Individual Details
William M. Morton
(Abt, 1823 - Abt, 1905)
1850 Marshall County, Alabama census, District 22, taken 12 December 1850, Dwelling/Family #272/281: Wm MORTON, 27, male, farmer, real estate $250, Alabama; Nancy MORTON, 29, female, Alabama; Jonathan MORTON, 10/12, Alabama.
1860 Blount County, Alabama census, Eastern Subdivision, take 19 July 1860, Summit Post Office, Dwelling/Family 690/680: William MORTON, 38, male, farmer, real estate - $400, personal estate - $480, Alabama; Nancy MORTON, 39, female, Alabama; Johnathan MORTON, 10, Alabama; Allen MORTON, 9, male, Alabama; Asa MORTON, 8, male, Alabama; Mary E. MORTON, 7, female, Alabama; Marshall MORTON, 5, male, Alabama; Martha L. MORTON, 2, female, Alabama; William MORTON, 3/12, male, Alabama.
1870 Etowah County, Alabama census, taken 13 July 1870, Attalla Post Office, Dwelling/Family #542/582: Wm MORTON, 47, male, white, farmer, real estate - $500, personal estate $300, Alabama; Nancy MORTON, 50, female, white, keeping house, Alabama; Jonathan MORTON, 20, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Allen MORTON, 19, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Acy MORTON, 18, male, white, Alabama; Elizabeth MORTON, 16, female, white, Assistant House Keeper, Alabama; Marshall MORTON, 14, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Martha MORTON, 13, male, white, at school, Alabama; Wm MORTON, 11, male, white, at school, Alabama; Eliza MORTON, 9, female, white, Alabama; James MORTON, 6, male, white, Alabama.
1900 Scurry County, Texas census, Justice Precinct #1, taken 6 June 1900, Dwelling/Family # 131/133: William MORTON, head, white, male, January 1820, 80, married 56 years, South Carolina, South Carolina, South Carolina, carpenter; Nancy, wife, white, female, December 1819, 81, married 56 years, 11 children born, 9 living, South Carolina, South Carolina, South Carolina.
"William M. Morton, his wife, Martha N. Bynum and their children moved from Alabama to Eastland County, Texas in 1872. He bought 320 acres of land about two miles northeast of Eastland. One hundered acres of the original W. M. Morton land is now owned (1989) by his great great grandchildren, Modell Graham Gann and Wince Graham, Jr.
"As a rule, the insects were not as bad then as this day and time, but about two years after the family had lived in Eastland County, the grasshoppers came in great numbers. Made it look cloudy. William cleared part of his land for farming. After several years of farming the land, William became too old to do much work and his wife, Marthat, suffered a stroke, so they sold the land to one of their sons, and as was the custom, moved in with their children. After living with their son, Allen for several years, William and Martha moved to Snyder, Texas to live with another son, Ace Morton in 1900. William's grandson, Tobe Morton, remembered when William and Martha got ready catch the train to go to Snyder. William had all of his money in his shoes. It was a life savings of a few hundred dollars.
"When William Morton first settled on his 320 acres in 1872, there were no stores in Eastland. The nearest store was at Merriman. Took a long time to make the trip by wagon or horseback and the things you could buy were limited. The nearest market for anything the farmer produced was Fort Worth, Texas and a limited market at Stephenville, Texas in 1872. Before the county seat was moved to Eastland from Merriman in 1876, Eastland County was attached to Palo Pinto County for judicial purposes. Court was held in Merriman, sometime Alameda, a couple of miles south of Merriman because Alameda had a larger two story building than the log house covered with rawhide that was in Merriman.
"Most of the buildings on the William M. Morton farm were built of logs. I am not sure when the board house was built. One of the log corn cribs was intact and used in the early 1930's. Several of the Morton sons acquired farms in the general vicinity of the original farm, most of these farms were north toward the Pleasant Grove Community." (Folia Mae Morton Jarrett in "Morton - Dulin" article in EASTLAND COUNTY HISTORY)
1860 Blount County, Alabama census, Eastern Subdivision, take 19 July 1860, Summit Post Office, Dwelling/Family 690/680: William MORTON, 38, male, farmer, real estate - $400, personal estate - $480, Alabama; Nancy MORTON, 39, female, Alabama; Johnathan MORTON, 10, Alabama; Allen MORTON, 9, male, Alabama; Asa MORTON, 8, male, Alabama; Mary E. MORTON, 7, female, Alabama; Marshall MORTON, 5, male, Alabama; Martha L. MORTON, 2, female, Alabama; William MORTON, 3/12, male, Alabama.
