About a year ago Mr. H. T. Rice of Mossville, Illinois, sent us
a clipping from a Peoria, Illinois, paper with the death notice of
the originator of the grain weigher as we know them on threshers.
The delay was in getting Mr. Harrison’s picture, which we know
will be of interest. The Peoria paper was dated January 13,
1951
James R. Harrison, 96, of 1601 North Adams Street, an inventor
and resident of Peoria 63 years, died Sunday morning at his home.
Mr. Harrison was born in Princeville, August 1, 1854, the son of
William and Deborah Harrison, and married Sophia R. Bush there
April 12, 1878. The couple came to Peoria in 1888 and Mrs. Harrison
died in this city in 1947. It was during his years on the family
farm in Princeville that Mr. Harrison patented the first grain
weigher in 1885. He went to Racine, Wisconsin, in 1899 as chief
engineer of the experimental department of J. I. Case Company,
where he built the first all-steel thresher and grain weigher.
JOINED HART FIRM
When Mr. Harrison returned to Peoria in 1902 he became
associated as a partner with Walter B. Wilde and Stacy B. Hart of
Hart Grain Weigher Company. Mr. Harrison retired from that company
in 1911.
