Charles Joseph Harris

Charles Joseph Harris (September 11, 1853 – February 14, 1944) was an industrialist who contributed heavily to the development of Jackson County and Western North Carolina from the late 19th century into the 20th century.

Early life Harris graduated from Yale College in 1874 and from Brown's School of Law in St. Louis in 1876. He was fraternity brothers with future U.S. president William Howard Taft at Yale. They stayed in contact until Taft's death.

Marriage and move to Colorado Harris moved to Denver, Colorado, where he met and wed Florence Rusk. They had four sons, two of whom died young from diphtheria.

Return to North Carolina In 1888, after his marriage to Florence concluded, Harris moved to Dillsboro, North Carolina, with his surviving sons, David Rust and Robert Ward, to live near his brother William Torrey Harris and nephew Theodore, who ran the Hog Rock clay mine. Harris lived in the former home of William Allen Dills, the founder of Dillsboro. As of 2019, Riverwood Shops are located in the building. Harris later opened Beaver Creek Mine in Mitchell County, North Carolina, in 1910. He also provided funds to build the memorial tower to Elisha Mitchell atop Mount Mitchell.

Harris had multiple lumber businesses and 76,000 acres of his timberland became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was a strong opponent of the proposed park, arguing there was nothing of tourist interest on the land. Harris broke his hip in 1938 and was confined to bed until he died at his son Robert's home in Asheville on Valentine's Day in 1944. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery there.