Prairie Creek Indiana
                    Vigo County, Nov. 20, 1911

This sketch of family history was made by Dick T. Morgan November 20,
1911, as given him by his mother Frances Morgan.  I arrived at
mother's place Nov. 17, 1911.  I am here this 20th day of November.  I
am on my way to Washington D.C. to attend my duties as a
representative in Congress.  From the recent congressional district of
that state.

My mother Frances Morgan was born March 15, 1822, in Riley township,
Vigo county, Indiana.  Her maiden name was Thompson.  Her fathers name
was David Thompson.  Her grandfather's name was Aaron Thompson, who
was born in Ohio or Virginia.  Mother says "I think grandfather
Thompson was born in Virginia but possibly in Ohio.  Though I know his
family came from Virginia.  My grandfather lived and died in Sullivan
County, on the Wabash river near Merom.  He erected and kept a ferry
across the Wabash known as Thompson's Ferry.  He had large land
possessions there.

"My mother's name was Barbara Lutz, who I think was born in Germany.
She could tell us children the German words for common things around
the house.  She lived in her childhood near Cincinnati, Ohio.  My
mother's first husbands name was John Ray from which nine children
were born.  Elias, William, Elizabeth, Isaac, John, James, Martin.
John Ray was frozen to death.  John Ray was a brother of Governor Ray,
one of the early governor of the State of Indiana and Martin Ray
became one of the prominent lawyers of the state.  His home was at
Shelbyville, Indiana where he raised a large family.  Winfield Scott
Ray an editor being one of his sons.  Martin Ray was my half brother."

"My father's name was David Thompson who was mother's second husband.
I had but one full brother, Aaron Thompson who died in Iowa, when he
was a young man.  William Ray, father of John Ray my mothers first
husband, drew a pension from the US government.  I think John Ray also
drew a pension but I am not certain about this."  (What war was he
in?)

Mother says: "According to what my grandmother Rachel (Clark) Thompson
told my aunt Cynthia (Thompson) Ray, ------- My aunt Cynthia Thompson
told me my grandmother Rachel Thompson, who's maiden name was Clark,
was a sister or niece of Benjamin Franklin, the philosopher, diplomat
and patriot of the Revolutionary period."

Mother says: "I am not certain that my grandmothers maiden name was
Clark as she may have been a widow when she married grandfather
Thompson."

Mother says: "The Templeton family was in some way mixed up with our family in showing
connections with Benjamin Franklin, but I can't remember just how it was."

Mother says: "I united with the Christian Church at Prairie Creek
(Middletown) Indiana in Sept 1851, under the preaching of Elder Joseph
Wolf of Sullivan, Indiana and was baptized by him.  That has been over
60 years ago.  I was one of the charter members of that church.

Valentine Morgan, husband of Frances Morgan, was born Jan 30, 1817 and
died with ph___ fever, March 29, 1880,
as shown by the record in the family bible which I have just
inspected.

Mother says: "Valentine Morgan was born in Bourbon County Ky.  He came
to Indiana with his father when he was about thirteen years old.  His
fathers name was Reece Jones Morgan and his mother's maiden name was
Lucretia Crawford.  Reece Jones Morgan was born in Virginia.  Mother
says:"I think the Jones in Reece Morgans name was the maiden name of
Reece Morgans mother.  Reece Morgans mothers name was Deborah."

Mother says: "I know that Lucretia Crawford lived in Virginia in an
early day and was on the frontier and experienced the danger from
Indian depredations.  Reece Jones Morgan had two brothers, David and
John Morgan.  I think John died early.  David came to Indiana and
settled near Bloomington, Indiana, where he raised a large family.
Reece Jones Morgan had one sister Catherine who married a man by the
name of Reville.  She was known as Aunt Katie Reville.  She remained
in Kentucky where she reared a large family.  I think her husbands
name was Joseph Reville. I think they lived in Bourbon county.  They
were farmers.  Aunt Katie was known for her good works - helping the
needy.

From the union of Reece Morgan and Lucretia Crawford was born
Elizabeth, David, William, Deborah, Lucretia, Orson, and Valentine.
David died young.  I think in Park County.  Elizabeth married Thomas
Nesbit and lived to be quite old.  She raised a large family, who
lived in Sullivan County.  All their children are dead but they have
quite a number of grandchildren in Sullivan County, Indiana. (I knew
Elizabeth and Thomas Nesbit well.  She was known as Aunt Betsie.
William Morgan left two sons and a daughter.  All of whom are now
dead.  His sons names were (William)Riley and Lycurgus and daughter's
name was Arminta.  Lycurgus and Arminta left no children.  Riley
Morgan left one child, Professor Walter Morgan, a successful teacher
of Chicago, Ill.  Debra Morgan left no children.  Lucretia married
James Davis and left two children, Hardin and Eliza, who married
Stephen Galpin who left probably three children.  One, Harry Galpin,
lives in Clinton, Indiana.  Orson Morgan married Charlotte Ray, who's
father was Samuel Ray, brother of Governor Ray.  Orson Morgan raised
large family of boys whose names were Icilius, Reece, Taylor,
Valentine, Orson, (Joe)Adolphus, (Dutch) William and Lincoln.  Orson
many years lived about one mile south of Prairie Creek P.O.
(Middletown) but about 1867, moved to Champaign County, Ill, where
most of his boys lived.  His sons Valentine, Orson, (Joe) and Lincoln
lived at Jewett, Ill.  Adalphus (Dutch) lived in Oklahoma.

Valentine Morgan and Frances A.(Thompson) Morgan were married in Vigo
County, January 20, 1842, when she was not quite 20 years old, and
when he was about 25 years old.  The marriage cceremony was performed
by Rev. Asa Frakes, a pioneer Baptist preacher, who lived in Prairie
Creek township.  They were married in the home of Valentine's mother.
There were five persons present as witnesses to the marriage. These
were Mr. and Mrs. Bently, Mr. and Mrs. Orson Morgan and the minister.
All these parties now (Nov. 20, 1911) are dead except Frances Morgan
the then bride.

Copied By Ross Morris Jun 1996
Transcribed from a microfilm of Dick T.'s handwritten pages

    Source: geocities.com/grandmashannon/articles/morgani