Henry Morgan

As printed in 1909

HENRY MORGAN.

At the time of his death, which occurred May 5, 1904, Henry Morgan was one of the oldest residents of Washington county, not only in the years which his life record covered, but also in the years of his connection with this part of the state. He came here in pioneer times and for an extended period was closely associated with agricultural interests and with the work of general! progress and improvement. During the evening of his life he was not only regarded as one of the most venerable but also as one of the most highly respected citizens of his locality. He was born on a farm in Tennessee on the 9th of April, 1818, and in 1832, when a youth of fourteen years, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Indiana, where many evidences of frontier life were still to be seen. There he was reared and educated, attending the common schools of that state and in 1846. when twenty-eight years of age, he came to Iowa, thinking to have better business opportunities in this later settled but rapidly growing state.

In the meantime, however, a most important even in his life had occurred — his marriage on the 13th of May, 1840, to Miss Dicey H. Barnett, who was born in Ohio on he 13th of Janviary, 1823, and when but two years old was taken by her parents to Huntsville, Indiana. Mr. Morgan was a member of the Quaker church until the time of his marriage but his wife was not identified with that sect and for marrying outside of the church he was expelled from that communion. He withdrew gracefully, however, and for sixty-five years he and the lady for whom he had sacrificed his church connections but not his Christianity, shared together the joys and sorrows of life.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Morgan resided for six years in Indiana, where he was employed most of the time in a flourmill. As a young man he was very strong, often carrying a three hundred pound sack of wheat to the second floor of the mill. He was also active and influential in community affairs and in 1845, the year before the removal to Iowa, he was a candidate for state senator on the abolition ticket but at that time the party was weak and he therefore failcfl of election. The following" year, packing all of his goods that he could into a spring wagon driven by two horses, he and his wife started for Iowa. When near Indianapolis one of the horses

As printed in History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.