My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE W. MORRIS, son of John and Elizabeth Morris, was born in Gloucester, England, January 27, 1823. The family came to the United States in 1831, and settled in New York State, where the mother died in Troy, in 1861. His father, who had been a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church for fifty years, died in the same city, in 1881, at the age of eighty seven. The subject of this sketch had very limited advantages of education in school. At the age of fifteen years he commenced mercantile life in a country store near Troy, N. Y., but was subsequently thrown out of employment, and in 1846 left his home for the West, stopping at Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, in the hope of finding a situation, but failing, he arrived in Louisville in June, 1846, where he found it as difficult to find work as where he had come from; but, after spending six weeks, going daily from store to store in every business street in Louisville, he succeeded in obtaining a clerkship at a salary of $200 per annum. From that day to this he has never been idle. In October, same year, he received the position of bookkeeper in the wholesale dry-goods house of Emery, Low & Co., remaining two years, then resigned to engage in the wholesale grocery business as a junior member of Fonda, Moore & Co. In July, 1848, he was married to Miss Caroline A. Wallace, of Western New York. The firm of Fonda, Moore & Co. was organized in September, 1848, and in July, 1851, was succeeded by the firm of Fonda & Morris, which continued until 1858, when it was dissolved by the senior member retiring from business. Mr. Morris prosecuted the business on his own account till 1867,when he engaged with George S. Moore in the iron business, and in 1885 Mr. Morris withdrew from this partnership in order to give his entire attention to the presidency of the Louisville Gas Company, a position to which he had just been elected, and is at present acting in that capacity. In 1851 Mr. Morris advocated, before the people and through the press, the necessity of a new charter for the city, the adoption of which contributed so largely to the prosperity of Louisville. He was elected a member of the first “Board of Trustees of the University and public schools of the city of Louisville,” under the charter of 1851. He was connected with this board for about twelve years, and for five consecutive years was elected its president without opposition. In 1865, by the recommendation of the alumni of the university of the public schools the degree of A. M. was conferred upon him. For several years he was one of the directors of the Kentucky Mechanics Institute, and delivered the fifth annual address before that association in 1857. In 1860, as a representative of the commercial interests of the city, he was elected from its members, president of the Board of Trade, and served two years. In 1864 he was a member of the common council; in 1866 was the democratic candidate for mayor. In 1870 he was unanimously chosen by the people of his ward a member of the convention to form the present city charter, and by the convention was elected president. In 1873 he was elected to the lower house of the legislature. Soon after the election the panic of 1873 came, and his business affairs forced him to resign this trust. For twenty-five years he has been one of the directors of the Franklin Fire Insurance Company (the oldest fire insurance company in the State); for several years its vice-president, and in 1886, on the death of its president, Mr. James Trabue, was unanimously elected its president, which office he now holds. He is also president of the Indiana Cotton Mills at Cannelton, Ind. He was one of the organizers of the Southern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Kentucky; for ten years a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Louisville, and for the past fifteen years a director of the Bank of Kentucky. In the I. O. O. F. organization he has held the exalted position of Grand Master of Kentucky, and has been unanimously elected Grand Treasurer of the Jurisdiction of Kentucky, and has held this position for twenty-five years. Mr. Morris is a prominent member of the Second and Broad way Presbyterian Church.