Calvin P. Harmison

Sometimes when doing research, hurdles are thrown up in front of me in an effort to prevent me from learning about someone. Our ancestor, Calvin Harmison is a perfect example. Both Grandma Vivian and her sister Florence told me that he was an alcoholic and they had nothing good to say about him. They were ashamed of him. They had been brought up properly and while most of their family were fine, upstanding citizens—they had this one black sheep in the family. Both Vivian and Florence said that he was born in Indianola, Pennsylvania. That couldn't be further from the truth! The Harmison family originated in Virginia, then Ohio, Indiana, and our branch ended up in Wisconsin.

Calvin has always been of interest to me.

Calvin "Cab" was born July 12, 1844 in Dodge County, Wisconsin, to Isaac Harmison and Eunice Barrett.

A little history about the Harmison clan

The Harmison line: Matthew (1697-1755) > John (1728-1802) > Thomas (1720-1790) > James (1753-1831) > Samuel (1778-1841) > Isaac (1814-1898) > Calvin (1844-abt 1910) > Mary (1871-1915) > Vivian (1902-1992)

Isaac Harmison

Isaac Wesley Harmison (1814-1898) and Eunice Emily Barrett (1819-1900) both came from large farming families in Ohio. Isaac and his parents and siblings migrated to Indiana where most stayed. Isaac purchased his first farm land in LaPorte, Indiana in 1835; which he assigned to his father, shortly before his marriage to Eunice "Emma" Barrett in March, 1837. After they married, they removed to Dodge County, Wisconsin where their children were born. They had five children—Mary Louise, James Abner, Calvin P., Sarah Caroline, and Arthur A.

Isaac is listed as among the first settlers of Watertown, Wisconsin and his daughter, Mary Louise, is listed as the first white child born in Watertown, Wisconsin. Isaac and Emma, remained in Dodge County until 1856 when they sold their farm and moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. After the marriage of their youngest daughter, Sarah Caroline Harmison, they homesteaded a 160 acre farm in Cedar Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin. It was just next door to their daughter, Sarah and her husband, William Small. After Isaac retired from farming, the two couples moved to Wheaton Township, Chippewa County, Wisconsin, which is next to neighboring Eau Claire, Wisconsin. At some point they were living in Half Moon also. Isaac presumably died in Wheaton at the home of his daughter, Sarah Caroline Harmison and her husband, William Small. The family farm was left to Sarah and her husband.

4 generation Harmison women -
Eunice and Sarah seated

Isaac and Emma and many of their children and descendants are buried at Lake View Cemetery, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

It was said that the Harmison ancestors owned vineyards in Pennsylvania. Beginning as early as 1642 and up to the prohibition there was a winery in every county in Pennsylvania.

Eunice Barrett's grandmother was a Quaker. Her father, Abner was a Captain in the War of 1812.

Calvin Harmison "Jack of all trades"

Calvin Harmison tried many things to make a living. At the tender age of 17 he was already a painter's apprentice,while living with is family in Half Moon.

Employment timeline

1870 Oak Grove, Eau Claire, WI 27 years old and store keeper
1872 Building an ice house
1872 Alderman in the 6th Ward in Eau Claire
1874 Building another ice house on Half Moon Lake
1875 Established brick yard on Otter Creek
1877 Burned 1 kiln of brick containing 125,000
1880 National Soap Works
1882 ice and fish dealer in Eau Claire
1884 ice dealer in Eau Claire
Around 1887-1888 Solicitor Eau Claire Benefit Co. Ironwood, Wisconsin.
1896 living in Eau Claire
1899 Living at Rice Lake
1900 Calvin is a bee keeper in Cedar Lake Township, Barron, WI and then is listed in Rice Lake, WI when his mother died that same year.
Calvin was obviously an intelligent man and able to find employment and work hard. But also, he was an inventor! He registered two patents. You can download the patents below. There is also an article in the Eau Claire Leader dated October 29, 1885, where C.P. Harmison is mentioned as "perfecting a fanning mill. A machine that will settle the cockle question "right smart."

