Abraham Shorland Harris

First Dr. and Pharmacist In Mason City Iowa.
Studied in England. Practice Medicine the service as a medic. Dr. in England, New York, Canada and Iowa. Settled down in Iowa and raised a family. Buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Mason City Iowa.∼From the 1883 book History of Franklin and Cerro Gordo Counties, Iowa, page 648:
Shorland Harris, M.D., A.M. and F.A.S., druggist, came to Mason City in 1869, and is now the oldest graduate in medicine in the county. He was born in Ilfracombe, Devonshire, England, July 22, 1829. He received a classical education and graduated with honors from Exeter college in 1849. He took his degree in medicine, and like continental practitioners generally, completed his studies by walking the hospitals of Paris and Berlin. He was in the Crimean War medical corps, and is skilled as a linguist, reading all the European languages but three. He is an experienced journalistic correspondent and a vivacious reader He is a ready conversationalist. His private library is extensive and comprises many rare works, some unique and others out of print. Dr. Harris came to America in 1853, and practiced in New York, Canada and Chicago. He was married Oct. 16, 1872, to Emily Russell. They have one son, LeRoy Vivian, about six years old. Dr. Harris has two daughters by a previous marriage — Annie Margaret Louisa, wife of Rev. Philo K. Dayfast, A.B., of Port Colborne, Ontario, and Cleo Belle, residing at Minneapolis. Dr. Harris is a democrat in politics, agnostic in religion, and independent in scientific opinion. His researches into the domain of natural science is bounded only by opportunity and means; nearly all his time outside of his profession being devoted to literature, art and science