A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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A HISTORY OF THOMAS MORRISON
To give a history of one's self, it is best to say something of my grand parents, and parents. My Grandfather, Samuel Morrison, was born in Stewartstown, Tyrone County, Ireland, December 25th O.S. A.D. 1700, on Jan 5th A.D. 1701 N.S., and was married to Miss Mercy Mayse, A.D. 1735 N.S. Mercy Mayse was born same place A.D. 1716, both of Scotch parentage. They emigrated to America, A.D. 1740, and came over in the good ship, Sally of Coleraine. Children of the above, 1st, Anna, born in Ireland, A.D. 1739, died in infancy and buried at sea. 2nd, Margaret, born in Bucks Co. Pa., A.D. 1743. 3d, James, born same county, and state January 3d, A.D. 1745 O.S. He served in the Indian war that preceeded the Revolution, and died in Warren Co. Pa. Sept. 4th, A.D. 1839. 4th, William, was born in same County and State, A.D. 1747, and died Aug. 2d, 1810, in Lycoming County Pa. 5th Ephriam, born in same County and State, A.D. 1749, and died in infancy. 6th, Rachel, born in same County and State, A.D. 1751, and died in infancy. 7th, John, born in same County and State A.D. 1753, he served as 1st Lieutenant, in Capt Thomas Ferguson's Company, in the Revolutionary War. He was a very large and stout man, could shoulder nine bushels of alum-salt, and carried a cannon that weighed 600 lbs. He died near the mouth of Pine Creek Lycoming County, Pa. A.D. 1786, with 3 days sickness. 8th, Samuel, Jr. was born in the same County and State, January 7th, A.D. 1746, served as wagon master in the Revolutionary war, emigrated West and settled in Miami County, Ohio, November 15th, 1800, and died in same County May 7, A.D. 1811. The 9th and 10th, Ephriam & Jonah, twins, were born in the same county and state, June 5th 1759. This brings me down to my father, Ephriam Morrison. Grand Mother, Mercy Morrison died at Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, Pa. Oct. 30th, A.D. 1798, aged 82 years. Grand Father Samuel Morrison died at Jersey Shore, same County and State, May 5th 1801, aged 100 years and 4 months, after willing all his landed property consisting of two farms of 300 acres, to Uncle William Morrison. He was buried in the old Pine Creek Cemetary.
Ephriam Morrison, my father, was five feet nine inches in height, weighed 175 lbs., fair complexion, brown hair, blue gray eyes, and Roman nose. He served in the Revolutionary army, and was wounded in the battle of Brandywine, Sept. 11th, A.D. 1777, and was married to my mother, Mrs. Nancy Hattick (whose maiden name was Forster) July ___ A.D. 1787.
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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The Morrison families must have settled near the mouth of Pine Creek on the
beautiful bottom of the West branch of Susquehanna in 1777 or 1778, as Uncle
Abel Cady, Aunt Margaret's 2nd husband, was killed by the Indians in the Spring
of 1777 opposite the mouth of Pine Creek. Father continued to reside there
until October, 1795, when he and mother, two half sisters, my brother Ephriam
& William, myself and sister, younger than myself, set out for the Western
Country. I was born on the 9th of August 1792, consequently I was a little over
3 years of age. I can remember our starting, and of our crossing the Allegany
Mountains, and of arriving at Red Stone old Fort; here we embarked on board of
a boat for Fort Pitt, as it was then called. As it was getting cold, Father
thought it best to remain here for the Winter. We lived in an old cabin where
Allegany City now stands. In February the ice broke up, and after it had all
passed by, I, with my two older brothers, went to the River, where I fell in.
This came very near terminating my existence, and would had it not been for a
half sister, who was a good swimmer and who plunged in the river and bore me
safely to shore. I still live to remember this deliverance.
