Harrisville / Thomas Maley Harris

Harrisville was laid out in 1822 on lands owned by Thomas Harris, uncle of Gen. Thomas Maley Harris. Originally part of Wood County, it was chartered in 1832 and incorporated in 1869. The town has been called Solus, Ritchie Court House, and Harrisville, with the last change occurring in 1895 to honor the Harris family. It has been the seat of Ritchie County since the county was created in 1843. Thomas Maley Harris, born in Wood County in 1813, was a doctor before the war. In 1861, he raised the 10th WV and served as colonel, rising to the rank of major general. After the war, he sat on the military tribunal that tried the Lincoln conspirators. He later served in the WV House of Delegates, as WV Adjutant General, and as U.S. Pension Agent before resuming his medical practice. He died in 1906.

Harrisville, West Virginia · United States