His brother Charles Coffin Harris (1822–1881) became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

In April 1853 he moved to Wisconsin and was resident engineer for Beloit and Madison Railroad (later the Chicago and North Western Railway).

From April 1856 to February 1860 he was superintendent of the Racine and Mississippi Railroad (later part of the Milwaukee Road system).

[2] During the American Civil War he worked for the Quartermaster's department of the Union Army in North Carolina.

[3] In July 1863 he became assistant general superintendent of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CBQ) where he would work for 15 years.