Father, being in a hurry, started on our journey down the beautiful Ohio River. We overtook the ice at Gallipolce, which had gorged up the River; here we had to stay 10 days, then started in our boat again. Our next landing point was Fort Washington, the newly laid out Cincinnati. We remained here only a day or two, then left for the mouth of Hogan Creek, where Aurora now stands, about 25 miles below Cincinnati. Here was an Indian cabin without floor or roof. Father repaired it up, and we moved into it. This, then, was nothing but a dense wilderness, filled with all kinds of wild animals, from the elk, bears, deers, wolves, panthers, wild-cats, foxes, raccoons, oppossoms, ground hogs, porcupines, minks, weasels, beaver, otter, muskrat, and squirrels, innumerable. Of the feathered tribes were immense flocks of wild turkies, pheasants, quails, bald-eagle, a great variety of owls and hawks, buzzards, ravens, & crows, wild geese, brants, cranes, and duck of 4 or 5 varieties. The old Indian Chief, Blue Jacket, with a band of Shawnees, was encamped not far from us up Hogan Creek.
[Page 2] Mr. Adam Flake had settled on South Hogan, about 1 1/2 miles from us. We boys had several scrapes with the young Indian boys. I was hit in the forehead with a stone thrown by an Indian boy, and knocked down, and cut very bad in the forehead; this finished my playing with Indian boys. We lived here until January, 1800 and removed across the River to what was then called "Tanner's Station," after John Tanner, a Baptist Minister who founded it;
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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it is now called Petersburg. It then contained one frame, and four hewed log
houses, and three log cabins. Names of Families now recollected, John Tanner, Judge
John Watts, Hawkins, Sebre, Robert Mosevy, Voden, Kirtley and Alloway. We
remained here until March same year, then removed opposite the mouth of the
Laughery Creek, and about the Middle of May, moved opposite to Aurora; here we
lived during the summer of 1800. In the fall of this year, we moved in a
Periogue, which father made for Capt. Vance, to White Water River, one mile
above where Rees & Bond's mill was afterwards built. Here lived a family by
the name of Bonham; two of the boys, John and Aaron, I was well acquainted
with; also a family by the name of Smith. This Periogue was made from a large
poplar tree, cut down opposite Rising Sun. We remained here until the first of
May, 1802, then removed to a farm belonging to Capt. Samuel C. Vance, on Tanner's
Creek, one and a half miles from its mouth, and two miles below where
Lawrenceburg was laid out, in the spring of 1802. At this period, there was not
want of meat, just go to a deer lick and kill one at any time, and the woods
were alive with wild turkies. At the time we first came here, Simon Girty was
here. He and Blue Jacket left together for Detroit. Blue Jacket borrowed
father's saddle to ride to Detroit, he brought it back, but attempted to steal
it afterwards. Simon Girty never returned, though he had a son, a very fine
man, who resided many years in Dearborn county, he went by the name of Simon
Peters. While living here, Brother William and I, took the dogs and started out
over the bottom to hunt. We did not proceed far before we treed two cub bears.
William, being an expert climber, clum up the tree and caught one of them, it
gave a sharp shrill scream, which soon brought its mother, we were obliged to
let it go, and after a terrible fight between the dogs and bear, the cubs got
separated so far apart that we succeeded in getting one of them.
At our Tanner's Creek home, mother died December 18th, AD. 1803, and was buried on the site of Hardinsburg, and no stone marks her resting place. We lived here until December 25th (Christmas Day) A.D. 1804, then we started for the Mad River country. We reached Dayton the 2d day of January 1805, the next day we left for our last destination, near Donnald's Creek, Clark County, Ohio, where we raised a crop of corn; then father entered a half section of land, 320 acres, and began to prepare for building a house on it; the house was 44 ft long by 18 feet wide, with an entry in the middle, it was raised to the square when father went
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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to a house raising on the 5th of October, and got very badly injured, so that
he never walked afterwards. Us three boys finished our double lob cabin, and
moved father out to our new house where he died on the 2nd of February, 1806. Then
we were left orphans fatherless, and motherless..
