Morton, John Clark

MORTON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 16:21:27

History of Warren County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns & Etc., by Union Historical Company, 1879, p.680

MORTON, JOHN C., farmer, West Washington Township, Sec. 33; P. O. Indianola; was born in the State of Pennsylvania, August 15, 1851, and was raised there till about eighteen years of age, when he emigrated with his mother to this county, December, 1869, his father having died in Pennsylvania; he was raised on a farm, and has always followed it as an occupation; he has an improve farm of 160 acres.

J. CLARK MORTON
born Aug 15, 1851, PA

J. Clark Morton, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Warren county, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1851, a son of Richard and Harriet (Clark) Morton. The paternal great grandfather of our subject came from the old country during Revolutionary times, locating in Pennsylvania, and was one of early pioneers of that part of the State. He lived to an advanced age. Grandfather Morton was also born in Pennsylvania at an day and spent his entire life there. The father of our subject was born on the old homestead in Washington county, twenty five from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1806, and his death occurred there in 1868. He was a farmer during his active life, was a Republican since the formation of that party, and was always active in local matters. The mother of our subject was also born in Washington county, January 1, 1815, and her death occurred in 1887. The ancestors of the family came from England in an early day. J. Clark Morton lived in his native State until eighteen years of age, when he came with his mother and sister to Iowa, locating in Indianola, Warren county, and at the same time purchased the west half of section 33, Lincoln township, then wild prairie, and he located on the place two years later. In 1882 he remodeled his home, built a large barn, and has all other necessary improvements for farming and stock raising. Mr. Morton makes a specialty of raising a fine grade of Poland China hogs, at times owning nearly 200 head, and he also keeps about 100 head of cattle and twenty head of horses. He has secured many prizes at the county fairs for his superior stock.
Mr Morton was first married in 1881, to Henrietta Davisson, a native of Warren county. She departed this life in 1884. Three years afterward our subject was united in marriage with Florence Irene Frew, a native of Iowa, and a daughter of John and Eliza (Gregg) Frew, natives of Pennsylvania. The father died in June, 1893, at the age of seventy-six years. He had followed farming and carpentering during his active life. The mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Frew were the parents of nine children. To our subject and wife have been born four children: Ina, Lucy, Irene, and James Cyrus. In his social relations Mr. Morton is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Camp No 605, of Indianola, and of Three Rivers Lodge, No 94, A. O. U. W. Politically he is a staunch Republican and an active worker for his party. 424

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.529

J. CLARK MORTON
J. Clark Morton, living on section 33, Lincoln Township, has for almost forty years been a witness of the changes which have occurred whereby War­ren County has been developed from a pioneer district into a center of civ­ilization, which makes it one of the leading counties of this great common­wealth. He arrived here December 1, 1869, to find a stretch of broad prairie largely untilled and unimproved. He was then a young man of about eigh­teen years, energetic and determined, and as the years passed by he bore a helpful part in the work of general development.
Mr. Morton was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1851. His father, Richard Morton, was a native of that county and lived and died in that district. His entire life was devoted to general farming and thus he provided a good living for his family. He was married there to Miss Harriett Clark, a native of Washington County and they became the parents of two daughters and a son. One of the daughters, Sarah J., died at the age of thirteen years; Mary A., was the wife of George E. Brown and her death occurred in this county.
J. Clark Morton, the only son, acquired a public school education while spending his boyhood days under the parental roof. His father died in 1868, when sixty-three years of age, and the following year the mother came with her family to Iowa. Her death occurred here in 1887 when she was seventy-two years of age. She purchased the farm upon which her son, Clark, now resides comprising three hundred and twenty acres of land, and with char­acteristic energy he began to develop and improve it. His labor changed raw prairie into rich and productive fields. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made on the farm at the time of their arrival, but he worked energetically and diligently to cultivate the fields so that he might annually gather larger crops. In the course of time golden harvests rewarded his labor and for many years he has been numbered among the substantial agriculturists of the community. He has erected a good two-story residence, a commodious and substantial barn and other outbuildings which afford good shelter to grain and stock. His land holdings today embrace five hun­dred and twenty acres, for in addition to the home farm of three hundred and sixty acres on section 33, Lincoln Township, he has one hundred and sixty acres in White Oak Township. He has made a specialty of raising pure­blooded Poland China hogs and twenty-five times in thirty years he has made exhibits at the county fairs, where he has won many premiums on his hogs. He has also raised thoroughbred shorthorn cattle for twenty years and an­nually feeds from four to five carloads of cattle and from two to three car­loads of hogs. He has also raised Angora goats for nine years and markets the wool direct in Sanford, Maine. Another branch of his business is the raising of high-grade Norman Percheron horses, and in fact he is recognized as one of the prominent stock-dealers of this part of the state.
On the 1st of December, 1881, Mr. Morton was married to Miss Henrietta Davisson, a lady of Virginia, and a daughter of Jacob Davisson, who arrived in this county in 1864. Mrs. Morton died in 1884, and on the 17th of Febru­ary, 1887, Mr. Morton wedded Miss Florence 1. Frew, a native of Lamont, Iowa. In 1908, Mr. Morton was called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife, who died on the 26th of March at the age of forty-eight years. She is not only greatly missed in her own household, but also in the church and Sunday school, where she was an active worker, and in her home locality where she was widely known as a helpful and faithful friend. She was a lady of many lovable traits of character and hers was a splendid example of Christian life.

Mr. Morton has a family of seven children: Ina, Lucy, Irene, James Cyrus, Hazel, May and Fern, all of whom are still under the parental roof. Throughout the community the family is held in high esteem and no man more thoroughly enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens than does Mr. Morton. He has been a lifelong Republican where national ques­tions and issues are involved, but he casts an independent local ballot. He has served on the school board for many years, was it treasurer for twelve years and is still the incumbent in the office. The cause of education finds in him a firm friend and one who has done effective work in its behalf. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp at Indianola, is also connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, with the Modern Brotherhood and with the Yeoman. [He is] A devoted and faithful member of Center Chapel church, who joined that congregation on its organization. He has long served as one of its officers, is a most zealous worker in the Sunday school and for twelve years has been Sunday school superintendent. His aid can always be counted upon to further the moral development of the community and in many other ways he assists in the work of public progress and improvement. His life has been one of intense and well directed activity and he is most widely and favorably known in the community, where he has lived from early man­hood, covering a period of forty years. The rules which have governed his conduct have made his a most upright and honorable character. He is more­over a man of strong individuality, as well as stalwart purpose, and he justly merits the splendid success which has come to him in his business life.