James Harrison Kirkpatrick, son of Joseph and Sophia (Knup) was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, May 11, 1854. In 1869 his parents came to Harrisburg, Indiana, and later settled in Madison county, Indiana. He is practically self-educated, as he attended the public schools but one term. He has always devoted his time to farming. They settled in the woods on John Vincent's farm, worked at ten dollars an acre clearing the land and was also given one-half of the proceeds that was raised. It was about two years before they got in their first crop, on ten acres they had cleared. The family worked in this way until 1877, when Mr. Vincent sold the farm and they then came to Grant county and located on William Duling's farm, where they stayed until December, 1880.

        Mr. Kirkpatrick married, March 17, 1880, Samantha, daughter of Michael and Anna (Coleman) Mason; she was born August 7, 1864. To this union have been born seven children: William, born September 14, 1882; Etta, born August 2, 1884; Nora, born January 17, 1886; Emery, born February 21, 1890; Bessie, born June 27, 1893; Lindley, born March 27, 1895; and Harvey, born July 2, 1899.

        In December, 1880, Mr. Kirkpatrick moved on a farm owned by his wife's mother and three years later moved to Mill township, where he was located until 1892. He then purchased eighty acres of fine farm land in Fairmount township, located four miles from Fairmount and three and one-half miles from Jonesboro, where he has since resided. In 1899 Mr. Kirkpatrick had the misfortune to have his home destroyed by fire, but subsequently erected a very comfortable modern dwelling, which is conspicious for miles in the surrounding country.

        The Kirkpatrick family is of English ancestry, three brothers, Harvey, Joseph and Alexander, having came from England in an early day. Alexander settled in North Carolina, Harvey in Maryland and Joseph in Ohio. It is from the North Carolina branch that James H. Kirkpatrick descended, and being of the sixth generation.

        Thomas, a son of Alexander, the progenitor, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, served under General George Washington, and through terrible exposures, was badly frozen, was taken sick, and died under an American flag that was put over him as a blanket. This man's brother Joseph, was the great-great-grandfather of James H., and another brother, Rufus was a soldier of the war of 1812.

        John Kirkpatrick, son of Joseph, was the grandfather of James H., and reared seven children: Ingram, Thomas, Rufus, Joseph, John, Betsy and Nancy.

        The children of Joseph and Sophia (Knup) Kirkpatrick were William Pacely, born March 20, 1848; Anna Elizabeth, born April 29, 1851 (Mrs. Thomas Little); Mary Jane, born March 20, 1853, died March 31, 1853; James Harrison, the subject of this sketch; Rufus Alexander, born March 9, 1861, died in November, 1876; Nancie Rebecca, born July 16, 1866 (Mrs. Frank Cunningham).

        Mr. Kirkpatrick's father, Joseph, was born October 18, 1820, and died April 17, 1895, and his wife was born February 23, 1825, and died October 6, 1891. She was of German parentage, and was born in Rowan county, North Carolina. His father, being a southerner was drafted into the Confederate army and served for three years and three months, acting as shell-bearer for large guns in General R. E. Lee's command. In the battle of Horseshoe Bend he had five bullets shot through his clothes in less than five minutes.

        James Harrison Kirkpatrick is a member of the Methodist Protestant church, and in politics is a Democrat.