Santa
Clara County
Biographies
ALBERT HARRIS
With the possibilities and progress of the
Santa Clara valley, where he has been a lifelong resident, Mr. Harris is
thoroughly conversant. A number of its
industries have received his co-operation, and this is especially true of the
fruit industry, with which he has been identified for many years. In the Cured Fruit Growers’ Association he
has maintained an interest as in other organizations and movements for the
development of the principal occupation of the people of the valley. Besides being a director in this association,
he is a director in the Santa Clara Bank, The San Jose Water Company and the
Safe Deposit Bank of San Jose.
Mr. Harris was born in San Jose August 12,
1852. His father, Henry Harris, was a
man who visited many lands and acquired a knowledge of
the customs of many nations. Born in
London, England, he shipped from there to Australia at an early age and soon
left that country for Chile, South America, later spending a short time in
Mexico. From the latter country he came to the United States and settled in
California in 1846. Gold had not yet
been discovered and the population consisted largely of Mexicans, although in
the towns and through the mining regions white men were occasionally to be
found. In the various countries where he
visited he had earned a livelihood by following the cabinet-maker’s trade, but
after coming to California he prospected and mined for a time and then settled
on a farm six miles from San Jose. In
1864 he came to Santa Clara and lived retired from business pursuits. His last days were spent in San Jose, where
he died in March of 1898, at the age of almost four score years. His wife who bore
the maiden name of Mary Murray, was born in Aberdeen,
Scotland, and accompanied her parents to the United States, settling in
California. At the age of seventy years
she died in Santa Clara in 1884. Of the
son and daughter born to her marriage Albert was the younger. On the completion of his public-school course
he entered the University of the Pacific where he acquired a broad and thorough
education. Since 1864 he has made his
home in Santa Clara where he now occupies the old homestead of eight acres,
well-kept and valuable property.
The marriage of Mr. Harris was solemnized
in Santa Clara and united him with Miss Adas M. Jordan, of this city, a native
of New York. They are the parents of an
only child, Miriam Alice, who is now a student in the Santa Clara High
school. Always interested in educational
matters and a friend of the public-school system, Mr. Harris has served
efficiently as a school director for thirteen years, during which time his time
and attention have been carefully given to promotion of the standard of
scholarship and the securing of capable instructors. He was elected a member of the board of town
trustees and remained in that position for two years. No resident of Santa Clara is more interested
in Masonry than he. His connection with
the fraternity includes membership in Liberty Lodge, No. 299, F. & A. M.;
Howard Chapter, No. 14, R.A.M.; San Jose Commandery, No.10, K.T.; and Islam
Temple, N.M.S., of San Francisco. He is
also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of
True Fellowship Lodge in Santa Clara and Encampment, No. 32, of the same order. The people of his home city and county unite
in testifying as to the business ability, upright character and high principles
of honor that form noticeable attributes of this native-born son of
California. Transcribed
by Louise E. Shoemaker December 23, 2015.
Transcribed by
Louise E. Shoemaker, December 10, 2015.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 919-920. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Louise E. Shoemaker.