Person:George Morgan (26)

At age one, George was brought to America with his family from Liverpool to Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He learned how to walk on the ship to America. All the Morgan men, being experienced Welsh coal miners, continued that same occupation on arrival in America. Land homesteaded by George's father Richard Morgan in Pennsylvania became their home.

George volunteered for the military service in Company B, Ninth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Cavalry on June 9, 1864 for three years or the duration of the Civil War. He went with General Sherman on the famous march through Georgia. He was involved in two battles with General Sherman near Fayetteville, NC which is close to Fort Bragg. He was discharged from the Army at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 25, 1865. Two years later he went to Butler County, Iowa to search out opportunities in a new land.

Land grants were opened in southern Minnesota to Civil War volunteers for homesteading. George, Tacy, and their baby, Curtis joined George's sister Mary Thomas in Spirit Lake, Iowa. From Spirit Lake, George went by train with S. J. Moe to Jackson. He consulted with authorities at the land office there and was given instructions regarding the location of the homesead he had selected, the northwest quarter of section 6, Round Lake Township. He walked from Jackson westward, tying his clothes on his head as he swam the Des Moines River, and then continued westward until he sighted the lake now known as Round Lake. To locate his land, he was told to sight a line about two miles northwest of the large Oak tree on the east bank of Round Lake.

In the spring of 1870, George brought his family to the dugout sod house he had constructed on the northwest corner of the section, bordering the Nobles County/Jackson County line. A year or so later, they built a log cabin. They had to go to Lake Crystal by ox team to secure shingles for their home. In this home four more children were born; Harvey Richard, September 5, 1871; John Howard, February 15, 1874; Frank Harrison, August 10, 1876, and Edith Ann, June 30, 1881. It was a happy day with the family moved into a new house buillt in 1885. A den of foxes that they sold for $35.00 helped finance the project. George and Tacy lived on this homestead about 35 years.

George Morgan as written by Edith Morgan Willardson George Morgan was born April 9, 1842. His parents lived in England and they came to the United States by ship. George was born aboard the ship. George and his family settled in Cotarvisse, Pennsylvania.

George enlisted in Company B5 of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry commanded by General Sherman and they made the march from Atlanta to the sea. After his discharge from the service, he came to Butler County, Iowa, and married Tacy Knipe on May 5, 1865.

During the spring of 1869, they immigrated to their homestead, traveling two hundred fifty miles in a covered wagon drawn by horses to Minnesota, Jackson County, Round Lake Township, Section 6. There were very few bridges, so the horses had to swim across the streams. On December 13, 1870 George received a Deed for the homestead which was signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes.

Their first home was a dug out. A large tree was cut down near the Iowa line and the log from this tree was cut in half lengthwise and placed in the center of the roof with other tree limbs, and then covered with slough grass and dirt. The floor was also dirt.

In the fall, they returned to Butler County and then came back to Minnesota in the spring cutting trees for their log cabin. This log cabin also featured a loft which provided more living area. They lived in this log cabin for fifteen years. In 1886 they built a new house and the labor for the carpenter was a dollar to a dollar and a half per day. They didn’t know how they were going to pay the carpenter one day when they came upon a fox. They followed the fox and dug out the little foxes and sold them for $35.00 which helped a great deal to pay for the house.

When George lost one of the horses from Glanders, he sold the other horse for a team of oxen. The only shelter the oxen had was a shed made of poles covered with hay. During the snow storm of January 13, 1888, George and his family would have frozen to death if the oxen had not run into the sod house where they lived and stayed for the night.

The first school was held in the Dodge Granary on the Dodge farm on the north shores of Round Lake.

Mr. O. H. Roche, a Chicago Board of Trade operator, bought nearly 2,000 acres around the lake. The road that led to Round Lake went through his land. He had gates across the road that were locked, but the neighboring farmers all had keys to open each one of these gates so they could go to town. George grafted apple trees of different kinds for their use.

George and Tacy Knipe Morgan were the parents of five children: Curtis, Harvey, Howard, Frank, and Edith.

On November 21, 1892, George’s father Richard died after having come to live with George only a few weeks earlier. Richard Morgan, was the second person to be buried in the new Round Lake Cemetery.

George and Tacy were amongst the founding members of the Presbyterian Church. The church was organized April 24, 1892 with only 21 members. George was the second Elder to be elected.

In 1906, George retired and he and Tacy moved to Worthington where George died on Tuesday, July 21, 1914 at the age of 71. Tacy died on Wednesday, August 25, 1926. They are both buried at the Round Lake Cemetery.

Children of George and Tacy: Curtis Eugene was born March 21, 1869 at Willaby, Butler County, Iowa. He met and married Caroline Elizabeth (Elise) Antritter. They had five children, Frieda, Clara, Florence, Paul, and William.

Harvey Richard was born September 5, 1871 in the dugout his father had constructed. Harvey married Henrietta Frost.

John Howard was born February 15, 1874. He married Bessie Baldwin. Their children were Raymond who was born in 1905. He married Opal Smith. John died July 25, 1951 and is buried in the Round Lake Cemetery. Raymond died in 1973.

Frank Harrison was born August 10, 1876 and married Lydia Hoffman. In 1930 they moved to California for a few years. Owned a farm one mile north of Round Lake which was later farmed for many years by Bob Paulsen. Frank and Lydia lived in Worthington when they retired. Frank died in 1968 and Lydia died in 1972. They are buried at the Worthington Cemetery. Children are Kenneth born 1912 and Glee.

Edith Ann was born June 30, 1881 and married Frank Willardson

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