Thomas Henry Harrison, one of the old and honored pioneers of Highland Township, residing on section 31, about five miles west of Perrysville, [IN] was born in Ohio County, West Virginia January 1, 1810.
His father, John Harrison, removed from Baltimore, Maryland to West Virginia, and later settled with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he died when the subject of this sketch was a child. He was a nailer by trade, and was engaged in the manufacture of nails in Pittsburgh. After his death the family returned to West Virginia, remaining there until 1819, then moved to Monroe County, Ohio.
The mother was a second time married to William Harris, who died in the United States Army, and to this union two sons were born, named Charles and Samuel.
In 1824 the mother immigrated with her family to Vermillion County, Indiana where she died April 9, 1861, at the advanced age of eighty six years.
Thomas Henry Harrison, whose name heads this sketch, arrived in Perrysville for the first time December 20, 1834. January 29, 1835, he was united in marriage to Miss Marinda Henthorn, a daughter of William D. Henthorn, who came to Vermillion County at the same time as the Harrison family. He then settled on land now occupied by our subject where he lived until his death, his wife also dying at the homestead some time before. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Henthorn only four daughters are living at the present time.
Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, of whom seven are still living - Virginia, Richard, Susan, Marinda, Mary C., Charles and Margaret M.
Their eldest son, William M., was a member of Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, in the war of the Rebellion. He was wounded at the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, but died of pneumonia at Gallatin, Tennessee, January 13, 1863, in his twenty-sixth year.
The remaining children who are deceased are - John, who died August 18, 1846 aged six years; Thomas B., died in his thirty second year, July 4, 1863, at Jonesboro, Arkansas, and one who died in infancy, unnamed.
In April 1835, shortly after his marriage, Mr. Harrison went to Porter County, Indiana, returned to Perrysville, Vermillion County, in October of the same year. In August 1838 he settled on the place where he has since resided, with the exception of one year. As will be seen Mr. Harrison has been a resident of Highland Township about fifty-four years, and is now the only representative of his father's family living in Indiana.
He has always been an active and public spirited citizen, being interested in all enterprises which tend toward the advancement of this township or county. In politics he was in early life a Whig, but in later years a Republican.
(Source: Biographical and historical record, Vermillion County, [IN] 1888 - furnished by Cassi Bauman, typed by Richard E. Henthorn)
