Harry Burris spent much of his young adult life working with International Harvester
  implements, first as a mechanic and later as store manager. He and his wife, Mary,
  lived first in Winfield, then Arkansas City and Newton, before coming to Medicine Lodge
  in March,, 1949.
     Harry had always dreamed of combining his hobby with a small electrical business of
  his won and with Paul married and living in Newton and Kenneth attending Wichita University,
  Harry and Mary decided this was the opportune time. They thought with a business of their
  own they would be able to slow down some, but this was not to be for many more years.
     The Burrises began shopping for the ideal town to locate such a business, and about
  January 1st Harry and Kenneth came in from a trip to say, "We found our town", it was
  Medicine Lodge. None of the family had been familiar with the Barber County area before
  this.
     1949 was a very bad winter and on their first trip to look for quarters for the
  business and for living, snow made the highways barely passable. There were high walls
  of snow on both sides of the East-West roads; at some places only one lane of traffic
  was open, and mail boxes were carved out of the snow banks.
     There were just no vacant buildings in Medicine Lodge in 1949, and when Harry and
  Mary decided to stay over night and look further, both hotels were full. They were
  provided accomodations at a rooming house. On West Kansas new buildings were being
  constructed (where the Swayden Grocery is today). Arrangements were made for one of those
  locations, and the Burris family planned to store their furniture and move into a 
  furnished apartment for a time because they wanted to be in business by March 1st. 1949.
  However, when they returned to check on the business building in February that year, the
  weather had been so bad that no progress had been made on construction. At that time,
  however, Dr. C.V. Moore was moving from his offices at 109 South Main and his building 
  was rented for the new business. On this same trip some people Burrises had met on a 
  previous visit were moving out of town, and their house at 206 East Kansas provided the
  Burris' first home in Medicine Lodge.
     During the first year, Harry ran the business-selling and repairing magnetos, motors,
  and other electrical items-alone. Mary kept the books, mailed the statements, and looked
  after the parts stock. Kenneth helped out on weekends and during summer vacation from
  Wichita U. After a years time, the business needed more space and moved to the building
  at 121 West Kansas which was formerly occupied by McGuire's welding shop. Soon after this
  move, Paul decided to join in the business; and he, his wife, Miriam, and their small son,
  Harry Dan, also moved to Medicine Lodge. The business expanded to sell and service a full
  line of Philco household appliances, radios, and in the early 50's - television. Since
  Medicine Lodge is so far from the TV stations, it took high antennas to obtain reception.
  Many of the young men of the community worked long hours as extra help to put up towers,
  rotors, and antennas when the first stations began broadcasting in Wichita and Hutchinson.
     Kenneth, and then Paul, moved to Wichita to work in the aircraft plants; however, Harry
  continued to operate the business until 1964 when he sold it to David Wiske and Don Sarafin.
  Harry continued to work at his hobby of customizing and collecting rifles for several years.
  He displayed a part of his collection at the Stockade and regularly cleaned and cared for
  all the gun collection there.
     Some of the employees who worked for Harry Burris and Burris Electric during a fifteen
  year period were: Albert Wheelock, Jr., W.L. Hogarth, Dawsey Shriner, Foy Barrett, LeRoy
  Lovern, Harry Pray, Jerry Brittain, Larry Brittain, David Wiske, Bob Frederick, Gillis
  Woodward, Allen Schnelle, Lonnie Frederick, Jim Hittle, Jim Zimmerman, and Paul Magnison.
     All of the Burris family were active members of the Methodist church (Mary still is), 
  and Harry and Paul both belonged to the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce. Harry was
  a Mason. Mary continued to live in the family home following Harry's death in April of 1970.
  Both sons, and Mary's several grand-children continue to think of Medicine as the family
  home town.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 119 
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