Part 1: THE PATRIARCH; JOSEPH HARRIS

Joseph Harris, born 1779 County Cork, Ireland, married Jane Kirkpatrick, born 1782 in Pennsylvania.

Son Robert Harris, Sr., born 1809 in Cincinnati, married Julia Lytle McCain.

Grandson Henry Harris, born 1848 on Harris Road, married Elizabeth Wiley, born 1851

Great Grandson Arthur Harris, born 1891 on Harris Road, married Clara Hoffman

Great-great Granddaughter, Dorothy Sun Harris Pierson, born 1917, at the Harris Road property, married Wilbur Pierson.

Dorothy Harris was our family historian. She was very important in the continuation and celebration of the Harris reunion, started 1908. She was born and raised on Harris Road. She graduated from Darrtown High School, as did her sister, Mildred Harris Daniels.

Part 2: THE HARRIS / KIRKPATRICK / MEE CONNECTION

Joseph Harris was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1779 and came to America in 1796. He married Jane Kirkpatrick, from Pennsylvania. Joseph and Jane traveled down the Ohio River on a flat boat and settled in the Cincinnati area. They had four children: Benjamin, Robert, Sarah and Thomas. It's believed that Sarah died and is buried in Cincinnati. There are no records of her in Milford Twp.

Jane died and is also buried in Cincinnati. Old records show that after Jane's death, Joseph brought his 3 sons to live with a Kirkpatrick in Wayne Twp., on Tolbert Road. On a topographical map we can see that Tolbert and Harris Rd, would be connected, if not for the Seven Mile creek. It appears he started there and then bought land on Harris Rd.

Since there are so manyKirkpatricks listed in old Milford Twp. documents, it is assumed that Joseph came there at their insistence and assistance.

William Kirkpatrick, born August 17, 1814 and died June 27, 1848, (possibly Jane's brother or nephew), married Mary Magdalena Flenner on May 5, 1838. She was on born December 27, 1819 and died December 5, 1905. She was better known as Polly. They owned a tavern in Darrtown.

William and Polly had 6 children:

Lisabeth Kirkpatrick, born December 21, 1839, died December 14, 1916. She married John Marshall, born on May 19, 1830. He died August 20, 1897.

William Elliot Kirkpatrick, born May 5, 1841 and died May 1, 1866.

Sam Kirkpatrick, born December 5, 1842 and died July 2, 1899.

Mary Catherine Kirkpatrick, born September 11, 1844 and died January 20, 1849.

George Washington Kirkpatrick, born July 15, 1846 and died January 20, 1857.

David Richard Kirkpatrick, born December 1847 and died April 2, 1848.

After William died, Polly married David Mee on July 19, 1849. He died on June 12, 1853. They had two children:

John Franklin Mee, born June 2, 1852, died on August 25, 1917.

Mary Emmaline Mee Teague, born October 26, 1856 and died June 21, 1943.

After David Mee died, Polly married John Cooch and you may see that monument in the Darrtown Cemetery.

Sam Kirkpatrick's name is all over the old Darrtown records. It shows that he owned the land where the Mee home is now located. It's believed that Sam built the house, but at that time, it was not as elaborate as it is today.

Census records show that Polly and David Mee and their two children, lived in that house with Sam Kirkpatrick. Sam never married and, after his death, the home was left to the Mee family.

You will see, in the Darrtown cemetery, a large monument with the inscription "Kirkpatrick-Mee."

Therefore, the Harrises and the Kirkpatricks were cousins from an ancient era.

Part 3: THE HARRIS FARMS

Joseph Harris and Jane Kirkpatrick Harris had 4 children:

Sarah died before they reached Milford Twp.

Benjamin 1803-1872, married Nancy Lintner, 1812-1891. Benjamin's son, Andrew Lintner Harris, a Civil war veteran, became Ohio's Governor in 1909. Benjamin went on to live in Preble County.

Thomas, 1806, married Jane Wilson and they went on to live in Indian Territory, Kansas.

Robert, Sr., born 1809, married Julia Lytle McCain. Robert andhis sons remained on Harris Road and in Milford Twp.

Records show that after the passing of Jane Kirkpatrick, Joseph Harris' first wife, he lived with a Kirkpatrick in Wayne Twp.

Later he (Joseph) bought land on what is now called Harris Road. Joseph built a 3-room cabin, along the front of the road. The foundation of which can still be seen on Google Earth; you can see the impression of where the cabin was located. I don't know how to describe the location except to say it is the farm west of 2820 Harris Rd., currently owned by the Shepherds (an interesting side note, my husband, Ralph Yauger, lived on this farm, until his father sold it to Mr. Shepherd.)

Joseph went on to marryagain to Rachel Hornaday. Those descendants haven't kept in touch with us and, sad to say, we have lost track of them.

His third wife was Nancy Logan. We are in touch with several of those descendants and they attend the Harris reunion, which was started in 1908.

Joseph's son Robert and his grandsons went on to buy land on that road and began farms.

