photo #8789007

Sam Harris and his parents. Sam was from Farmersville, Texas and reached a reputed weight of 731 pounds, making him the world's heaviest man. He was sometimes known as "The Texas Kid." The following bio of Sam Harris was published in 2007 by the awesome folks at Texas Highways Magazine "According to legend, 'Big Sam' Harris of Farmersville, Texas began to pack on the pounds after suffering from typhoid fever as a young man. When fully grown, Sam served for a time as the town marshal. His intimidating size made it unnecessary for him to carry a weapon—he could simply pick up a lawbreaker and tote him off to jail. Resisting arrest was unheard of in the days when Marshal Sam wore the star. Folks marveled at the strength of 'Big Sam' for decades after his death, and even today he remains a local legend. Old-timers recall stories of Sam’s entering a burning building to push a 2,000-pound safe out of harm’s way. Sam himself allowed that he could 'lift anything that is loose at both ends.' Serving as mascot for the Farmersville Woodmen of the World, Sam even caught the attention of world-weary New Yorkers when he sauntered through the Big Apple wearing his custom-made W.O.W. uniform and carrying a giant axe. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! increased his renown when it weighed in on his Texas-size frame in 1920. Like extra-tall Texans, extra-wide Sam had to have his clothing and furniture specially made. He rode around Farmersville in a one-of-a-kind buggy pulled by a team of white mules, or in a customized truck that featured a canopy over a platform with a settee in the center. Years before his death, Sam ordered a coffin built large enough to sleep four men of average size. It was recorded in Texas newspapers that thousands attended Sam’s funeral. Too large for a hearse, Sam, who died of pneumonia at age 51, took his final ride in a truck. In an interview in 1964, Sam’s son John Harris (Sam and his wife had eight children) said people from all over the country still stopped in Farmersville to inquire about his larger-than-life pop. John recalled him as 'just a good father …. He used to take us swimming a lot. He would float on his back while us kids climbed up on him and dived off.' Others also remembered the 'jovial giant' fondly. 'You might say,' said local feed-store owner Coleman Jennings, 'that most of him was heart.'” Sam was married to Delia Catherine Burkhart in 1893 and fathered ten children.