Revolutionary War soldier.
He (Joseph) and three Harrison cousins started for the U.S. and landed in Virginia, near Mt. Vernon.
"He immediately enlisted in the army which was involved in the Revolutionary War - in Washington's command; he served there eight years, and became an Army officer (Captain).
"After the war he returned to Virginia. Here he met a Miss SARAH GILES, a very beautiful woman who later on became his wife. A prominent feature in the case was: he made her acquaintance through George Washington, for they were fast friends during all the war.
***********************************************************
The story below was told by Barbara MacDonald of Tulsa OK, who has researched and collected a great deal of the Harrison data, and also published a book on the Union Chapel Cemetery in Inkster where so many of the family are buried.
Joseph Harrison's Bones:
"Captain Joseph Harrison died 21 February 1804 at his home on his property near Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. As it was winter, with deep snow upon the ground, and the roads impassable, he was buried in his own front yard, under a tree. This was a common custom of that time. His house was near the road which is now Michigan Avenue. The property passed on to other owners, (And, eventually became the estate "Fairlane" owned by Henry Ford, near Dearborn.)
"The tree under which Capt. Joseph had been buried was cut down and the location of his burial place thus became lost! In later years, when the Harrison Family Association sought to locate the remains, so as to remove them to the family plot in Inkster, Henry Ford, now owner of the Joseph Harrison property, was gracious and co-operative, giving permission to the family to dig in designated spots, especially near an old well that Henry Ford's men had uncovered.
"All efforts proved fruitless until around 1930. When Michigan Avenue was widened, the bones of a white man were upturned. The matter was reported to the Family Association, but not immediately. By the time they arrived on the scene, it was possible to tell only approximately where the dirt containing the bones had been deposited, and it proved impossible to find the bones themselves.
" In about 1933 employees on the Ford estate uncovered, while excavating, ANOTHER white man's bones! Henry Ford, knowing of the desire of the Family to locate and mark their ancestor's last resting place, immediately notified the Association.
Joseph was, reportedly, then buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery after these bones were located.
He (Joseph) and three Harrison cousins started for the U.S. and landed in Virginia, near Mt. Vernon.
"He immediately enlisted in the army which was involved in the Revolutionary War - in Washington's command; he served there eight years, and became an Army officer (Captain).
"After the war he returned to Virginia. Here he met a Miss SARAH GILES, a very beautiful woman who later on became his wife. A prominent feature in the case was: he made her acquaintance through George Washington, for they were fast friends during all the war.
***********************************************************
The story below was told by Barbara MacDonald of Tulsa OK, who has researched and collected a great deal of the Harrison data, and also published a book on the Union Chapel Cemetery in Inkster where so many of the family are buried.
Joseph Harrison's Bones:
"Captain Joseph Harrison died 21 February 1804 at his home on his property near Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. As it was winter, with deep snow upon the ground, and the roads impassable, he was buried in his own front yard, under a tree. This was a common custom of that time. His house was near the road which is now Michigan Avenue. The property passed on to other owners, (And, eventually became the estate "Fairlane" owned by Henry Ford, near Dearborn.)
"The tree under which Capt. Joseph had been buried was cut down and the location of his burial place thus became lost! In later years, when the Harrison Family Association sought to locate the remains, so as to remove them to the family plot in Inkster, Henry Ford, now owner of the Joseph Harrison property, was gracious and co-operative, giving permission to the family to dig in designated spots, especially near an old well that Henry Ford's men had uncovered.
"All efforts proved fruitless until around 1930. When Michigan Avenue was widened, the bones of a white man were upturned. The matter was reported to the Family Association, but not immediately. By the time they arrived on the scene, it was possible to tell only approximately where the dirt containing the bones had been deposited, and it proved impossible to find the bones themselves.
" In about 1933 employees on the Ford estate uncovered, while excavating, ANOTHER white man's bones! Henry Ford, knowing of the desire of the Family to locate and mark their ancestor's last resting place, immediately notified the Association.
Joseph was, reportedly, then buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery after these bones were located.
