Gideon Harness ( born December 10, 1828 in Greene County, Ohio, died February 23, 1902 in Jamestown, Ohio) was a son of Peter Harness and Susanna Shook. Gideon married Eliza Jane Smith on April 8, 1853 in Greene County. They had three children, Rose Hazel, Marion G., and a child who died in infancy.

Gideon Harness

Gideon Harness was a farmer. His farm was located about four miles southwest of Jamestown, Ohio in Greene County. He was a resident of New Jasper township, when he died in 1902. According to the 1870 census, Gideon and various members of his family had homes or farms very close to each other in New Jasper township or adjacent Silver Creek and Jefferson townships.

Gideon Harness Home - 1874

New Jasper township was originally a part of Xenia township. It contained a great deal of timber (lumber) according to the 1870 census. There was only one small village...New Jasper. It was named by one of its early settlers in honor of his home in Virginia. The population in the 1870 census: 1,084 (904 of them were colored).

Eliza Jane Smith

This is what is known of the two surviving children of Gideon and Eliza Jane Harness.

Marion Harness

Marion G. Harness was born June 2, 1860 in Ross township in Greene County, Ohio. He died February 16, 1933 in Heber Springs, Arkansas. He married Martha Day (Mina) Longfellow, December 27, 1882 in Jackson, Missouri, near her parent's home in Greenwood. They moved to Ohio and raised their family in Greene County, Ohio. (More details of this family may be found under the file entitled: "Marion G. Harness/Mina Longfellow family".)

Rose Hazel Harness

Very little is known about Rose Hazel except that she married H. Zeiner, who was an undertaker in Xenia, Ohio.

Rose Hazel Harness

The Greene County Press newspaper of Feb. 14, 1902 describes on its front page of that date the accident that resulted in Gideon's death several days later. The newspaper account says that Gideon:

"was standing with his back to the fireplace at his home and in some manner his coat tail caught fire. He called for help and his wife came to his assistance, but not before the arrival of Mrs. Marion Harness, his daughter-in-law, were the flames extinguished. Mr. Harness was seriously burned about the limbs, back and feet, and but for the fact that the clothes he was wearing at the time were of a woolen texture, the result might have been immediately fatal. Owing to Mr. Harness' advanced age the case is a serious one. At present his condition is as good as could be expected and hopes are entertained for his recovery."

Gideon Harness died at the hospital several days after the accident. His wife, Eliza Jane, died in 1907.

NOTE: Gideon Harness was an active supporter of the Union side in the Civil War. In a public notice dated February the 25th, 1865 from New Jasper (Ohio), the following was said:

"At a meeting of the citizens of New Jasper township, Greene County, Ohio, We the undersigned do hereby authorize Gideon Harness to recruit men for said township to (help) fill the quota on the call of the President (Abraham Lincoln) for December the 19th, 1864 for 300,000 men."

Henry C. Fudge, secretary
Peter A. Tresslar, chairman
Subscribers:
Wm. S, Huston
J.H. Fudge
John H. Hoover
George L. Huston
William H. Sutton
James R. Sutton
Asa Harness
John Huston

Another sign of the times: A pass note from the Provost Marshal's Office in Cincinnati dated September 16, 1862:

Special
Not transferable Pass
Gideon Harness, of Xenia, O. to go out of the city until further orders. No exemption from military duty.
Any unauthorized person presenting this pass will be subject to arrest. J. W. Kirk, deputy
A.E. Jones, Provost Marshal