Glimpses Into Our Past: The Harrison Family Graveyard 

A small graveyard on private property near Lochiel holds the graves of three members of the Harrison family: Harry G. Harrison (1865-1900), Richard “Dick” Wilson Harrison (1878-1904), and Ida Olive Lewis Harrison (1872- 1916). We don’t know why only three members of the large Harrison clan are buried there. 

Harry, Dick and Ida died young when their families were living nearby. By 1920 most family members had relocated to Nogales and Tucson and are buried there. Special thanks to Cami Schlappy who provided photographs of the graveyard and gravestones. 

Richard Calhoun Harrison (1826- 1909) brought his family to Arizona about 1879 to engage in mining and ranching in the San Rafael Valley. Born in Virginia, Richard relocated to California when he was 23. He married Mary Augusta Wilson (1844-1911) in 1864 and they had eight children—four sons and four daughters. 

Known as Judge Harrison due to his legal training and service as a county judge in California, he began cattle ranching in La Noria and soon became involved in politics and civic affairs. By 1882 Judge Harrison had settled in Lochiel where he served as Justice of the Peace, holding court in his home. He was appointed Regent of the Arizona Territorial University in 1887 [The Oasis, 3/27/1909]. 

Harry G. Harrison was Richard and Mary’s eldest son. He was about 14 when the family moved to Arizona. As an adult, he filed several mining claims, but his primary occupation was saloonkeeper. He married Fanny Rebecca Likes in 1897 and they had one son, Jay, born in 1899. 

In May 1900, Harry was shot and killed by deputy sheriff Otis Moore. During an argument, Harry struck Moore on the head with his gun. Moore then obtained an arrest warrant for Harry. When Moore served the warrant, Harry refused to give up his gun but did accompany Moore to the Justice of the Peace in Washington Camp. Moore once again asked Harry to disarm. Harry refused and “both drew their guns and fired almost simultaneously; Harrison fired a second shot as he was falling. He died in about 15 minutes.” [The Oasis, 5/5/1900]. Moore was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was pardoned by Governor Kibbey in June 1906 [Arizona Daily Star, 6/14/1906]. 

A few months later Moore committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in a Douglas saloon. “He owed debts here and was regarded a dangerous character and a persuasive and skillful borrower.” [Bisbee Daily Review, 11/22/1906]. 

Richard and Mary’s youngest son, Richard “Dick” Wilson Harrison, was killed in 1904 by his friend Jerry Sheehy when they argued during a roundup in the San Rafael Valley. Dick and Sheehy had adjacent mining claims and Sheehy threatened to dam the water source that originated on his claim [Arizona Daily Star, 1/19/1904]. 

The shooting was witnessed by many local ranchers, including Frank Proctor, Abel de la Ossa, Julius Kunde and Lee Parker. Sheehy was charged with murder and his trial was held in Pima County after Sheehy’s attorney obtained a change of venue. Sheehy was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years imprisonment at the territorial prison [Tucson Citizen, 10/25/1904]. He unsuccessfully appealed his conviction to the Arizona Supreme Court [Bisbee Daily Review, 4/1/1905]. 

Several of Sheehy’s friend submitted a petition for Sheehy’s release in late 1905. The petition was unsuccessful, but in 1907 he was pardoned by Governor Kibbey [The Border Vidette, 12/28/1907]. 

Ida Olive Lewis Harrison was born in Iowa in 1872. She married Charles “Charley” Francis Harrison (1868- 1927) in 1892. Charley was Richard C. and Mary’s second son. The couple ranched and raised a large family on a 160-acre homestead in the San Rafael Valley. Ida died in 1916 shortly after giving birth to her 12th child. “The sudden, untimely passing of Mrs. Charley Harrison, is deeply regretted by hundreds of friends of the lady in Santa Cruz county, who loved and respected her” [Border Vidette, 1/22/1916]. 

Charley never remarried and by 1920 was employed as a foreman at an Ajo copper mine. He next relocated to Tucson where he worked as a prison guard. He died in 1927 and is buried in Tucson’s Evergreen Memorial Park.