Broughton Harris (August 16, 1822—January 19, 1899) was a Vermont businessman and political figure. He was Secretary and Treasurer of Utah Territory, and became one of the Runaway Officials of 1851.
Harris studied law briefly before embarking on a career as a journalist as editor of The Vermont Phoenix and editor and publisher of The Semi-Weekly Eagle, both Whig party newspapers.[5] From 1847 to 1850 Harris was Register of Probate for the Marlboro District.[6]
After an investigation determined that Harris and the other officials had fled the territory without cause, the Fillmore administration ordered the men to return to their posts in the Territory or surrender their commissions. Harris and the others refused and were thus dropped from the territorial government. Harris was subsequently offered appointment as Secretary and acting Governor of New Mexico Territory, which he declined.[10]
Harris became a partner in Harris Brothers & Company, one of the largest railroad construction corporations in the country, and he was also President of the Brattleboro Savings Bank.[13][14]
In 1851 Harris married Sarah Buell Hollister, daughter of New York City businessman Edwin M. Hollister. Sarah's nephew was banker and real estate investor Walter E. Maynard. They honeymooned while en route to Salt Lake City for Harris to begin his duties as territorial Secretary.[16] Sarah authored a journal of her 1851 honeymoon trip to Salt Lake City, her experiences in Utah Territory, and the return trip after her husband left his position as territorial Secretary. This journal was later published as An Unwritten Chapter of Salt Lake.[17] Together, they were the parents of a daughter:
Mary Buell Harris, who married attorney and writer John Seymour Wood.[18][19]
^Richard F. Miller, editor States at War, Volume 1, 2013, pages 24-25
^Republican National Committee, Official Proceedings of the Republican National Convention, 1903, page 65
^Hamilton Child, Gazetteer and Business Directory of Windham County, Vt., 1724-1884, 1884, pages 136-137
^Newberry Library, A Catalogue of the Everett D. Graff Collection of Western Americana, 1968, page 266
^Yale University, Biographical Record of the Class of 1874 in Yale College: Part Fourth, 1874-1909, 1912, pages 246-247
^Lafayette Wallace Case, The Hollister Family of America, 1886, pages 511-512
^Erik S. Hinckley and Tom Ledoux, They Went to War:: A Biographical Register of the Green Mountain State in the Civil War, 2010, page 115
^Marjorie Valliere Howe, Gravestone listings of Prospect Hill Cemetery, Brattleboro, VT, 2000, page 141
January 01, 1970
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Broughton Harris August 16 1822 January 19 1899 was a Vermont businessman and political figure He was Secretary and Treasurer of Utah Territory and became one of the Runaway Officials of 1851 Broughton HarrisFrom 1894 s Men of Vermont IllustratedMember of the Vermont Senate from Windham CountyIn office 1860 1862Serving with John C Richardson Parley StarrPreceded byRanslure W Clarke William Harris Jr Samuel L HuntSucceeded byEdward Kirkland Henry E StoughtonSecretary of the Utah TerritoryIn office 1850 1852Preceded byNone position created Succeeded byBenjamin G FerrisRegister of Probate for Vermont s Marlboro DistrictIn office 1847 1848Preceded byRoyall Tyler Jr Succeeded byFrederick HolbrookPersonal detailsBorn 1822 08 22 August 22 1822Chesterfield New HampshireDiedJanuary 19 1899 1899 01 19 aged 76 Brattleboro VermontResting placeProspect Hill Cemetery Brattleboro VermontPolitical partyWhig before 1854 Republican from 1854 SpouseSarah Buell Hollister m 1851 Children1Parent s Wilder HarrisHarriet Davies HarrisEducationDartmouth CollegeOccupationJournalistBusinessmanPublic official Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Secretary of Utah Territory 2 2 American Civil War 2 3 Later career 3 Personal life 4 ReferencesEarly life editHarris was born in Chesterfield New Hampshire on August 16 1822 He was the son of Wilder Harris and Harriet nee Davies Harris 1 He attended Chesterfield Academy and Kimball Union Academy and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1845 In college he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Delta Phi 2 3 4 Career editHarris studied law briefly before embarking on a career