This area of Cass County was settled in the 1850s. The rural community became known as Harris Chapel after John T. Harris and his family came to the area in 1853 and purchased land on which a Methodist log church and cemetery were located. The church building was also used as a schoolhouse for area children. The first log church was replaced by a larger wooden structure near the cemetery in 1859. The Rev. Solomon O'Dell preached the first sermon in the new church. Although there are many unmarked graves in the Harris Chapel Cemetery, some of which may date from an earlier period, the oldest legible tombstone marks the grave of Zelpha E. conley (1839-1859). In 1868 M. g. Harris, son of John T. Harris, deeded the church and cemetery property to the community. Harris family graves are enclosed by a wrought iron fence. The second church was destroyed by a tornado in 1949 and was replaced by a brick structure in 1953. In addition to the graves of many early pioneers, those interred here include veterans of the Mexican War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea. The historic Harris Chapel Cemetery serves as a reminder of early rural life in Cass County.
This page last updated: 7/15/2008 |
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