The Harrison home west of Plum City.  Circa early 1900's.
B. Douglas   August 1994

My research on the HARRISON family comes from my Grandfather, Lloyd Harrison, my Mother, Evelyn Pearl (Harrison) Erickson, or was gained on a trip to Plum City, Wisconsin with my Mother, in August 1994 (photo below).

In the spring of 1912 Great Grandfather, Emery Harrison, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada. Emery and his eldest son (Eudell) taking the train with the livestock from Maiden Rock and Lizzie taking the train from Minneapolis with the other children at a later time. They filed on Section 3-19-21-W3 just south of Abbey. The Louis P. Taylor family moved to Canada together with Emery and Lizzie, Louis accompanying Emery with the livestock and Grandma Taylor traveling with Lizzie and the children. There were fourteen children! Food for thought there! Emery’s son, Lloyd, eventually married Louis’ only daughter, Pearl. That’s how I got here.

My grandfather always spoke of making a trip back to his roots but never gained the reality of his dream – however, he passed the dream to my Mother, which is what took us to Plum City in 1994. We met many wonderful Harrison relatives – a terrific vacation!

Emery and Lizzie had ten children, five girls and five boys, all but the youngest being born in Wisconsin. The eldest, Mabel, died September 14, 1911 in Wabasha, Minnesota at the age of nineteen years, of typhoid fever and was buried in Ono Cemetery, Union, Wisconsin.

In February 1914 Emery returned to Wisconsin to take care of the sale of his land to Henry Collett (photo of deed). Emery’s sister, Lula Marie, married Albert Collett (November 28, 1894 in Maiden Rock), the brother of Henry Collett. Henry’s daughter Gladys and husband Frank Martin lived on the Harrison farm.

Mayme Olson (the Plum City Library referred to her as a local historian, suggested we pay her a visit), born 1901, was a teacher as was her sister Susie McMann. We visited with Mayme in her home in 1994 and she told how her sister Susie had lived in the Harrison home with the Frank Martin family but she believed that Frank’s father-in-law, Henry Collett, owned the farm. She told us that her husband had attended Harrison School with the Harrison boys and knew them well. Mayme then suggested that we visit with the grandson of Albert Collett – Vernon Clare, son of Grace (Collette) Clare. We did visit with Vernon Clare and his wife Dorothy who gave us an envelope of family history that had been given them by Grace Clare and a Collett cousin (I think that was Velma Mckay).

In 1935 Floyd and Ann White bought the Harrison farm from Colletts and lived in the home until 1979. We were welcomed into their Plum City home for a visit and much information on the Harrison home. They still owned the farm in 1994. They said it was a lovely home that they had enjoyed very much. They had added a new porch as the old one was not good. They showed us many photo albums through the years. They rented the house out until 1978 or ‘79 when an electrical fire left it badly damaged and beyond repair. Floyd gave us directions and we visited the farm, looked in the house and took some pictures (photo below). Floyd built the existing barn as the Harrison barn was gone, but there is still an old Harrison granary behind the barn.
 

Just down the road a couple of miles is the Harrison School – turned into a home in 1956 by the current owners, Charles and Marie (Menke) Hase (photo below). They showed us around and told how they enjoyed the home.  All the Harrison children attended the school.
 

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This web page is authored by Scott Duncan.  All information listed without a reference should be verified.  Any additions, questions, or comments should be sent to:

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