Jacob Hugh Harrison Biography >From "History of Davenport and Scott County" Vol. II by Harry E. Downer-S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1910 Chicago. To view the picture of Jacob Hugh Harrison that accompanies this biography, please go to the main Scott county, Iowa page at: http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ and click on Pictures/ Documents section. Surnames: Harrison, Harris, Mimich, Lester, Hayden, Holman, Carstens, McCallister, Clark, Reader, Judd, Snyder, Schaffer, Gibbons, Powell. The business progress of Davenport has not been conserved by one or two individuals but has resulted from the combined efforts of a large number of business men whose activity has been the source of the city's commercial advancement and improvement. In this connection Jacob Hugh Harrison deserves more than passing notice, for to the time of his death he was recognized as one of the foremost representatives of mercantile interests in Davenport. He was born in Carrollton, Kentucky, December 25, 1840, and was a son of William Henry Harrison, a cousin of President Harrison of the same name. The father was a native of Prince William county, Virginia, born in 1810. He had two brothers, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington Harrison, and they were sons of John and Elizabeth (Harris) Harrison, the latter a daughter of John Harris and the former a son of Obadiah Harrison, a native of Virginia. William Henry Harrison, reared and educated in the south, was married to Miss Eleanor Mo! ore Mimich, a daughter of Richard and Sarah (Lester) Mimich and a granddaughter of John and Elizabeth Mimich, who were natives of Maryland. It will thus be seen that Jacob H. Harrison was a representative of some of the oldest southern families. He was one of ten children, five of whom reached years of maturity, namely: Mary; Richard; Mrs. Sarah Hayden; Jacob; and Charles Emery, who is living in Davenport. When he was thirteen years of age and still attending school Jacob Hugh Harrison entered the drug store of his uncle at Carrollton, Kentucky, and under his direction thoroughly learned the business. His educational opportunities were those afforded by the schools and academy of his native city. All through life, however, he remained a student and broad reader and accumulated a large and valuable library, with the contents of which he was thoroughly familiar. The business pursuit to which he was reared he made his life work. In 1861 he and his brother Richard purchased the business of their deceased uncle and conducted the store until the following year, when Richard Harrison died. The subject of this review then carried on the business alone until 1867, when he disposed of his interests in Kentucky and came to Davenport. Here he at once became engaged in the retail drug business, becoming at first connected with the firm of Harrison & Stark, while later he was senior partne! r of the firm of Harrison & Holman. The latter firm was located in the Hill block at the corner of Third and Brady streets, but hits was destroyed by fire on the night of February 22, 1876. In the fall of 1878 Mr. Harrison again established a business, which under the name of Harrison's Pharmacy was for fourteen years located at No. 305 Brady street. He then removed to No. 312 Brady street, where he remained for eight years, or until the time of his retirement from active mercantile life, disposing of his store to L. P. Carstens in January, 1901. Soon after Mr. Harrison and Mr. Holman established their store on Brady street, following the fire, Mr. Harrison admitted his brother Charles to a partnership I the business. They afterward had a store erected purposely for them near the site on which the business is still carried on, and later Mr. Harrison built a store which is still utilized for the business. Altogether he established six different stores, which he continued to o! wn and manage until his death. For forty years he had been closely associated with the drug trade as proprietor, and even prior to that time had been an employe in that field of labor. He enjoyed the reputation of being the most competent druggist in the state of Iowa, having intimate knowledge of all the drugs and medicinal remedies which he handled, knowing fully their properties ad the results which might be attained by their use. On the 16th of May, 1865, Mr. Harrison was united in marriage to Miss Frances Elizabeth McCallister, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a daughter of Dr. William R. McCallister, formerly a physician of Troy, Tennessee, now deceased. The McCallisters were of Scotch lineage. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison took place at Carrollton, Kentucky, and was the first Protestant church wedding celebrated in that town. Her paternal grandfather, Dr. Charles McCallister, married Frances Elizabeth Sims Reader, whose uncle was the author of the Sims Theory, while her great-uncle was the father-in-law of President Harrison. Mrs. Harrison was born in Cincinnati but was reared in Tennessee. By her marriage she became the mother of nine children: Minnie Ingaloe, who was born February 26, 1866, is now the wife of Oscar P. Judd, of Reno, Nevada, Mary Eleanor, who was born May11, 1868, is the wife of W. H. Snyder, of Davenport; Cora Sims, who was born July 21, 1870, is the wife of Ge! orge H. Schaffer, of Fort Madison, Iowa; William Henry, who was born March 1, 1872, died when only two weeks old; Juliana was born April 26, 1873; Sarah Hayden was born September 3, 1875; Edward Reader was born July 14, 1879; Wilfred Hugh and Frances Elizabeth, twins, were born July 1, 1882. The former wedded Miss Mary Gibbons, of St. Paul, and the latter is the wife of Bert G. Powell. There are now five grandchildren in the family. Mr. Harrison was a man of considerable literary ability and was the author of a number of poems of more than ordinary merit. His reading covered a wide range and made him well informed concerning a variety of subjects. At the time of his marriage he joined the Methodist church and remained a consistent representative thereof until his death, his earnest Christian faith being the permeating influence in an honorable, upright life. His public spirit was manifest in his active support of many measures for the public good and Davenport gained a valua! ble citizen when he established his home within her borders. ~~~~~~*~~~~~~ Elaine Rathmann ACC Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project List Adm: *IA-CIVIL-WAR *IA-DANES