John Barnes Harris was born in Adams Center, July 5, 1877, and was the son of Robert Wallace and Alma (Barnes) Harris. When he was a small child, his parents relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a period of seven years. After returning to the area, he attended public schools and was a teacher in the district school in the Town of Hounsfield from 1895 to 1896.
He attended Cornell University from 1899 until 1901 and served as a private tutor from 1903 until 1907. Mr. Harris was admitted to the New York bar in 1907, but never practiced law. He was involved in real estate and owned a dairy farm near Watertown. He served as personal advisor to Mrs. Emma Flower Taylor, daughter of the late Governor Roswell P. Flower.
He was elected to the office of Mayor of Watertown in November of 1923. He was the second mayor to be elected under the City Manager form of government. It was a time when the new system of government was still very much on trial and politicians of both parties opposed it, reluctant to give the City Manager the necessary administrative power. Mayor Harris had never been seriously identified with politics but he was popular and a gifted public speaker with lofty ideals of public service, which helped to ease the transition.
With a record of twelve years of continuous service as the City’s Mayor and having long been closely identified with the political life of the community, John B. Harris will long be remembered as one of the most conspicuous figures in municipal government.
He served as Republican State Committeeman and was president of the Conference of Mayors. He belonged to the Rotary Club, Black River Valley Club and Hounsfield Star Grange.
He and his wife Helen Folsom Harris, of Syracuse, had four children: Betty Jane Harris, John B. Harris Jr., Robert L. Harris and David B. Harris.
Mr. Harris died in the City of Watertown on February 11, 1952 at the age of 74. He is buried at Brookside Cemetery.
