Honey Grove, Texas

Joseph Morrison Family

Published in the Honey Grove Signal-Citizen about 1938
Written by H. P. Allen, assisted by W. J. Erwin

At the village of Selfs there resides the last member of the Joseph Morrison family. He is 87 years old and was born on the old Morrison farm just a short distance west of the village. We stopped at his home not long age and interviewed him in regard to his long residence in that section. He cheerfully showed me interesting relics that had been his father's and in one or two instances he was not sure but the article had been his grandfather's. He showed us the old family Bible. We made notes to use in writing this sketch, but lost the paper before we were ready to write it and am drawing on our memory and may not get it accurately, but if not mistaken, his father was born in 1819. He produced the land title the state made him to his homestead. It was written on parchment and was signed by Anson Jones, president of the Republic of Texas.

The land titles made to men while Texas was a republic are not dated, but refer the reader to volume so and so in the land office in Austin. A man had to be 21 years old to homestead. So Mr. Joseph Morrison, the father of our James Morrison, must necessarily have been one of the very earliest settlers in that country. James showed us several articles that were of great age; a pair of dog irons which had been in use 90 years; a fire shovel which had been in use most certainly 100 years, and a beautiful walking cane 90 years old. He also has the branding iron with which he killed a bear many years ago. Mr. James Morrison is a man whose character for truth and veracity is above question.

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