S. B. HARRIS
Captain S. B. HARRIS, president of the First National Bank of
Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan, has been a prominent resident of the Northern Peninsula of
Michigan for a period of almost half a century. Until recently he was superintendent of the
Quincy mine, and is still financially interested in it to a great extent. Captain Harris was
born in Cornwall, England, in 1834, and while still a resident there served four years,
commencing at 12 years of age, as a surveyor's assistant, and began mining at the age of 16 years. In 1854
he came
to America, spending two years in the lead mines of Wisconsin, then
removing to Ontonagon, Michigan, in 1856, engaging as a miner at the
Minnesota mine. His surveying work and subsequent familiarity with the
profession proved very valuable to him, For the first few years he was
engaged at many different places and mines in the Lake Superior mining region.
His first charge, during 1864-65, was at the Mesnard & Pontiac,
now a part
of the Quincy; he was then mining captain of the Phoenix for about two
years; and was with the Eagle Harbor Copper Company two years. In
1868 Captain Harris went to the Calumet as assistant mining captain for
a
time; then was mining captain of the Franklin, which is now under
charge
of Captain Hoskins; was for 13 years with the Ridge, Adventure and
other
properties now belonging to the Mass and Adventure mines; and in 1884
became superintendent of the Quincy mine. Captain Harris continued as
superintendent of the last named mine until he retired, in 1902, when
he was
succeeded by his son, John L. Harris. He still holds considerable stock
in
the Quincy Mining Company, whose offices are in New York City. The
officers are: W. R. Todd, president; C. J. Devereux of Boston,
vice-president; W. A. O. Paul of New York, secretary and treasurer. The
members
of the board of directors are: Messrs. Meserve and Brigham of Boston,
Massachusetts; Dodge, Bliss and Todd of New York City; and Don M.
Dickinson of Detroit, Michigan.
For a number of years past Captain Harris has been president of the
First National Bank of Hancock, an institution which was founded May
18, 1874, and is the oldest in the city. Its promoters were: S. D.
North,
deceased, J. W. Wright, Charles E. Holland, deceased, Thomas L. Chadbourne, Graham Pope, Joseph H. Chandler, Peter Ruppe and Edgar H.
Towar, who is now president of the Marquette National Bank. The first
officers were: S. D. North, president; James A. Close, vice-president;
and
Edgar H. Towar, cashier. The present officers are: Samuel B. Harris,
president; A. J. Scott, vice-president; William Condon, who succeeded
Mr.
Towar as cashier in 1888, and who has since continued in that capacity;
and
M. M. Shea, assistant cashier. The present board of directors is
constituted
as follows: William H. Roberts, Charles D. Hanchette, Samuel B. Harris,
Michael Finn, John Funkey, George H. Nichols and A. J. Scott. The
capital stock of this bank is $100,000, and the surplus is $35,000,
showing
the bank to be in a very prosperous condition. The First National Bank
Building was erected in 1877, and was greatly enlarged in 1901, making
it
a substantial three-story building.
Captain Harris' wife died in May, 1900, leaving three children: James,
an attorney-at-law of Lansing, Michigan; Mrs. C. D. Hanchette of Hancock, Michigan; and John L.,
superintendent of the Quincy mine. Politically our subject is an unswerving supporter of the
principles advocated by the Republican party, and has served as supervisor for nearly 15
years. For more than 30 years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
Source: Biographical Record, Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties. Chicago: Biographical Publishing
Company,
1903. |