Where we built our new log cabin, it was a dense forest of beech, sugar, elm, ash, oak and hickory, so we three boys, instead of going to school, cut and cleared off five acres, as the saying is "smack and smooth," made the rails and fenced it in, and planted it in corn, and the corn was up about 4 inch, when the last of us five children left our double log cabin for the last time, never to meet in it again. In fact us five children never all met together. I always wanted to be a millwright from my earliest boyhood, I built little mills on brooks, and water wheels running. On the 1st day of June, 1806, I set out, with poor clothing, without money or any schooling, to learn the millwright trade. I worked at it from June, to the 25th day of December, 1806, then turned out to shift for myself. As my boss, Mr Benjamin Lafel, had no wife, and as he had no work during the winter, I was turned loose to shift for myself as best I could. So then, I concluded I would not try it again. In the Spring Mr. Lafel came for me. I told him I had made up my mind to be a farmer. I was to get fifty acres of land, which I expected to be near by where Mr. R. C. Crawford lived, the man with whom I was to live. The great Eclipse of the Summer of 1806 took place; I remember it well, it was total, the chickens went to roost, I remained working on the farm of R. Cunningham Crawford from December 25th, 1806, to the 26th June 1809. I was then told Mr. Crawford wold get my land away out in the "Beech Woods." I then concluded to leave the farming business, After I came to this conclusion, Mr. Crawford offered me 50 acres of land where I expected to get it, a horse, saddle and bridle, 9 months schooling, [Page 3] and a freedom suit of cloths, which he had never offered before. But my mind was made up, so on the 26th day of June, A. D. 1809, I bid farewell to friends and country life, and set out for Dayton. I arrived here about 12 o'clock, eat dinner, then went four and a half miles below Dayton to work. I now had walked 19 miles and
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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did half a day's work. I was very tired. I though it was the longest day I ever
saw. But I stuck to it, never thinking of backing out. It was at Thompson's
farm where we were working, and worked 22 days for which my boss charged $11.
then we came up home, In Dayton, at the time, there was a brick courthouse, and
4 other brick buildings. South of Third St. it was called Cabin town; there
were ten cabins and not one frame building. and only 3 log cabins on the West
Side of Ludlow Street, and 4 cabins on the East side clear to the River. On
Main St. West Side, there was 7 log houses, Court House, McCulloms tavern, and
Landon's house, just put up; East side of Main St., 6 log houses, two frame,
and two small brick houses. The first work I did in town was in Landon's house,
where the Journal Office now is, then the best house in town. We finished it;
then went to work in the Academy, and finished it. I then had the great
Privilege of going to school 22 days. At this time my Boss got a job of work. I
was then taken out of school and put to work. This is the way I got my six
months schooling, by piece meals, and a portion at night school, and never got
to learn figures, only what I picked up afterwards. This is the way I have
worked my way through this life to the present time.
In 1810, we built Horatio Gates Phillips dwelling house, and in 1811 we built his brick store, and Leatherman's dwelling house. In 1812 we built the old farm Methodist Church and made the tent poles for Richard M. Johnson's regiment, and short cotts, so that two could be put together end to end for one soldier to lay on. The army lay here three weeks. Then came Col. Dudley's regiment, that was defeated near the rapids of the Maumee River, where General Harrison had forbidden them to leave their boats, to take the batteries, spike the cannon, then come back, but when the Brittish and Indians ran off, the Kentuckyans took after them, which led them into an ambuscade, the Indians getting between our men and their boats, which was not discovered until too late. The Brittish and Indians began in indiscriminate massacre of the poor Kentuckyans. Very few escaped with their lifes.
The next work I assisted in, was to build a bridge across the Mad River for the returning Kentuckyans to cross on; it was in the middle of a cold winter. There was a series of
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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earthquakes, first occurring the 15th of December, 1811, and continued
occasionally to near the 1st of March, 1812; also a large comet appeared in the
northern heavens in the Winter of 1812; these things disturbed the minds of
people considerably in those early days.
In December 1812, the Battle of Mississinewa was fought in Indiana some 75 miles Northwest of Dayton. The wounded of that battle were brought here; there were icicles of blood on some of the poor soldiers, 6 inches long; it was a sad spectacle to behold. I was drafted to go to the relief of the River raisen disaster, but did not go, for before we got ready, we received order to return; so this ended our war doings for the present.