1870 Etowah County, Alabama census, taken 13 July 1870, Attalla Post Office, Dwelling/Family #542/582: Wm MORTON, 47, male, white, farmer, real estate - $500, personal estate $300, Alabama; Nancy MORTON, 50, female, white, keeping house, Alabama; Jonathan MORTON, 20, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Allen MORTON, 19, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Acy MORTON, 18, male, white, Alabama; Elizabeth MORTON, 16, female, white, Assistant House Keeper, Alabama; Marshall MORTON, 14, male, white, farm laborer, Alabama; Martha MORTON, 13, male, white, at school, Alabama; Wm MORTON, 11, male, white, at school, Alabama; Eliza MORTON, 9, female, white, Alabama; James MORTON, 6, male, white, Alabama.
1900 Scurry County, Texas census, Justice Precinct #1, taken 6 June 1900, Dwelling/Family # 131/133: William MORTON, head, white, male, January 1820, 80, married 56 years, South Carolina, South Carolina, South Carolina, carpenter; Nancy, wife, white, female, December 1819, 81, married 56 years, 11 children born, 9 living, South Carolina, South Carolina, South Carolina.
"William M. Morton, his wife, Martha N. Bynum and their children moved from Alabama to Eastland County, Texas in 1872. He bought 320 acres of land about two miles northeast of Eastland. One hundered acres of the original W. M. Morton land is now owned (1989) by his great great grandchildren, Modell Graham Gann and Wince Graham, Jr.
"As a rule, the insects were not as bad then as this day and time, but about two years after the family had lived in Eastland County, the grasshoppers came in great numbers. Made it look cloudy. William cleared part of his land for farming. After several years of farming the land, William became too old to do much work and his wife, Marthat, suffered a stroke, so they sold the land to one of their sons, and as was the custom, moved in with their children. After living with their son, Allen for several years, William and Martha moved to Snyder, Texas to live with another son, Ace Morton in 1900. William's grandson, Tobe Morton, remembered when William and Martha got ready catch the train to go to Snyder. William had all of his money in his shoes. It was a life savings of a few hundred dollars.
"When William Morton first settled on his 320 acres in 1872, there were no stores in Eastland. The nearest store was at Merriman. Took a long time to make the trip by wagon or horseback and the things you could buy were limited. The nearest market for anything the farmer produced was Fort Worth, Texas and a limited market at Stephenville, Texas in 1872. Before the county seat was moved to Eastland from Merriman in 1876, Eastland County was attached to Palo Pinto County for judicial purposes. Court was held in Merriman, sometime Alameda, a couple of miles south of Merriman because Alameda had a larger two story building than the log house covered with rawhide that was in Merriman.
"Most of the buildings on the William M. Morton farm were built of logs. I am not sure when the board house was built. One of the log corn cribs was intact and used in the early 1930's. Several of the Morton sons acquired farms in the general vicinity of the original farm, most of these farms were north toward the Pleasant Grove Community." (Folia Mae Morton Jarrett in "Morton - Dulin" article in EASTLAND COUNTY HISTORY)
Events
| Birth | Abt, 1823 | Blount County, Alabama or South Carolina | |||
| Marriage | Abt, 1844 | Martha Nancy Bynum | |||
| Death | Abt, 1905 | Snyder, Scurry County, Texas | |||
| Burial | Snyder Cemetery, Scurry County, Texas |
Families
| Spouse | Martha Nancy Bynum (1819 - 1906) |
| Child | Morton ( - ) |
| Child | John "Jonathan" Thomas Morton (1849 - 1928) |
| Child | Allen Morton (1850 - 1928) |
| Child | Asa "Ace" "A. C." Morton (1852 - ) |
| Child | Mary Elizabeth Morton (1853 - ) |
| Child | Marshall "Matt" Morton (1855 - ) |
| Child | Martha L. Morton (1858 - ) |
| Child | William "Bill" Morton (1860 - ) |
| Child | Eliza Morton (1861 - ) |
| Child | James "Jim" Morton (1864 - ) |
| Child | Morton ( - ) |
| Father | Marshall Morton (1792 - 1883) |
| Mother | Elizabeth Durham (1796 - 1884) |
| Sibling | Jonathan Morton (1814 - ) |
| Sibling | Allen Morton (1816 - 1909) |
| Sibling | Marshall John Morton (1818 - ) |
| Sibling | Joshua Nathaniel Morton (1820 - 1894) |
| Sibling | Sarah Morton (1825 - ) |
| Sibling | Polley Ann Morton (1826 - ) |
| Sibling | Mary Morton (1829 - ) |
| Sibling | Winney Morton (1829 - 1903) |
| Sibling | James Morton (1831 - 1913) |
| Sibling | Joel Morton (1837 - 1928) |