Revolutionary War soldier.
He (Joseph) and three Harrison cousins started for the U.S. and landed in Virginia, near Mt. Vernon.
"He immediately enlisted in the army which was involved in the Revolutionary War - in Washington's command; he served there eight years, and became an Army officer (Captain).
"After the war he returned to Virginia. Here he met a Miss SARAH GILES, a very beautiful woman who later on became his wife. A prominent feature in the case was: he made her acquaintance through George Washington, for they were fast friends during all the war.
***********************************************************
The story below was told by Barbara MacDonald of Tulsa OK, who has researched and collected a great deal of the Harrison data, and also published a book on the Union Chapel Cemetery in Inkster where so many of the family are buried.
Joseph Harrison's Bones:
"Captain Joseph Harrison died 21 February 1804 at his home on his property near Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. As it was winter, with deep snow upon the ground, and the roads impassable, he was buried in his own front yard, under a tree. This was a common custom of that time. His house was near the road which is now Michigan Avenue. The property passed on to other owners, (And, eventually became the estate "Fairlane" owned by Henry Ford, near Dearborn.)
"The tree under which Capt. Joseph had been buried was cut down and the location of his burial place thus became lost! In later years, when the Harrison Family Association sought to locate the remains, so as to remove them to the family plot in Inkster, Henry Ford, now owner of the Joseph Harrison property, was gracious and co-operative, giving permission to the family to dig in designated spots, especially near an old well that Henry Ford's men had uncovered.
"All efforts proved fruitless until around 1930. When Michigan Avenue was widened, the bones of a white man were upturned. The matter was reported to the Family Association, but not immediately. By the time they arrived on the scene, it was possible to tell only approximately where the dirt containing the bones had been deposited, and it proved impossible to find the bones themselves.
" In about 1933 employees on the Ford estate uncovered, while excavating, ANOTHER white man's bones! Henry Ford, knowing of the desire of the Family to locate and mark their ancestor's last resting place, immediately notified the Association.
Joseph was, reportedly, then buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery after these bones were located.
He (Joseph) and three Harrison cousins started for the U.S. and landed in Virginia, near Mt. Vernon.
"He immediately enlisted in the army which was involved in the Revolutionary War - in Washington's command; he served there eight years, and became an Army officer (Captain).
"After the war he returned to Virginia. Here he met a Miss SARAH GILES, a very beautiful woman who later on became his wife. A prominent feature in the case was: he made her acquaintance through George Washington, for they were fast friends during all the war.
***********************************************************
The story below was told by Barbara MacDonald of Tulsa OK, who has researched and collected a great deal of the Harrison data, and also published a book on the Union Chapel Cemetery in Inkster where so many of the family are buried.
Joseph Harrison's Bones:
"Captain Joseph Harrison died 21 February 1804 at his home on his property near Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. As it was winter, with deep snow upon the ground, and the roads impassable, he was buried in his own front yard, under a tree. This was a common custom of that time. His house was near the road which is now Michigan Avenue. The property passed on to other owners, (And, eventually became the estate "Fairlane" owned by Henry Ford, near Dearborn.)
"The tree under which Capt. Joseph had been buried was cut down and the location of his burial place thus became lost! In later years, when the Harrison Family Association sought to locate the remains, so as to remove them to the family plot in Inkster, Henry Ford, now owner of the Joseph Harrison property, was gracious and co-operative, giving permission to the family to dig in designated spots, especially near an old well that Henry Ford's men had uncovered.
"All efforts proved fruitless until around 1930. When Michigan Avenue was widened, the bones of a white man were upturned. The matter was reported to the Family Association, but not immediately. By the time they arrived on the scene, it was possible to tell only approximately where the dirt containing the bones had been deposited, and it proved impossible to find the bones themselves.
" In about 1933 employees on the Ford estate uncovered, while excavating, ANOTHER white man's bones! Henry Ford, knowing of the desire of the Family to locate and mark their ancestor's last resting place, immediately notified the Association.
Joseph was, reportedly, then buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery after these bones were located.
Family Members
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