John Harris, Jr., the founder of Harrisburg, born on the Pennsylvania frontier in 1727, grew up in Paxton Township on the east side of the Susquehanna River in what was then Harris's Ferry. In 1748 he inherited the land from his immigrant father, and from that time until his death in 1791 he contributed to its development from a fragmented frontier settlement to a structured community town. Throughout his life, he prospered from this development, as it also increased the profits he received from his trade and retail business, his ferry boat operation, and, later, his real estate sales. Wealth gave him influence in the Paxton community, and, although he held no elected office, he became a local leader during periods of crisis and war, such as the French and Indian War and the Revolution. At these times, through various efforts and contributions, he worked to protect the community and maintain its development.
The father of John Harris Jr., John Harris Sr., came to America from England sometime in the 1690s. He had been born in Yorkshire around 1673 and was raised to be a brewer by his father. When he came of age, he went to London and worked there for a time.1 It is believed, that while there, he saw William Penn 's advertisements for a settlement upon the banks of the Susquehanna River, and that these encouraged him to leave for Pennsylvania.2 If it is true, as some writers have written, that upon arriving in Philadelphia, his "entire capital amounted to only sixteen guineas," it can be assumed that Harris had been unsuccessful as a brewer in London and that he probably used what money he did have for passage to America.3 Like many of the early immigrants, he was probably "dissatisfied with conditions in ( his) old country and determined to build a new society. "4
What is known of Harris, Sr., during his stay in Philadelphia is an indication that he was poor. He began work in the provincial capital clearing tree stumps and grading streets. In 1698 he joined a group which protested an act of the Assembly that disenfranchised persons who owned less than fifty pounds worth of property.5 Harris made objection to the act probably because he himself owned little, if any, property by that time.
Sometime at this point, Harris became a friend of Edward Shippen, the first mayor of Philadelphia. A wealthy and influential man in colonial Pennsylvania, Shippen was probably instrumental in obtaining for Harris the required licenses Harris would need in order to trade, settle, and build on western lands.6 Before heading for the frontier of Pennsylvania, Harris married Esther Say, a relative of Shippen's who also had come from Yorkshire.7
It would be inaccurate to say that Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has been an economic failure. For two and a half centuries It has enjoyed relative prosperity, providing livelihoods for most if not all of its residents, and very comfortable livings to many. On the other hand, the community never achieved the economic superstatus among American cities that its entrepreneurs aspired to at various stages in its development.