Josiah Harris was born in 1808 and relocated to North Amherst in Lorain County in 1818. He married Esther M. Race in 1830 and began a career in public service and journalism shortly thereafter. Harris founded the Ohio Atlas & Elyria Advertiser in 1832, the same year he was elected sheriff of Elyria. He later transitioned to newspaper ownership, purchasing the Cleveland Herald and Gazette in 1837. Harris held the office of Mayor of Cleveland in 1847 before retiring from journalism following the Civil War to manage a farm in Rocky River.

Josiah Harris's political identity is marked by a unique blend of local governance and entrepreneurial spirit. His early career as a sheriff and mayor, coupled with his ownership of influential newspapers, reveals an ideological agility that seamlessly merges public service with media influence. Notably, his shift from active journalism to a quieter life on a farm after the Civil War suggests a calculated retreat, possibly to safeguard regional interests he championed through his publications. Harris's approach to economic policy, rooted in Whig principles, further underscores his commitment to a localized, business-friendly agenda. This combination of roles and the strategic timing of his career transitions hint at a deeply calculated political philosophy.