In 1813, we built Smith & Acres' Store, then T. McClure house; we had not finished it until the 9th of August came, then I became free; it came on Monday so Saturday was my last day's work for my old boss, John Dodson. On Sunday I went to Camp meeting, about 10 miles distant, South of here on Sugar Creek. I remained here until 12 o'clock, midnight, then started home, got to town at day break, got my breakfast and went to work for myself, making tools, squares, bevels,- there is part of one bevel here yet. The rest has long ago disappeared.- I on Tuesday went to work on a brick house, which I had contracted to build. So I went on my own account. I never worked Journey work. In the July before I was 21 years old, I bought the lot on which I built my first house, and the lost where all my children were born. I mention this fact as an encouragement to my Grand Sons to try and get possession of property in early life, because if youth and early manhood is frittered away, it never can be regained.
I built a house for Judge James Steele in the summer of 1814, and I finished a log house for John Lehman. In 1815 I build a brick house for Henry Brown's father, and my own house that I lived in from the time of my marriage, until I moved into my new house that was burnt in and which is still standing.
[Page 4] In 1815, I built a house for Andrew Waymire, which is still standing. It was a frame house, two stories high. It was on Main St. below Fifth St. In 1817, I built
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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my Father-in-law, Mr. David Humphreyville's house on the South East corner of
Jefferson and Fourth Sts. It is still standing. This same year I built the old
Journal office, that was burnt down by the rebels. In 1818, I built a brick
dwelling house for Joseph Pierce, on the Corner of Fourth and Main Sts. It is
still standing and is a good house yet. In 1819 I built several small houses.
In 1820 I built for George C. Davis, a house and saw mill at Carlisle, and a
house on H. G. Phillips farm. There was but little doing this season. In 1821 I
built Thos. Clegg's Cotton factory, and old Foundry. I would remark right here
that the stringency in money matters continued. In 1822 I built a barn on the
little Miami River for William Freeman, who was one of the first printers of
Cincinnati. He was a son of Samuel Freeman, one of the original proprietors of
Cincinnati, and who was also a printer. Here at Mr. Freeman's, I saw old files
of newspapers of the last Century. After this work was completed, I returned
home. There was at this time, no work of any kind in Dayton. Then the notion to
go to Tennessee sprung up in my mind. I just build a house for Mr. Matlock, a
good man, but after all he died a drunkard, poor man, and the man who bought
his house was also a good and sober, but he kept one of those "Hell
Holes," as I call them. I should be the most thankful of all beings for my
safe passage through a long life, this far, without becoming a lover of
one of the greatest curses the land was ever cursed with. The next greatest
curse is tobacco. I feel grateful that the great ruler of the world has
kept me from these great evils.
On the 17th day of November, 1822, I started down the River with a boat load of various articles of produce. On the 18th, in the evening, after I had been in the river tearing down a mill dam, it snowed slightly all day, and freezing, and just at dark we struck a stone and upset the boat. As she lay on her side I fixed all the things I could, then waded out to the shore, about 150 feet, my poor limbs stiff and cold. That was one of the days all the gold in California would have induced me to have went back to the boat. My limbs were so numb with the cold that I had no feeling in them. I had two apprentices, and one Journeyman. So we got supper and lay down on a cabin floor to sleep, tired and worn out. I slept till about 12 o'clock, then awoke. Then my poor mind was so much troubled that I could not sleep any more, studying what to do. To return home,
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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I would lose all I had, for I had run in debt enough to take all I had to pay
for it. I did not know what to do, a wife and two babies left to battle with
this world. But in those days there was more pleasure than now, all were as one
family. If I could have stood the loss them, as now, I would have come right
back, but in the morning of the 19th, we had to unload our boat and dry all our
things. We had a very good place, a fulling mill and a big stove. The 20th, in
the evening we got ready and started. I had to ship two loads by wagon to
Cincinnati, and had to pay one dollar per hundred from Franklin to Cincinnati.
