George Morrison, one of the prominent
agriculturists of Hilyard township, Macoupin County, residing in section 13,
where he owns a farm of 200 acres, belongs to an old pioneer family of the
State. He was born December 22, 1840, in County Derry, in the north of
Ireland, and is a son of Henry and Martha (Taylor) Morrison.
The
Morrison family is of Scotch-Irish descent. George Morrison, the grandfather
of our subject, spent his whole life in Ireland, where he possessed enough
means to give each one of his children a start in life. Two of his sons,
Henry and James, came to America. The latter was a school teacher and always
made his home with his brother Henry, dying at the latter's residence,
November 27, 1894, aged 83 years. Henry Morrison was born June 7, 1808, in
Ireland, came to America in 1845 and died in his home in Macoupin County in
1897, aged about 90 years. He lived one year in Genesee County, New York,
prior to removing to Alton, Illinois, where he first rented a farm and then
removed to Macoupin County in 1847. He first entered a tract of 40 acres,
but this was continually increased until he owned a very large body of land,
amounting to about 900 acres, which he divided among his children. Mr.
Morrison was one of the honest, upright, industrious men who contributed
much to the early development of Hilyard township. In religious belief he
was a Presbyterian and was ever ready to aid in moral and educational work.
His long life was one filled with creditable achievements. The mother of our
subject was Martha Taylor, who was born in 1820, in County Derry, Ireland,
and who still survives, a member of the family of her son Joseph. The
children of Henry and Martha (Taylor) Morrison were eight in number, namely:
George, of this sketch; Joseph and Henry, of Hilyard township; Mrs. Margaret
Howell, of St. Clair County, Missouri; Mrs. Martha Ellen Calloway, of
Hilyard township; Rebecca, who lives with her mother and tenderly cares for
her; and Samuel and Robert, both deceased, the former while young, and the
latter in 1903, at the age of 41 years, leaving a widow and five children.
Our subject was four years old when he accompanied his parents to
America, and he was reared in Macoupin County, under pioneer conditions. He
readily recalls the days when all this smiling farming land was but a
wilderness, broken by but a few burned clearings and an occasional log
cabin. Farming presented many difficulties in the days of his young manhood
and a very serious drawback to its success was the lack of transportation
facilities. No railroads had yet been constructed and the ordinary highways
were in bad condition. The nearest market, at Alton, was 25 miles away.
There were few schools or churches and, outside of the family, almost no
social life for a long period. Mr. Morrison became a practical farmer and
now owns much fine stock and large bodies of land. In addition to his 200
acres in Hilyard township, he has 20 acres of timber in Gillespie township.
In 1867 Mr. Morrison married Rebecca Jones, who was born October 22,
1847, in Allen County, Kentucky, a daughter of Ambrose and Mary Jones, who
came to Illinois in 1851 and settled first in Greene County, removed later
to Jersey County and finally located in Macoupin County. Mr. and Mrs.
Morrison have these children: Mary A., who married W. W. Dillard of Hilyard
township, and has two children, — Lois and Jesse; Jessie, who married Lee
Dillard, of Gillespie township, and has two children, — Morrison and Meryl;
and George J. and Flossie R., who live at home.
Mr. Morrison is a
Republican, an intelligent voter and a man of influence in political
affairs. He has served on the School Board. He belongs to the local Grand
Army post, having been a soldier in 1864, serving under Captain Edwards, in
Company G, 133d Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf. He was stationed at Rock Island,
engaged in guarding prisoners. Fraternally be belongs to Plainview Lodge,
No. 461, A. F. & A. M. With his family, Mr. Morrison is a Presbyterian.
Extracted 2018 May 07 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 170-172.
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