YUBA COUNTY Biographies

JOHN HOBSON MORRISON

Noteworthy among the local men of progressive spirit was John H. Morrison, pioneer of Yuba County, where he subdivided grain land, and set out an olive orchard, and was also the first farmer in the county to succeed in the growing of rice. In 1905 he purchased property in Sutter County, and here he became very successful as an orchardist. The Morrison family is of Scotch origin, but two generations being represented in America, by Hugh Morrison and his son, John H., the subject of this review.

Hugh Morrison remained in his native country until attaining seventeen years of age, when he came to the United States. He was married in Fort Houston, Texas, May 8, 1847, to Ann Farquharson, who was born in Montrose, Scotland. During the Mexican War he served as a civilian in the quartermaster’s department. After this he spent some time in Oregon, finally locating in Iowa, where he followed the painter’s trade. In 1852, with his wife and two children, he crossed the plains with ox teams to California, locating on Bear River in Yuba County. Here he followed farming and stock-raising until the spring of 1854, when he removed to his ranch two miles south of Ostrom Station and engaged in the same occupation until his death, which occurred in October, 1902, at the age of eighty-two years. His wife had preceded him, passing away in 1901, aged seventy-nine years. He was successful in his work, and left an estate in landed property valued at $20,000. Fraternally he was a member of Nicolaus Lodge No. 129, F. & A.M., of Wheatland, Cal. He and his wife became the parents of the following children: Jane, deceased; John H., our subject; Hugh J., in Toulon; James, in Sacramento; Archibald, in Washington, and David, on the old home ranch.

John H. Morrison was born in Clarke County, Iowa, November 20, 1850, and when only two years old was brought by his parents to this section of California, where he has ever since remained. At the age of twenty-five years he purchased 160 acres, to which he added until he had increased his acreage to 550 acres, on which he made many improvements and engaged in raising sheep, hogs and cattle. On January 18, 1876, he was married to Miss Henrietta Scott, a native of Illinois, who was brought across the plains by her parents when a little child. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison became the parents of nine children, of whom seven grew up: Winifred, the wife of Louis D. Baun; Mrs. Annie Lazear; Minnie, the widow of F. L. Hutchinson; and Hugh, James, Archibald, and Eugene. They all reside in the vicinity of Bogue, Sutter County, excepting Archibald, who lives in Oakland.

Mr. Morrison passed away on December 22, 1921. He was survived by his wife, whose death came on April 5, 1923. A Republican in national politics, he locally reserved the right to cast his vote for the man he considered best qualified for public office. For several terms he served as school trustee. Fraternally he was member of the Odd Fellows at Wheatland.

History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924

p 649

DAVID MORRISON

Among those whose intelligently directed labors have resulted in the agricultural development of Yuba County is David Morrison, who was born on the Johnson Ranch, a mile south of his present ranch, near Ostrom Station, May 23, 1862, a son of Hugh and Anna (Farquharson) Morrison, natives of Paisley and Glasgow, Scotland, respectively. Hugh Morrison came to America the first time when a young man, and settled in Montreal, Canada. Later, he came a second time and located in New York City, where he was married. He enlisted in the United States army for service in the Mexican War, and went to Mexico with Gen. Winfield Scott. When mustered out, he settled at Montrose, Iowa; and in the early fifties he and his family started to cross the plains with ox teams in a big immigrant train. When they got as far as Cheyenne, they stopped to rest for a few days. The Indians had a trick of selling a pony to an immigrant and then sending another Indian to claim it, thereby getting the white man’s money and the pony. Hugh Morrison purchased just such a horse; and when he refused to return it to the Indian, he was dropped from the train, as the captain of the train thought it would incur trouble later on. However, the dauntless family started out to make their way by themselves; and soon after, they ran across another traveler and his family. These two pioneer families crossed the plains unmolested, and reached the Golden State in safety. The large train, however, from which Mr. Morrison and his family were dropped was attacked and completely annihilated. Mr. Morrison and his family purchased a part of the Johnson Rancho on the Bear River, Yuba County, where they farmed until 1866, at which time the debris from the hydraulic mining filled the river and overflowed their land, ruining it. They then moved to a ranch six miles northwest of Wheatland, and there Hugh Morrison homesteaded and took up land on a government preemption. At his death he had 1000 acres of land. He died when he was eighty-four years of age, and his wife passed away when she was eighty-one years old. Fraternally, he was a Mason. They were the parents of six children: James, deceased; John, deceased; Hugh, in Tulare; James, in Sacramento; Archibald, in Washington; and David, of this review.

David Morrison attended the grammar school in the Virginia District, and spent two and one-half years in Sacred Heart College, at San Francisco. He was associated with his father in farming until his death. He has since bought the other heirs’ interests, and now owns the old ranch, which has 900 acres, devoted to grain-raising.

On September 26, 1894, David Morrison was married to Miss Caroline Laby, at the home of her father. She was born in Plumas District, Yuba County, the daughter of William F. and Anna Mary (Ebert) Laby. Mr. and Mrs Laby were married in Pennsylvania, and in 1863 came to California via the Isthmus of Panama. They settled in Plumas District and there farmed. Their union was blessed with eleven children: Franklin E., at Yuba City; Katherine E., deceased; Martha Jane, Mrs. Shriner, of Wheatland; John F., in Texas; Anna Mary, Mrs. David Spooner, of Sutter County; Caroline, Mrs. Morrison; Josephine V., Mrs. Kennedy, of San Francisco; William S., at Gridley; Amanda W., Mrs. Morrissey, of San Francisco; Jesse E., Mrs. Garner, of San Francisco; and Walter L., deceased. Mrs. And Mrs. Laby afterward moved to Sutter County, locating near Bogue. The former died at the age of seventy-three; the latter lived to be eighty-five years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison’s union was blessed with two children: Lloyd, who was a member of Company M, 160^th U.S. Infantry, stationed at Camp Lewis and at Camp Kearney during the World War, and who is now associated with his father in his farming enterprise; and Mildred, the wife of Walter Graff, of San Francisco. Mr. Morrison is a Republican, and votes in accordance to the principles of that party. He was appointed by Governor Pardee to fill the unexpired term of W. B. Filcher, as supervisor of Yuba County, and at present is president of the board of trustees of the Wheatland Union High School. Mrs. Morrison is a member and trustee of Camp Far West Parlor, N.D.G.W.

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