On the 24th, we got to the mouth of the Miami River. On the 25th, we walked to
Cincinnati, there being no other mode of travel at that time, and staid there,
fixing our things on a flat boat. The Ohio was booming high. On the night of
the 26th, it snowed about 1-1/2 inches. The 27th was clear, the snow went off,
so we started and run to the mouth of the Miami, where our boat lay, we then
lashed with the flat boat and started on with them. We crossed the Falls of the
Ohio on the 29th then continued on to the mouth of the Ohio, got there on the
6th of December, remaining there about four hours, here entered the
Mississippi, and continued our voyage down to the head of Wolf Island; here we
remained all day. We went out to hunt, killed one wild turkey and one raccoon.
December 8th we started and run to New Madrid. This is the place that suffered
so much from the earthquakes before mentioned. Here we stayed all night, put
out our lines, and caught one cat fish, then continued our voyage and run about
75 miles, and landed on the left or east bank, here remained all night, in the
morning we started and run to the mouth of Forked Deer River, opposite Island
No. 25, here we landed and stayed there all night of the 11th, fixing our load.
On the 12th of December, we left for our destination, the port of Jackson,
where we arrived in one month, Forked Deer being so very crooked, and difficult
to navigate. We landed our boat at Jackson, Tenn., Jan. 11th, A.D. 1823, after
a wet and tiresome trip. We settled down till the first of February. I then
contracted to build a store for Dr. William E. Butler, who had married [Page 5]
a niece of Gen'l Jackson; after that I contracted to build the first saw mill
in that part of the country. So we continued work there until the 9th of
September, 1823. We packed up for our home that was a home, and after 19 days
travel on foot, we reached that long
A History of Thomas Morrison
Ms., Indiana State Library,
Indiana Department.
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desired home, it was the happiest day of my long spent life to meet a loved
wife and two little ones after a ten months absence from them. No one can tell
the joy I experienced. The nearer I got towards home, the more anxious I was to
get there. The last night we travelled all night, although we had travelled 19
days. After getting home, we rested one or two days, then commenced to work
again in the fall. We went to Mr. Jonathan Dayton Miller's and enclosed his
brick dwelling house, and in September, 1824, we went up there an finished it.
The next job of work was building a Still House for General Fielding Lowrey,
and some small houses. Times here at Dayton were extremely dull, very little
doing. In 1825 I began fixing for another trip South. I built a boat; on the
first day of October hauled my flour to Cincinnati, I started with my boat on
the 26th of October, 1825, and began tearing down all the mill dams from here
to the mouth of the Big Miami; then run our boat to Cincinnati, loaded it and
started on our voyage November 22d, and crossed the Falls of the Ohio on the
29th Nov. and in 52 days reached the Mouth of the Ohio, continued on and get to
the mouth of White River, and on the 22d of January, 1826, started up the
Arkansas River. On the 23d, got to the Post of Arkansas on the 27th. Here we
stayed until the 1st of February, then started for our destination, which we
made in 24 days hard poling. We landed at Little Rock at 12 o'clock on the 24th
of February, 1826, after a long journey of wet and cold. Here we remained until
the 9th of April, when we started for home in two canoes lashed together. That
night I got on a boat and traded off our canoes, it was a keel boat. When we
got to the mouth of the Arkansas at Mongomeries Point, we took passage on the
old steamboat Paragon, and run to Memphis. There I had to travel on foot 120
miles, to Jackson, with a very severe cold. I reached Jackson in 4 days hard
travel, and only got $300.00 out of the thousand dollars which was owed to me
there. I started on foot to the Mouth of the Big Sandy, 80 miles, here I took a
flat boat down the Tennessee River to its mouth, then walked to the mouth of
the Cumberland River, here took passage on a steamer for Louisville, arriving
there May 12th, then took a steamboat for Cincinnati, then traveled home on
foot. After an absence of six months and 24 days, found all well. My wife in my
absence only run me in debt $60.00 and spun and made a carpet and had it on the
floor, and made sheeting and table linen of her own spinning. These days of
industry, toil and Economy are gone, gone never to return.
|
May 1826 |
Photostated by Indiana State Library 12-16-39 from typed copy in possession of
Mrs. Donald M. Mattison, Indianapolis
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