The life of the subject of this biography has not been altogether devoid
of the spectacular, but has been entirely free from ostentation, and he has
never forced himself on public attention, yet his fellow citizens recognize
in this venerable character a man of genuine worth, whose every duty has
been discharged with commendable fidelity and whose influence has always
been exercised for the good of his kind. He has traveled extensively and
come in contact with the world in such a way as to quicken his perception,
enlarge his mental vision and give him ideas of men and things such as he
could not have obtained by spending his life in one locality, and as a
result of his altogether consistent career he has won the esteem of all who
know him.
Col. Napoleon B. Morrison was born in Water ford, Vermont,
February 12, 1824, and reared in New Hampshire by sturdy New England
parents. He is the son of Moses F. and Zilpha (Smith) Morrison. Grandfather
Morrison was of Scotch-Irish lineage from Londonderry, Ireland, who settled
in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Our subject is a direct descendant of Samuel
Morrison, who was a charter member of Londonderry. Grandfather Smith was a
Revolutionary soldier. He was born in New Hampshire, where he spent his days
on a farm. He had eight children, seven boys and one girl; all lived to
maturity.
The subject's father was a graduate of Dartmouth College
and became a physician, devoting his entire life to practice, having
remained in the eastern states. He was an extensive writer and was assistant
geologist of the state of New Hampshire. A number of his manuscripts are yet
in perfect condition, and they are considered of much value. He lived to be
about seventy years old. He was a Christian man of advanced thought and
culture, who could not be tied down to any dogma or creed. He followed his
profession with energy, enthusiasm and love, love for the science and love
for the patients, therefore he not only became well grounded in his
profession but had hosts of loyal friends. He endeavored to discover the
cause of disease and treat it from that standpoint.
Eight of his
children grew to maturity. Two died in infancy. They followed the various
avocations of educated men.
The subject of this sketch first
attended the public schools in New Hampshire, later went to the academy at
Newburry, Vermont, where he prepared for college. He then took a course in
civil engineering which profession he followed for a period of twenty years
with great success in New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Ohio and Illinois.
In 1849 and 1850 he surveyed and located the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad
from Chillicothe to Cincinnati, Ohio, which has since been absorbed by the
Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and became a part of that great system. It is now
known as the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern.
In 1862 he settled in
Odin, Marion county, where he has lived ever since. Twenty-three years ago,
from 1908, he opened the coal mine here which has been running successfully
all the time since, and it has been under his immediate management ever
since it was started. It is incorporated and our subject has been the
president from the start. The capacity is one thousand tons daily. Last year
the mine produced two hundred and forty thousand tons. It is operated with
two hundred miners and is always a very busy place.
The coal
produced here is of a very high grade and always finds a ready market.
Colonel Morrison also has large farming interests in this county, and an
excellent stock ranch. He breeds high grade cattle, having some
thoroughbreds. His cattle are usually fattened on grass for the market, and
no small portion of his yearly income is derived from his shipments of live
stock which always demand high prices owing to their fine quality. His farms
are kept in a high state of improvement and are up-to-date in every respect,
showing that a man of unusual soundness of judgment has their management in
hand.
Colonel Morrison has frequently been called upon to display
his innate ability in public offices, having faithfully served for twelve
years as Police Judge, and he served his people in a most praiseworthy
manner in the legislature for two terms, during which time he won an
enviable reputation as a law maker, and his advice and sound counsel were
always listened to with the greatest respect by his colleagues in the house.
Colonel Morrison likes to tell of the early days. When he was born
there was neither mill nor railroad in his section of the state. He was
three years old when the first stone was hauled to build the Bunker Hill
monument. The entire railroad and telegraph system has been built up since
he can remember. He was in Chicago when the contract was let for building
the Illinois Central Railroad. Mr. Morrison will soon be eighty-five years
old, and is as active and hale as ever, being as active in his business
management as at any time during his life. He built the first dwelling house
in Odin. He has seen land sell under the government for twenty-five cents
per acre that is now worth two hundred dollars per acre. He has long been
actively associated with the locating and building of railroads, and is an
enthusiastic believer in the useful results obtained by means of railroad
facilities.
Colonel Morrison's married life dates from 1853, when he
was united in the bonds of wedlock with Lavinia M. Smart, daughter of Judge
Hugh and Elizabeth (Hughes) Smart, of Ohio. Six children have been born to
Colonel Morrison and wife as follows: Sadie; Jean, who is the wife of
Hamilton Rapp, of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is an architect, plans and
superintends the territorial buildings. Jessie, the subject's third child,
is deceased; Helen is the wife of Doctor Fyke, of Centralia, Illinois, and
the mother of three daughters, Jean, Helen and Lavinia; Charles Hugh has
charge of the coal mine and its interests, and is general manager of his
father's business. He was a student of the State University at Champaign,
Illinois, and as a business man he ranks high in the county, being well and
favorably known to the business world; Vedie, the subject's sixth child, is
deceased. When Colonel Morrison came to Illinois there were neither
settlements nor settlers in this part of the commonwealth on all of the
broad prairies. From 1892 to 1898 he was a member of the Board of Trustees
of the University of Illinois, and was chairman of the Committee on
Agriculture. After an investigation he found there was but one professor and
four students in the agricultural college of the state of Illinois. He at
once set about remedying this condition, and it was due to his agitation and
efforts that this department was brought up to its present day state of
efficiency, it being recognized at present as one of the most effective
departments of the State University. He has on his own farm an experimental
station which is conducted under the supervision of the Agricultural College
at Champaign, and also of the agricultural department at Washington. He has
as a result of his faithful work, been invited to accompany special trains
which have traveled over all the trunk lines in Illinois, giving lectures
and practical demonstrations of the excellent work which has been
accomplished at the college. On the Illinois Central road he also visited
the states of Mississippi and Louisiana in this capacity.
Extracted 27 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 571-574.