Sutter-Yuba County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



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, 160th 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.
 
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p 683