Nathan Harris, son of Preserved Harris and Martha Mowry, was born on March 23, 1758, in Smithfield, Providence, Rhode Island.
Nathan is listed in the 1777 Military Census of Smithfield as “able to bear arms” (Mildred M. Chamberlain, comp., The Rhode Island 1777 Military Census (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985), 95.)
Nathan married Rhoda Lapham, daughter of Solomon Lapham and Silvia Whipple, before March 30, 1780 in Providence. Rhoda was born on April 27, 1759, in Gloucester, Rhode Island. They did not have a Quaker wedding even though Rhoda was a professed Quaker. If they had participated in such a wedding “written proposals of marriage had to be presented before the meeting [the monthly meeting of the society] and acted upon; and the written consent of the parents of the contracting parties must be obtained. . . . In due time the young couple married themselves, according to the Friends’ usage, in a public congregation” (See Eldredge, Pioneers of Macedon, 53–54.)
The Smithfield, Rhode Island, Monthly Meeting of Women minutes for the Quaker faith reported the nature of the sanction levied against Rhoda for “her attendant improprieties” as reflected in the strong tenets regulating Quaker marriages and general conduct:
At a Monthly Meeting of Women held in Smithfield, the 30th of the 3rd month, 1780. The Representatives appearing from the several Preparative Meetings. . . . Hannah Fowler and Hannah [illegible] . . . inform, that Rhody Harris (Wife of Nathan) has been labored with for her neglecting to attend any religious meeting, also for her marrying out of unity and being into the fashions of the world, which labour has been ineffectual whereupon we appoint Hannah Fowler & Margery Basset to further labour with her & report to the next Monthly meeting (Smithfield, Rhode Island, Monthly Meeting of Women Minutes, March 30, 1780, from MR-NE-132, p. 87, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.)
Report of the withdrawal of her membership was recorded in the Smithfield Men’s Minutes on May 25, 1780, wherein the statement was made: “The Women’s meeting inform that they have put Sarah Salisbury (formerly Howland) and Rhoda Harris (formerly Lapham) from under the care of Friends as members” (Smithfield, Rhode Island, Men’s Minutes, May 25, 1780, from MR-NE-130, pp. 247–48, Friends Historical Library).
Though “disowned,” Rhoda was not entirely shunned by the members of the Quaker community. She is listed in the records of the Friends as being among the witnesses to the wedding of Levi Arnold and Lydia Harris (Lydia was the daughter of David Harris Jr. and Abigail) in Smithfield, Rhode Island, on October 4, 1780 (Smithfield, Rhode Island, Monthly Meeting Marriages, October 4, 1780, MR-NE-129, p. 114, Swarthmore College).
In 1780, Nathan and Rhoda quit Rhode Island, no doubt one reason was that Rhoda was being shunned by the Quakers. They moved the District of Cambridge, Albany County, New York.
In 1800, Rhoda was given 200 silver dollars as specified in the will of her father, Solomon Lapham of Gloucester, Rhode Island (Gloucester Rhode Island Will Book, Book GLO-3, p. 44, probated July 5, 1800).
It is not known how Nathan Harris learned of the availability of land in Swift Township (Palmyra). However, the likely catalyst was the influence of his wife’s Lapham relatives living in northern Rhode Island and western Massachusetts, some of whom were already making plans to join in the establishment of a new Quaker settlement in Farmington, New York. Farmington Township was only nine miles from Swift’s Landing (Palmyra).
By the 1790s Nathan and Rhoda had six children to rear—Emer, Martin, Preserved, Solomon, Seville, and Sophia. Between 1791 and 1794 Nathan and Rhoda packed the family’s belongings and their six children and journeyed nearly two hundred miles to Swift’s Landing. There on February 3, 1794 Nathan purchased 600 acres, nearly a square mile of land directly north of the village, for fifty cents, or two shillings an acre:
between John Swift of the District of Canandaigua County of Ontario State of New York Gentleman of the first part and Nathan Harris Gentleman of the same place of the second part Witness that the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of three hundred Dollars lawful money of the State of New York to him in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged” (Ontario County New York Deeds, book 6, p. 45; also Wayne County, New York Transcribed Records Grantee (1794–1823), Deeds, book A, 283).
According to the Palmyra Courier, the Harris family, “cleared a small spot of ground, [and] planted some fruit trees” on their acreage (“Old Newspapers—22,” Palmyra Courier, May 3, 1872, p. 3, col. 4.)
In Palmyra, Nathan was known for his hunting prowess. He was touted as the “principal early hunter” and referred to as “the Nimrod” of the settlement. He was pleased with the distinction, for he “loved dearly to hunt.” Settlers in the area often found lead balls from his rifle lodged in the trunks of trees and knew instantly who had fired the shot because of “the great weight of the balls” (“Old Newspaper—No. 23,” Palmyra Courier, May 10, 1872, p. 3, cols.4-5).