The children of Robert Harris, Sr. and Julia Lytle McCain:

Joseph Harris, 1823-1913, married Mary Jane Chambers, 1841-1919

Robert McCain Harris, 1840-1896, married Martha E. Watt, 1849-1915

Henry Harris, 1848-1900 married Elizabeth Wiley, 1851-1922

George Washington Harris, 1854-1929, married Ida L. Frank

William Harris, 1843-1865 - died as a Civil War POW in Andersonville

Rebecca Harris, 1845-1908. I have no info on her.

Robert, Sr., continued to live on the original Harris Road farm. After the death of Robert, Sr., the farm was sold. One of his sons, Henry Harris lived on the farm next door (2820 Harris Rd.), which may have been a split off from the original Joseph Harris farm, by Robert, Sr. (for convenience for referencing, I will use 2820 Harris Rd.).

Henry's daughter Abigail, married John Wiley Shaw and 2820 Harris Road became known as the Shaw farm.

Abigail Harris Shaw taught school in the one-room schoolhouse that's about 1/2 mile east of 2820. It still stands, but appears to be used for storage. In this schoolhouse, Robert and James Harris and Dorothy and Mildred Harris started elementary school.

Henry's son, Arthur, who grew up on the Henry Harris farm, purchased the original Joseph Harris farm, when he and his bride, Clara Hoffman, started their life together. Arthur's children, Dorothy Harris Pierson and Mildred Harris Daniels were born on this farm.

Robert, Sr.'s son, Robert McCain Harris, owned the farm across from 2820 Harris Road. The farm has a very long lane and the house, which is original, cannot be seen from the road. Michael Jackson now owns that farm.

Robert McCain and his bride, Martha Watt, had two children:

Alva Norman Harris, 1872 - 1955, married Clara Huffman, died 1954. Alva's children were: Raymond, Ralph, Wilbur, and Dorothy. One son, Paul died at the age of 18.

Maime Harris Beckett 1874-1964, married to Charles Beckett of McGonigle, Ohio 1874-1946. Maime's children were: Charles, John Beckett, Nellie Davis, Orveda Fichter, and Marguerite Shafer.

Up the hill, west of 2820 Harris Rd., is the George Washington Harris farm. The big-white barn is original. George's daughter was Grace and she married Charles Krebs. They lived in the historic farmhouse, on Hamilton-Richmond Rd., just north of Harris Road.

Robert, Sr.'s brother, Joseph had a son, James, who married Nellie Krebs. They lived on the Krebs farm on Scott Rd. After the passing of Nellie's family, they became owners of what is now known as Sunnydale Farm. The children of James and Nellie Harris are Robert, James, Dwight, and Mary Elizabeth Requarth.

There is so much more, but I'll continue with the Harris Saga at another time.

Submitted by Barbara (Harris) Yauger

Robert Harris profiled at Rootsweb Site

"Robert Harris settled in the county in 1810, having been born in Kentucky, November, 1809. His parents were Joseph and Sarah Jane HARRIS. Among the remembrances of his childhood is that of being lost. A great search was made, and his parents prepared to go after him, as it was supposed he was in the hands of the Indians. He was married December 11, 1833, to Julia McCAINE, daughter of Robert and Jane McCAINE, who came to this county in 1798. The former was a brave soldier in the War of 1812. His grandfather LYTLE was in the Revolutionary War.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris have had seven children, of whom the oldest is dead.

Mary Jane was born January 20, 1837;

Joseph, November 28, 1838;

Robert, November 22, 1840;

William, June 28, 1848;

Rebecca, February 6, 1845;

Henry, April 22, 1848; and

George W., February 22, 1854.

Joseph and William Harris were engaged in the last war. William was in the Seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was reported missing one day, and is now supposed to be dead. The children are all well to do. Mr. Harris has lived on his present farm since 1876."

"Harris is a name with long association to Darrtown and Mary Harris Requarth returned this summer to that Milford Township community bringing back fond memories of growing up there.

She and her husband, Harv, moved into a newly built Scott Road home near the Harris family homestead where she grew up. Family and friends gathered to celebrate their move with a house blessing and party.

As a little girl, I enjoyed the farm," Mary Requarth said. She also enjoyed being part of a small rural community where everyone knew - and cared about - everyone else. The Harris family empha­sized education, she said, and her father served on the school board for the Milford Township School.

"I came from a family that valued education and instilled that in all of us. We were fortunate to have Miami University so close by."

Her first grade teacher was Marie Schmidt, then not quite 20 and starting her career. The school in Collinsville was later named for the career teacher/administrator. "She was a great teacher," Mary Requarth said.

Growing up, she recalls the community "threshing rings" where everyone worked together. "I helped my mother fix the meals for all those hungry men," she said.

She recalls frequent community carry­-in dinners at the community hall where everyone got together to share their food and lives. She also remembers dances at the town hall. Her parents did not like her going to them, but she recalls sneaking in.

