Harris Martin Henderson

Harris Martin Henderson

Harris, Martin Henderson, a pioneer and missionary, was born Sept. 29, 1820, near Mehoopany, Wyoming county, Pa., the son of Emer Harris and Debora Lott. He [p.106] was a nephew of Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and a descendant of Thomas Harris, companion in exile of Roger Williams, and one of the founders of Providence, R. I. His parents being members of the Church, Martin was baptized in September, 1842, by Milton Stow, near Nauvoo, Ill. While a youth he served as a guard in Nauvoo to protect Joseph the Prophet against surprises by mobs. He also served in the Nauvoo Legion and witnessed the laying of the cornerstone of the Nauvoo Temple. After being driven with the Saints from Nauvoo in 1846, he resided temporarily in St. Louis, Mo., until 1850, when he went to Kanesville, Iowa, and thence crossed the plains to Utah in Wm. Snow's company, which arrived in Salt Lake City, Sept. 23, 1850. He went to Ogden that fall and spent the winter in the so-called Brown's Fort. In 1851 he commenced farming at Harrisville, built a house and fenced some land, his being the first house built west of Four-Mile creek, and the only house which remained standing in that neighborhood during "the move," in consequence of which the Ward, when organized some years afterwards, was named Harrisville after him. Bro. Harris soon became known as a horticulturist and planted trees from many climes. He was president of the first co-operative store in Ogden, served as road commissioner of Weber county eleven years and assisted in locating most of the highways of that county. Bro. Harris was ordained a Seventy Sept. 5, 1853, by Luman A. Shurtliff, and was secretary for many years of the 38th quoroum of Seventy. In the summer of 1863 he was appointed presiding Elder of the Eighth ecclesiastical district (later Harrisville). When the so-called Eighth District was organized with a president Nov. 15, 1863, he was set apart as first counselor to Luman A. Shurtliff. He taught the first school in the Harrisville district in his own house without pay, and acted as the first superintendent of the district Sunday school when that was organized in May, 1865; he held that position till Sept. 13, 1868. He acted as district or Ward clerk for many years and culled data from private records and other sources in compiling the Harrisville Ward history for 25 years, beginning with 1850. He was the first missionary called from the district or Ward to Salmon river, and during the move in 1858 he went South. He was also fifer in the first military band of Weber county. In 1877 he filled a one year's mission to the Eastern States. On account of sickness he returned, and never fully recovered. He died Feb. 14, 1889, of palsy at Harrisville. Bro. Harris married Georgiana Maria Aldous Jan. 18, 1855; she died Oct. 30, 1858, leaving a son Emer, born August 6, 1856. Bro. Harris married Louisa Sargent April 3, 1859, by whom he had six children, namely, Leander S., born April 20, 1860; Louisa G., born March 4, 1862; Nathan J., born March 29, 1864; Martin D., born May 4, 1856; Louisa P., born May 30, 1868, and Ida E., born Nov. 27, 1875.