When William Henry Harrison was born on 12 December 1859, in Manhattan Township, Will, Illinois, United States, his father, Michael Harrison, was 21 and his mother, Margaret Sherffens, was 21. He married Abigail Harriet "Abbie" Berry on 7 July 1886, in Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, United States in 1885 and Harvey, Cook, Illinois, United States for about 20 years. He died on 31 May 1927, in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, at the age of 67, and was buried in Washington Memory Gardens, Homewood, Cook, Illinois, United States.
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Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate states to be free.
The Chicago water tower was built out of Lemont limestone by William W. Boyington and was used for firefighting and also drawing clean water from Lake Michigan. The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Some believe that the tower was the only building to survive the Great Chicago Fire, but a few other buildings survived alongside the tower. The tower has become a symbol of old Chicago and how the city recovered from the fire. The tower has undergone only two renovations since 1913.
Garfield was shot twice by Charles J. Guitea at Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1881. After eleven weeks of intensive and other care Garfield died in Elberon, New Jersey, the second of four presidents to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln.
English (northern): from the Middle English personal name Harry or Herry + -son. These were the common pronunciations of Henry (see Harry ).
History: Harrison is an extremely common surname in northern England. One important and influential American family of bearers are descended from Benjamin Harrison, who emigrated from England to VA in 1633 or 1634. Descendants include another Benjamin Harrison (c. 1726–91), who was an activist in the American Revolution and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His son William Henry Harrison (1773–1841) and great-grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901) both became presidents of the US.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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