Henry M. Harman

HENRY M. HARMAN.

Henry M. Harman, one of the representative farmers of Nodaway county, Missouri, residing near Bolckow, was born in Wythe county, Virginia, October 19. 1829, a son of Daniel and Mandana ( Reader) Harman, both natives of Virginia. Daniels father was among the prominent men of Wythe county, a large slave-owner and successful farmer. He served both in the Revolutionary war and in the war of 1812. Politically he was a Whig. His children were : William ; Samuel ; Wilburn ; Daniel, the father of our subject ; Nancy ; and Rose, who married Coleman Asbury, of Ohio.

Daniel Harman grew to manhood on his father’s farm. In those days United States bank money was used entirely, and he received the sum of twelve or fifteen thousand dollars in trading; but soon afterward Jackson vetoed the bill for the renewal of the charter of the bank and Mr. Harman lost all this money. leaving him a bankrupt. His father, who had considerable wealth, wished to assist him, but with the exception of some young horses which he accepted Daniel refused the proffered aid. In the fall of 1837, in company with his wife and eight children, he started to Missouri on horseback, and on the way lost one of his finest horses. When they reached the Ohio river they took the boat to St. Louis, and after landing were not long in reaching St. Charles county, where Mr. Harman leased some land and began farming. In 1840 he moved to Platte county, where he settled on eighty acres of land, and was assisted in farming by his sons. In 1845 he sold out, moving to Andrew county, where he bought four hundred acres of land, and was very successful, saving a great deal of money. During the Mexican war he began trading and buying horses and oxen for the army, and at the close of the war was left with several hundred head of cattle on his hand. This proved to be a great set-back, and after losing his farm Mr. Harman went to California, in 1850, where, with four sons, he engaged in mining. He had made a good start and had sent home three hundred dollars when he took sick with cholera and died. Politically he was a Whig and religiously was a Methodist. He married Mandana Reader, and they were blessed with several children, namelv : Russell, deceased ; William A., of Oklahoma ; H. M., the subject of this sketch ; Albert, who died in California ; Hanson G., of Nebraska ; John H., of Kansas ; Redmond, killed at Shiloh ; Anna G., wife of J. McGuire ; Parmilia. Mrs. Christina Glaze ; Lucetta. the wife of Mr. Glover ; Joanna, the wife of T. Richey; and Mrs. Nancy Allcock. Mrs. Harman died in 1848.

Henry M. Harman, whose name heads this brief sketch, received a little schooling in the subscription schools which were in vogue in those days. He assisted his father in farming. With the money sent home from California government land was bought for a home for each member of the family. In 1854. after his marriage, our subject settled on his wild land, which he began cultivating. He then sold this farm, and since that time has owned a thousand acres of land. The cattle business was at its height at that time, as there was plenty of open range. Mr. Harman began buying stock and it was not long until he was well on the road to success. The business was not all profit, however, and there were many difficulties to be met and contended with. He continued feeding cattle until the past two years. He has been a self-made man, making his own beginning, and also paying off some debts left by his father. During the Civil war the family of brothers were divided, some being in sympathy with the south, and the others firm Union men. Two of them joined the Confederate service, and others paid out and remained at home. Mr. Harman voted against secession. He joined the militia of the state, and off and on left home to look after bushwhackers. He is still a successful farmer and owns some four hundred acres of highly cultivated land. He has been very generous to his children, helping them along in life, and is known to be a kind and generous man. Honest and honorable in all of his business dealings, he has won the confidence and esteem of all in the community.

Mr. Harman married Susan Baker, a daughter of John W. and Anna (Cawgdell) Baker. John Baker was a Tennessee farmer who moved to Missouri, settling in Clay county, in 1860. Later he made several moves,—from Clay to Andrew, from there to Nodaway, and then back to the vicinity of Barnard, where he died. He served in the Mormon war. He was a Democrat until the Civil war, and since that time has been a Republican. Five of his sons served in the Union army. He died in 1892, at the age of eighty-two years. His children were : Susan, the wife of our subject; Lawson ; William ; Thompson ; James ; Andrew ; Jane ; Joseph ; John ; and Merrill and Thomas, both deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Harman are the parents of eight children, namely : John ; Alonzo, who died in September, 1899 ; Emma A., the wife of A. Diggs ; George ; Joseph ; Fanny, the wife of William Allen ; William and James. Mrs. Harman attends the Baptist church. Her husband is a staunch Democrat.

• Biographical History of Nodaway and Atchison Counties Missouri (1901), pp. 450-52.
• Census: 1860 - Jackson Twp, Andrew Co, Missouri
• Census: 1900 - Lincoln, Lancaster Co, Nebraska

Sources

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 8 2016, 23:20:15 UTC