She and her brothers - James, Robert and Dwight - are descendants of Joseph Harris, who came to America from Scotland in 1798. Their grandfather, another Joseph Harris, served in the Civil War and providesthe family to this day, with descriptions of the battles and the territory, through letters he wrote home at the time.

Music was an important part of their family life, in a time, when electricity was rare and television non-existent.

The Harrises had their own family band and got together to play on Sunday evenings, atfamily gatherings and even community events, including Farm Bureau meetings.

Her church was also a big part of their community life and memo­ries.

"The Lutheran Church was a big influence in all our lives," she said. The community had two churches then, but was not big enough to support both, so the Lutheran and Methodist church members rotated between the two churches on Sundays, with their ministers taking turns leading the services, while also serving other churches on the alternate Sundays.

"We kept both churches going," she said.

It was at Miami, she found a roommate, who became a close friend and they shared family vacation trips and the good and bad times of their lives. It was also at Miami that Mary Harris met Harv Requarth. They were married in her parents' yard 55 years ago, August 22.

They moved to Oakwood, near Dayton, where he operated his family's lumber company, until retirement.

Several strokes have left him largely confined to their new Scott Road home; but, they share many memories of 55 years together, of travel to China, and a photo safari to Africa. In addition to traveling to other parts of the world, they have opened their lives to visitors from other countries as well, hosting foreign students, with whom they have kept up long-term and long-distance friendships.

Those students came from Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, Korea, and Iraq. They have kept in particularly close touch with the student from Spain. ''We always talk on New Year's Eve," she said.

The years since she left Scott Road have been special to her; but she is happy to be back in the area. "I thought I grew up in a great community," she said."

"Harris Family Reunion Marks 200 Years

Ralph Yauger and his wife, Barbara Harris Yauger, have a shared passion that keeps them very busy in retirement.

The Washington Twp. couple have a keen interest in genealogy that initially revolved around Barbara Harris Yauger’s family and the Harris reunion that has been held continuously for 102 years.

'Joseph Harris came down the Ohio River in a flatboat to Cincinnati in 1779,' said Barbara Harris Yauger, who serves as the reunion secretary and has edited the annual family newsletter for the past 10 years.

'He settled in Milford Twp. in 1802, but the family is really centered in Darrtown, a small town near Oxford. Our family members are well educated and were founders of Miami University, which many of our relatives have attended.

One of the descendants worked on the Manhattan Project and later at the Mound Lab and Andrew Lintner Harris was a Civil War hero from Gettysburg, who became governor of Ohio in 1909.'

Barbara Harris Yauger grew up in Oxford, and graduated from Talawanda High School in 1959. She met her husband Ralph at a roller rink in Millville.

Ralph Yauger graduated in 1956, the last class to graduate from Stewart High School, which laterbecame part of the consolidated Talawanda School District. He also lived on one of the old Harris farms while growing up.

'We were destined to meet,' said Barbara Harris Yauger, of her husband, who lived on Harris Road. “At the Harris Reunion, he talks about Harris Road and people think that he’s the Harris relative and I married him.”

Ralph Yauger attended Miami University where he earned a degree in chemistry before beginning his 43-year career at The Mound Laboratories in Miamisburg.

The couple married and moved to Springboro where Barbara Harris Yauger became a homemaker for the couple’s two children, who both graduated from Springboro High School.

Angie is a kindergarten teacher, mother of two and grandmother of one, who lives in Perrysburg, while Randy Yauger, a manager and trouble shooter for local restaurants, lives in Oakwood with his wife, the former Michelle Satchwell and their four children.

Barbara Harris Yauger became president of the Springboro Civic Association in 1968 and served as the clerk/treasurer of Springboro 1970-75.

'The town exploded in growth, while I was in office,' said Barbara Harris Yauger, who originally worked out of a corner of her family room, but ended up managing 57 employees in a modern facility.

Barbara Harris Yauger also volunteered with Welcome Wagon, founded the Jonathan Wright PTO in 1968 and worked for Project Partner in Middletown, supporting missionaries. As a Project Partner staff member and as a volunteer with her husband, Barbara Harris Yauger has made numerous trips to Central America. Ralph Yauger was even lost at sea for three days, when a 52-foot medical missionary ship he was on became stranded on a coral reef while traveling from Costa Rica to Honduras. Luckily, a passing boat saw them and notified the authorities.

After Ralph Yauger retired in 2003, the couple sold their home and traveled around the country in a motor home, before buying a home in Florida where they lived six months a year, until moving to Washington Twp. where they live year-round.

After being part of the annual Harris Reunions, Ralph Yauger became interested in genealogy and located his own family members and joined them for a Yauger reunion in Shreveport, La.

'I’ve been going to Harris Reunions since I was a child,' said Barbara Harris Yauger, who is looking forward to the upcoming Aug. 2 Harris Reunion to be held in Bellbrook at cousin, Richard Requarth’s home.

'I think it’s very exciting that after 102 years we’re still having our family reunion. About 100 people showed up for the 100th reunion held in 2007.' "