James C. Harper

James Clarence Harper (December 6, 1819 – January 8, 1890) was an American politician and businessman. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina.

Early life Harper was born on December 6, 1819, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, one of six children born to John Witherow Harper III and Eliza Love Horner Harper. He was of Irish ancestry. In 1831, he moved to Darke County, Ohio,

Harper then worked as a businessman. As such, he surveyed the land on which a road from Lenoir to Blowing Rock in 1846 and 1847. He helped found the company which built the road, becoming its president in 1856. He built and mills for cotton, flour, oil, paper, wood, and wool, as well as a blacksmithery, icehouse, and tannery. He also worked as a banker, farmer, logger,

After serving in Congress, Harper worked in the roadwork industry and owned a farm. at Harpers Chapel Cemetery, in Patterson.