|
Morrison, James T., was born at Ludlowville, March 22, 1829, the youngest son of a family of three children
of James Morrison, who was a native of Saratoga county, coming to this county in 1816. He was a cabinet maker and
engaged in that business in East Lansing. In 1826, he settled on a farm east of Ludlowville, and conducted cabinet
making, chair manufacturing and farming. He was also the only undertaker in the town of Lansing for a great many
years. He died November 24, 1870, at seventy four years of age. The mother of our subject, Mary Townley, was a
daughter of Deacon Charles Townley, who was one of the first settlers of this county, with his brother Richard
Townley. Richard and Charles Townley were natives of New Jersey and Revolutionary soldiers. They married sisters
and in 1802, immigrated from Pennsylvania to Tompkins county, stopping over night with their ox team and household
effects in Ithaca when there was but one house, the residence of the McDowells, and the next day resumed their
journey to the town of Lansing, where they took the the military tract assigned them. James T. spent his boyhood
days in Lansing, and attended school until fifteen, when he entered the employ of Henry L. Burr, who was conducting
a general store at Ludlowville. He remained with Burr until 1847, when he went to New York and that year spent
part of the time in Rochester. The spring of 1848 he came to Ithaca, where he was clerk for Finch & Stowell
three years. In 1851 he returned to Ludlowville, where he engaged in business for himself six years. He then traded
his property for a farm of 150 acres in Lansing, where he lived one year, and then came back to Ithaca in 1858,
buying an interest in the business of Avery, Woodruff & Co., and the firm name became Morrison, Woodruff &
Granger, existed two years, and then became Morrison & Woodruff. After one year Mr. Woodruff sold his interest
to Hawkins & Finch, making the firm Morrison, Hawkins & Co. This firm continued eight years. The spring
of 1869, Mr. Morrison purchased of the Downing estate what is now known as the Morrison block, where he removed
his half interest and was alone in business until February, 1889, when he sold to Theodore Dobsin. Mr. Morrison
is a Prohibitionist. He was twice married, and was the father of three sons and one daughter. The oldest son, William
H., graduate of Cornell, is an instructor in Wilmington, Del.; Maurice, is now a student of the law department
of Cornell University. The daughter and one son are deceased.
From:
Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York
Including a History of Cornell University
Edited by: John H. Selkreg
D. Mason & Co., Publishers
Syracuse, N. Y. 1894
Privacy Policy for
OnlineBiographies
|
NAVIGATION
Tompkins County, NY
Biographies
Online
Biographies
New York
Histories
New York
Biographies
Maine
Histories
Pennsylvania
Histories
Pennsylvania
Biographies
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium
|