Caleb Harris, Mapmaker

History Notes is a biweekly entry in the Sun Rise that features a passage from the Johnston Historical Society. This week’s story comes from March 2008.

Recently, I acquired from Mr. Tom Greene, town historian of North Providence, an important map that happens to have a Johnston connection.

The top of the map reads: “A Map of the State of Rhode Island taken mostly by Surveys taken by Caleb Harris – Harding Harris delineaut.” The bottom of the map indicates that it was engraved for Carter & Wilkinson of Providence in 1795. The copy in my possession is not an original but rather a re-strike of the original engraving made sometime in the 1890s.

Mr. Greene, a map collector, states that in his opinion this was the first true and accurate map of the entire state. The earlier maps did not have the detail of the Harris map. The next map drawn of the entire state of any importance was created by James Stevens of Newport in 1831, some 35 years after the Harris map.

The Harris map shows relatively more detail for the northern part of the state than the southern part. The reason for this is the Johnston connection. Caleb Harris was born Aug. 9, 1739, the son of Henry Harris (1702-89) and Tabitha Westkott (1706-71). Caleb’s great-great-grandfather was Thomas Harris (?-1686), one of the 12 who, along with Roger Williams, founded Providence.

The Harrises were one of the most important and influential families in the state’s historical past. Almost certainly, Caleb was born in an area of Providence that was later incorporated into the Town of Johnston in 1759. The Harris lands in Johnston were quite vast, stretching from the area of Greenville Avenue/Killingly Street south to straddle both sides of Hartford Avenue.

In the Hartford Avenue area, the width of the property stretched from around the Town Hall east to the intersection of Hartford Avenue/Borden Avenue. By the mid 1700s Henry Harris owned the part of the original homestead that centered on both sides of Hartford Avenue. Deed activity from the 1760s and 1770s show that Henry gave about 200 acres of land to his son Caleb, the biggest piece on being 160 acres on Dec. 17, 1776 (Johnston Deeds 1/63; 2/10; 2/601). This was the section referred to before, on both sides of Hartford Avenue between Borden Avenue and Town Hall. This farm retained its same basic configuration almost into the 20th century.

The 1882 Hopkins Map denotes the 136-acre Burrill Farm, which was in fact the main part of the earlier Harris Farm. The main farmhouse and outbuildings are also denoted on the map.

As noted previously, Caleb Harris was born Aug. 9, 1739. On Oct. 11, 1760, he married Margaret Westcott, daughter of William Westcott. She was born in 1742 and died April 3, 1825, at 83 years of age. Caleb and Margaret had 13 children, only four of whom lived past the age of 20 years. Caleb was for many years Town Clerk of Johnston, as was his father before him.

His distinctive signature can be seen in the deed books at Town Hall and on other documents that he signed. He was also a member of the Town Council at various points of his career. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a captain in the Captain General’s Cavaliers from July 24-31, 1778, the time period coinciding with the Battle of Rhode Island.

He also carried out appointments in service to the war effort for the town. In March 1776, he was “appointed one of a committee to procure weapons and accoutrements” for the town; in October 1776 he was appointed Inspector of Gunpowder; in April 1777 he was one of a committee chosen to provide blankets for the troops; and in July 1780 he was appointed Commissioner to sign and number bills of public credit.

Through many years of research, I had come across some plat maps that had been drawn by Caleb Harris for individual properties in town. I was not aware that this same Caleb Harris had produced a map of Rhode Island. It is interesting to note that the map indicates that he was assisted in his endeavor by his son Harding Harris (Harding was born Sept. 12, 1768, and died March 20, 1808, of tuberculosis. There is an article on Harding in Society Newsletter Volume VII No. 5 of 1997).

A look at the Probate records for Caleb Harris sheds some interesting light on his life and confirms his connection to the state map. The preamble of his will shows that his death was the result of an accident: “In the Name of God Amen I Caleb Harris of Johnston … being in a very unhappy situation as to my bodily health by reason of a hurt of my horse stumbling and falling under me, but at this time of a sound mind and body …”

Parts of the Will read thusly: “I give and bequeath to my son William Harris my Surveyors Compass & Chain and all my mathematical instruments of every kind with my Load Stone …”

Of interest also: “I give and bequeath to my Grandson Stephen Harris … my silver watch marked on the inside Lese & Price, Philadelphia No. 1802 …”

The inventory of the estate came to a total of $633, a considerable sum for the day. Included in the inventory were items not normally owned by the average person of that day and age, such as a violin, a set of framed pictures, and the aforementioned silver watch. Other items pointed to his work as a town official such as “blank writs & executions” and “State laws & sundry books.” Also included was a listing for a “Surveyors Compass & utensils.” Of most importance for our story, there was note of “Maps of Rhode Island – $2.25.” Thus we know that Caleb had in his possession at least some of the maps he had produced.

Caleb Harris dictated his will on Dec. 5, 1811. He died Jan. 16, 1812, at 72 years of age. Various deeds mention a family burial ground on the property, and indeed, James Arnold visited the Harris cemetery on May 3, 1891: “On the well-known Harris farm on the Hartford Pike on the north said of the said road on top of a small hill, lot walled in poor condition & yard much neglected.” (Arnold, Johnston Cemeteries, page 318.)

In this cemetery, Arnold found seven marked stones (most slate), including Caleb, his wife Margaret, and their sons Cyrus and William along with their wives. Arnold also noted that there were a further 31 graves marked only with “rude” or unmarked fieldstones! We can only speculate that these unmarked stones were earlier members of the Harris family such as Caleb’s parents.

It is also probably that some of these stones were of Caleb’s many younger children, most of whom died before 1800 (the carving of gravestones before the 1800s was still not widespread). It is a mystery as to the fate of this important cemetery. It was located on the north side of Hartford Avenue in our area of discussion.

If anyone has any information on this cemetery, please contact us so that we may be able to round out the story of the Harris family.