Nathan also liked to fish was known as a “trout fisher [who] had no equal” and given the name “Trout Harris” (“Old Newspapers—22,” Palmyra Courier, May 3, 1872, p. 3, col. 4). He also enjoyed “raisings” of a home or barn. He liked hosting socials at his home. Mrs. Eden Foster of Batavia, New York, described a “husking frolic” at the Harris home in 1796: “We had a pot pie baked in a five pail kettle, composed of 13 fowls, as many squirrels, and due proportions of beef, mutton and venison; baked meats, beans and huge pumpkin pies. Hunting stories, singing, dancing on a split basswood floor, snap and catch ’em, jumping the broom stick, and hunt the squirrel, followed the feast. All joined in the rustic sports, there was no aristocracy in those days” (Turner, History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham’s Purchase, 384).
Palmyra town historian James H. Reeves said of Nathan, “He was a public man; ready for fun on public occasions” and made the best of a social gathering, playing ball “even in his old age, with all the enthusiasm of youth” (“Old Newspaper—No. 23,” Palmyra Courier, May 10, 1872, p. 3, col. 5; “Old Newspapers—22,” Palmyra Courier, May 3, 1872, 3).
Nathan was present for the first town meeting of Palmyra. It was held at the home of Gideon Durfee, father of Lemuel Durfee Sr., on Tuesday, April 5, 1796, for the purpose of electing town officers for the coming year. Nathan was elected one of sixteen path masters (later called “overseer of highways”) within his assigned road district (Palmyra Town Meeting, April 4, 1796, Old Town Record Book and Road Book, 1793–1870, Palmyra Town Hall, Palmyra, New York).
At the Annual Palmyra Town Meeting on March 6, 1804, Nathan was appointed one of thirteen path masters or overseers of highways. At that meeting, it was also voted that all overseers serve as fence viewers in their respective road districts as well. At the annual meeting held in 1808, Nathan was appointed once again overseer of highways. From 1809-1811, he was a commissioner of highways with the duty of giving directions relative to the repairing of roads and bridges within the town of Palmyra and laying out an actual survey of such new roads as they deemed necessary. At the 1811 meeting, he was appointed one of two constables for the ensuing year. An entirely new challenge came with his election to the office of collector (receiver of taxes) at the annual meeting on April 7, 1812, along with his re-election as a commissioners of highways (Old Town Record Book and Road Book, 1793–1870, 100–102, 134, 138–39, 143–45, 147–48, 153–54, 160).
As far as religious beliefs, the Nathan Harris family was undoubtedly influenced by Rhoda and other Lapham relatives in the area who adhered to the tenets of Quakerism. Stephen W. Harding claimed, “In early life he [Martin] had been brought up a Quaker (Stephen S. Harding to Thomas Gregg, Milan, Indiana, February 1882, in Thomas Gregg, The Prophet of Palmyra (New York: John B. Alden, Publisher, 1890), 37).
Before Nathan and Rhoda left Palmyra in 1830, Nathan and his son Preserved worked together in the sale of 193 acres of land to Henry Jessup (Nathan Harris to Preserved Harris (for a dollar difference), Wayne County Land Deeds, April 13, 1831, book 9, 523–24; Preserved Harris to Henry Jessup, Wayne County Land Deeds, April 13, 1831, book 9, 522–24). Henry Jessup was the minister of the Western Presbyterian Church in Palmyra.
Although Nathan and Rhoda elected not to join Mormonism, they did accompany their sons Martin and Preserved to Ohio. At the time of their departure from Palmyra, Nathan was age seventy-three and Rhoda, seventy-two.
They settled with their son Preserved in Mentor, Ohio. On November 17, 1835, at age seventy-seven Nathan Harris, passed away at the home of Preserved in Mentor. On November 18, 1835 Nathan was laid to rest in Mentor. The Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife Emma were present on the occasion of the memorial service. Joseph observed, “I then went to Preserved Harris to preach his father’s funeral sermon, by the request of his family. I preached on the subject of the resurrection. The congregation were very attentive. My wife, my mother, and my scribe [probably Warren Cowdery], accompanied me to the funeral” (History of the Church, 2:316–17. Where Nathan Harris was buried is unknown.
His widow Rhoda Harris died on October 11, 1849 in Mentor, Ohio, at age ninety. Her exact gravesite in Mentor is unknown (Janet Lisonbee, Mormon Graves in Kirtland: A Biographical Dictionary of Early Saints Buried in the Kirtland Area (Independence, Mo.: John Whitmer Books, 2009), 108.)