as a journalist as editor of The Vermont Phoenix and editor and publisher of The Semi Weekly Eagle both Whig party newspapers 5 From 1847 to 1850 Harris was Register of Probate for the Marlboro District 6 Secretary of Utah Territory edit In 1850 President Millard Fillmore appointed Harris as Secretary and Treasurer of the newly organized Utah Territory Harris and two other federal appointees were unable to work cooperatively with territorial Governor Brigham Young and left the territory without replacements being named 7 8 9 After an investigation determined that Harris and the other officials had fled the territory without cause the Fillmore administration ordered the men to return to their posts in the Territory or surrender their commissions Harris and the others refused and were thus dropped from the territorial government Harris was subsequently offered appointment as Secretary and acting Governor of New Mexico Territory which he declined 10 American Civil War edit Harris settled in Brattleboro Vermont He became a Republican when the party was founded and he served in the Vermont Senate from 1860 to 1862 11 Harris was also one of Vermont s Delegates to the Peace Conference of 1861 which unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the start of the American Civil War 12 Later career edit Harris became a partner in Harris Brothers amp Company one of the largest railroad construction corporations in the country and he was also President of the Brattleboro Savings Bank 13 14 In 1884 Harris was a Delegate to the Republican National Convention 15 Personal life editIn 1851 Harris married Sarah Buell Hollister daughter of New York City businessman Edwin M Hollister Sarah s nephew was banker and real estate investor Walter E Maynard They honeymooned while en route to Salt Lake City for Harris to begin his duties as territorial Secretary 16 Sarah authored a journal of her 1851 honeymoon trip to Salt Lake City her experiences in Utah Territory and the return trip after her husband left his position as territorial Secretary This journal was later published as An Unwritten Chapter of Salt Lake 17 Together they were the parents of a daughter Mary Buell Harris who married attorney and writer John Seymour Wood 18 19 Broughton Harris died in Brattleboro on January 19 1899 20 He was buried at Brattleboro s Prospect Hill Cemetery 21 References edit Thomas William Herringshaw Herringshaw s Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century 1904 page 451 Richard F Miller editor States at War Volume 1 2013 pages 24 25 Phi Beta Kappa New Hampshire Alpha Catalogue of the Fraternity 1851 page 36 Alpha Delta Phi Catalogue of the Alpha Delta Phi Society 1860 page 159 Dartmouth College Necrology 1898 1899 1899 page 18 Jacob G Ullery Men of Vermont Illustrated 1894 page 182 Works Progress Administration Utah A Guide to the State 1941 page 64 Norman F Furniss Mormon Conflict 1850 1859 2005 page 22 Randal S Chase Church History Study Guide 2012 page 85 George Derby James Terry White editors The National Cyclopedia of American Biography Volume 4 1893 page 238 Hamilton Child Gazetteer of Cheshire County N H 1736 1885 1885 page 110 Benson John Lossing The Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War in the United States Volume 1 1874 page 235 The Granite Monthly magazine Necrology Hon Broughton Davis Harris Volume XXVI 1899 page 125 Richard F Miller editor States at War Volume 1 2013 pages 24 25 Republican National Committee Official Proceedings of the Republican National Convention 1903 page 65 Hamilton Child Gazetteer and Business Directory of Windham County Vt 1724 1884 1884 pages 136 137 Newberry Library A Catalogue of the Everett D Graff Collection of Western Americana 1968 page 266 Yale University Biographical Record of the Class of 1874 in Yale College Part Fourth 1874 1909 1912 pages 246 247 Lafayette Wallace Case The Hollister Family of America 1886 pages 511 512 Erik S Hinckley and Tom Ledoux They Went to War A Biographical Register of the Green Mountain State in the Civil War 2010 page 115 Marjorie Valliere Howe Gravestone listings of Prospect Hill Cemetery Brattleboro VT 2000 page 141 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Broughton Harris amp oldid 1186367844, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
