An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 403

	J.W. HARBERT, a pioneer of Washington and a successful farmer of Walla Walla
county, was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, September 25, 1835. His father,
Richard J. Harbert, was a native of Maryland and married Miss Mary Zemmault a
native of Kentucky, although of German parentage. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs.
Harbert emigrated to Dubuque, Iowa, having been married in Indiana. This move
was made in 1884, and there they lived for some time, Mr. Harbert following the
trade of carpenter. At the breaking out of the rebellion, Mr. Harbert, although
then an old man, enlisted in the service and went to do battle for his country.
He was one of Iowa's "Graybeards" who went to war, and at his death he was the
oldest soldier in the State.
	After the war, Mr. Harbert came to Washington, but in 1878 returned to Iowa.
In 1889 he again located in Washington and died soon after his arrival here, at
the age of over eighty-two years. In October, 1889, Mrs. Harbert passed away,
aged about seventy-six. They had a family of five children, four of whom are yet
living.
	Our subject received a common-school education at the public schools of
Mount Vernon, Iowa, but as he grew older and recognized the possibilities of the
West he grew anxious to go thither. In 1859 he was able to make an arrangement
with a man who desired a driver for an ox team across the plains and thus
reached Washington Territory in a little over four months from the time of
starting. He was glad to have reached the country of his hopes although he had
not a dollar in money. Soon he obtained employment on a farm at wages, working
for Mr. Russell for three years. By that time he had saved enough money to buy
for himself a team of oxen, and then entered into the freighting business from
different points to the mining camps in the mountains. He followed this until
1866, when he sold out his freight outfit and bought a claim of 160 acres, upon
which he now lives. He improved that land and today has one of the most
desirable homes in Walla Walla county, four miles northeast of the city of that
name. It lies along Mill creek, and here he has a nice two-story residence,
surrounded by a well kept blue-grass lawn, dotted over with beautiful roses. Not
only is our subject duly proud of his home, but he has a fine tract of 1,400
acres of rich and fertile land which he has purchased and added to his
homestead. His house stands in the center. Mr. Harbert is a very successful
farmer and has 1,100 acres of land under cultivation, where he raises besides
great crops of grain, some very fine stock, including short-horn cattle and some
good horses.
	Our subject was married July 13, 1866, to Miss Emma Evans, a native of Ohio
who came to Washington in 1861. They crossed the plains with ox teams. After
eleven years of happy married life, Mrs. Harbert died January 5. 1878, leaving a
family of six children: Frank, Ida, Alvin, Floy, Homer and Liberty. April 8,
1884, our subject married Mrs. Lizzie De Groff, widow of John De Groff and a
native of Iowa. She had two children: Nellie and Grace De Groff, at home with
their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Harbert have had two children born to them: Clifford
and Hazel.
	Our subject has been very successful in life, has worked assiduously and has
earned his rest. Politically he is a Republican and intelligently upholds the
principles of that party.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

* * * * 

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.