- ROBERT MORTON, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising,
is the owner of a fine
- farm of 294 acres on sections 35 and 36, Johnstown Township.
He is a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, born Nov. 30, 1839, and
a son of John and Jane (BARCLAY) MORTON. He was the fourth in
order of birth in a family of six children, for of whom are now
living - John, the eldest, died in Johnstown Township, in the
month of September, 1876; James, whose sketch
will be found elsewhere in this work, is a leading farmer of
Rock County; Jane is the wife of David CARTER, of Johnstown Township;
Robert is next in order of birth; Alexander died in La Prairie
Township, in April, 1879; and Margaret is living with her sister
in Johnstown Township.
- The early life of our subject was spent in his native land,
but at the age of fifteen years, he emi-
- grated with his family to American, the ocean voyage lasting
thirty-seven days. Landing at New York in the latter part of
June, 1855, the father then went to Albany on a steamboat, whence
he proceeded by railroad to Rochester, continuing his journey
by canal to Piffard, then traveling across the country about
five miles to Peoria, where his brother-in-law, James GORDON,
was living. That gentleman at the time of his death, was the
oldest Postmaster in the United States. He died in January, 1887,
and his wife still survives him, yet enjoying excellent health
for a lady of her age. Locating in Livingston County, N.Y., Mr.
MORTON sent for his family who were soon installed in their new
home. Shortly after his arrival, our subject began working as
a farm hand for James DOW, who resided in the town of York, and
remained in his employ for about seventeen months. During the
winter of 1856-7, he attended school in Peoria, which completed
his education, and the following spring, he came to Rock County,
his parents having in the meantime become residents of this community.
The same spring, he engaged to work for William GALBRAITH, continuing
with him until 1859, when he was employed as a farm hand by Quartus
TORRY, a farmer who resided on the present home of our subject.
He was employed by him from the spring of 1859 until the spring
of 1863, having almost the entire charge of the farm work, which
fact testifies to his ability and the confidence placed in him
by his employer. In the winter of 1863, he was married, but continued
to operate that farm until 1870. The previous year Mr. TORRY
died, and in 1870, Mr. MORTON purchased of the widow 160 acres
of land, comprising a part of his present farm, at a cost of
$8,000. He afterwards bought eighty acres of land in 1874, from
the heirs to the estate, and before the deed reached him it had
traveled through every State in the Union, all of the heirs,
who were scattered in various places over this broad land, being
required to sign the name. He is now the owner of 294 broad acres,
240 of which on section 35, together with thirty-two acres, on
section 36, are under cultivation. For the past twenty years
Mr. MORTON has given considerable attention to the breeding of
Clydesdale horses, and now has thirty-one head of fine animals
upon his farm. For nine years he has also been engaged in grading
Polled Angus cattle, and has done much toward the introduction
of fine stock into Rock County. Every thing about his place denotes
the thrift and enterprise of the owner, and his farm is one of
the best in Johnstown Township.
- In the month of February, 1864, Mr. MORTON led to the marriage
altar Miss Isabel GENTLE,
- a daughter of James GENTLE. The family of which she is a
member numbered five children, but only two are now living -
James, who married Wilhelmina ROSSOW, a daughter of Louis ROSSOW,
by whom he had seven children, died in May, 1888; Agnes, wife
of Duncan GRAHAM, a resident of La Prairie Township, who died
in Kansas in August, 1879, had four children by her marriage,
and her death occurred Oct. 4, 1886; Mrs. MORTON, who was born
in Kinroshire, Scotland, in May, 1845, is the third in order
of birth; Ellen departed this life in Johnstown Township, in
February, 1864; George, who was born in May, 1851, is the husband
of Delilah SCOFIELD, a daughter of John and Clarissa (PEMBER)
SCOFIELD.
- By the union of Mr. and Mrs. MORTON five children have been
born, and the family circle
- remains unbroken - John, the eldest, born May 15, 1865, is
still at home; James, born June 15, 1868, is a student of the
commercial college of Janesville; Jane Isabella, born Nov. 29,
1871, attended school at Whitewater Normal for two years but
is now at home; Agnes Margaret, born May 3, 1873, and Ella, Oct.
21, 1878, are still living with their parents. In his political
affiliations, Mr. MORTON is a Democrat, and he and his wife are
members of the Presbyterian Church of Johnstown Township. They
are numbered among the highly respected people of the community
where they reside, and during their residence in Rock County
have gained many warm friends, by whom they are held in high
regard.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 823-824.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|