Bee hive patent
Milk can patent

Grandma Eiden said that Calvin ran a brewery in Eau Claire for awhile too but I have found no evidence of that.

Calvin and Eau Claire

In 1875 Calvin is mentioned in a newspaper article when his store was broken into. In 1884 Calvin was asked to represent the citizens of Eau Claire's sixth ward. He replied:

Gentlemen: Highly appreciating the honor you have conferred upon me, I feel it my duty to accept the nomination you have tendered. If elected, I shall endeavor, as before, to maintain the rights of the people against all forms of encroachment. Yours truly, C.P. Harmison.

One article described the arraignment of a man who Calvin caught picking his pocket. In 1893 he was written up unfavorably in the Eau Claire Leader and accused of "hoodwinking" a Baptist congregation. I found several articles that Calvin was mentioned in. Apparently, he had on two occasions billed ex-priests as lecturers. He chose the Baptist church for the second lecture and unfortunately chose a Sunday evening. There appears to be some miscommunication between him and the trustees. The new pastor refused to share the pulpit on a Sunday with someone from a different religion. The board claimed that he told them that it would be about three lectures at no cost to the public. But he began to advertise and sell tickets. That made the transaction very public and embarrassing to the church! It appears that the pastor's initial non-involvement may have caused Calvin to become the scape goat.

Calvin's family

Mary Magdeline Egan was born in March of 1844 in Ireland. She emigrated about 1858 with her family, settling in Ohio first and then Eau Claire. Calvin and Mary were supposedly married June 22, 1860 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin but he would have been only 16 at the time. Since their first child was born in 1865—I'd say it makes more sense that they were married in about 1864. But I could be wrong!

They had 4 children: Florella (Nellie), Mary Evangeline (Mae), Carmin Eubert, and another baby boy who was Carmin's twin. Carmin died in 1877 at 8 months. There was a death certificate for a C.D. Harmison which could be the other twin also. I have found no proof that there were twins except Grandma heard it from her own mother who was their sister. Nellie taught in the Eau Claire schools for 78 years and never married. Mae was Grandma's mother and she married Bill Bailey. Mae died in 1915 in Duluth of typhoid pneumonia.

Vivian spoke of her grandmother, Mary Egan Harmison with great affection. Mary ran a boarding house until her death and then passed it on to Nellie. In one article she was described as "one of the pretty Egan girls". Grandma described her as a petite, robust, plump woman. When she visited her daughter Mae in Duluth, she wore a straw bonnet with flowers and carried a tapestry bag. She would come by train and bring wonderful canned jellies and bread and butter pickles. She had a sunny disposition though somewhat quiet and reserved. I thought I would surprise Grandma one year and tried my hand at bread and butter pickles. She didn't say she actually liked them...but she didn't say she didn't. I'm hoping it was the thought that counted.

Calvin died about 1911. There is a plot owned by Calvin where his daughter Nellie is buried as well as his twin sons. I happened to visit on a day when the maintenance crew was there and they said that the lot was full but they didn't know who was in it. I think Calvin is in an unmarked grave there.

Mary Harmison is listed as the widow of Calvin in the 1895, 1901, 1908, 1910, and 1914 City Directory for Eau Claire. This seems to suggest that they never actually divorced. This is possible because Mary was a staunch catholic.

Between 1884 and 1893 Calvin saw his reputation be slowly destroyed and he tried many different occupations and saw only brief success. Was it then that he started drinking? Is this when his family became ashamed of him? I am sure this is what caused the break up of his marriage.

We may never know what kind of man Calvin was. That knowledge is lost in time. But I am reluctant to judge him or be embarrassed by him. I think he did the best he could for as long as he could. I saw an article recently that said that success really is a matter of luck. You have to have the right idea and be in the right place at the right time.