak, Florida for several years. While living
there, their first child was born.
In 1895 W.H. Harris of Hamilton County Florida (Live Oak) and J.R. Sanders
of Lowndes County Georgia bought 7,839 acres of land in Sumter County Florida for one
dollar per acre($7,839.00). In addition to the above purchase, they also purchased 11
acres near by, which was on the right -of-way of the Florida Central and Peninsula
Railroad Company.
Prior to the above purchase in 1894, W.H. Harris and L.L. Rutland purchased 8
parcels of land for taxes. In addition to these parcels, other parcels of 160, 340, and 360
acres were purchased.
In August 1899 W.H. Harris and J.A. Dasher, Jr., the W.H. Harris Company sold
land they had acquired in Holmes and Walton Counties of North West Florida. This large
tract of land was sold to A.C. Darling, A. Sessoms and B.F. Bullard or the firm of Darling
and Company. The acreage in the tract was 9,280 acres. The W.H. Harris Company
received $11,600.00 for the above acreage.
The Harris Company also sold turpentine leases on other land in the area for
$1029.00. After selling his interest in the Darlington, Florida area, Mr. Harris decided to
move his business and family to Geneva, Alabama. Mr. Harris set up his turpentine
business near the Railroad track and began operations. He also began a saw mill which
became one of the larger mills in the area. He had purchased 160 acres of land at the
edge of the city and began a farm operations. Mr. Harris was a gentleman farmer. He had
a farm overseer and many other employees to run his operations. He had built a large
farm type house copied from his parents home in Owensville, North Carolina. This house
was so well built that it is still in use today after going through one or more severe floods.