Elizabeth Baldwin Harris (maiden name: Wiley) was born on August 24, 1821, in Georgia to Edwin and Elizabeth Harris. Her father was a farmer who owned $8,000 of real estate by 1850. She married James M. Harris on February 4, 1845, and they adopted a child named Moses. They lived in Hancock County, Georgia, and her husband worked as a farmer. By 1850, they owned $8,000 of real estate. A decade later, they owned $11,000 of real estate and $80,000 of personal property. She died on November 4, 1898.