Sylvester Prickett Morgan (1812 - 1895)

Born 27 Jun 1812 in Morgantown, Monongalia County, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 22 Feb 1895 at age 82 in Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, United States

Biography

SylvesterPrickett Morgan^[1] was born on 27 June 1812 in Morgantown, Monongalia County, Virginia,^[2][3]

On March 9, 1834 (or perhaps 1842), in Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, not a year after they first met, Sylvester married Sarah B. Morgan (no relation) at the Morgan House, which was then conducted by the late Ebenezer Morgan, father of Mrs. Morgan. She bore him eleven children.^[4]

Sylvester died on 22 February 1895 in Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana^[5] and is buried in Walnut Ridge Cemetery in Jeffersonville.^[6][7]

1860 census

Sylvester appears in the 1860 census as a 42-year-old farmer with $4000 in real property and $100 in personal property.

Birth Place: Virginia -- his wife and all the children were born in Indiana.

Home in 1860: Jeffersonville, Clark, Indiana; Post Office: Jeffersonville; Family Number: 221.

Household Members: Name Age

S P Morgan 42

Sarah Morgan 40

Virginia Morgan 18

Josephine Morgan 16

Chas Morgan 14

Cora Morgan 12

Lizzie Morgan 8

Neona Morgan 4

Sollie Morgan 1

Jas Williams 25

Adam Gosser 48

Joseph Brisber 18^[8]

Obituary

SYLVESTER PRICKETT MORGAN

Jeffersonville Evening News, February 1895.

A PIONEER PASSES AWAY.

Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace.

History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City.

After an illness of seven weeks Sylvester Morgan died at 1 A. M. on February 22. He passed away peacefully, and was perfectly ready to go. A few moments before his death he bade farewell to his children and his aged wife. His mind remained clear to the last. The funeral took place Sunday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, from the late residence at the Morgan House, corner Spring and Front streets. Rev. W. H Sheets officiated. Interment at Walnut Ridge. Many friends called to take the last look at the old pioneer.

Sylvester Prickett Morgan was born at Morgantown, Va., June 27, 1812. When he was 17 years old his parents moved to Kentucky. He accompanied them. They descended the Ohio in flatboats and landed in the vicinity of Louisville. With the Morgan family consisting of James and Dorothy Morgan, father and mother and Sylvester Morgan, came with Neal Brook and family, and Eli Farmer and family. All these have preceded Sylvester Morgan to the grave, who is the last of that company which sought fortune in the then new country. The entire party settled at Brook Station, Bullitt County, Ky., where they arrived May 27, 1829. Five years later Mr. Morgan came to this city and met his wife who survives him. Their meeting was a romantic incident. As the youth was toiling up the levee he saw a young woman sitting in front of the Morgan House, which then, as until within a few years, was a hotel. She was taking care of a small child, and her appearance invited the stranger. He asked where he might find a place to board. The maid promptly told him that her father kept a hotel there and it was as good a place as any he could find.

It seems to have been a case of love at first sight. On March 9, 1834, not a year after they first met, they were married at the Morgan House, which was then conducted by the late Ebenezer Morgan, father of Mrs. Morgan. The groom and bride bore the same name, but they were not kindred. The marriage proved happy, and through 61 years of married life Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have traveled together, taking life's sunshine and gloom in companionship, being blessed with 11 children, of whom seven are now living being Mrs. Ann Runyan, Mrs. Charles Wilbur, Mrs. E. Keigwin, Mrs. John Field, Mrs. Chris Badger, Mrs. R. J. Berry and Miss Lizzie Morgan. Twenty-one grand and great grand- children are living in Jeffersonville. Mr. Morgan obtained work at the Prison South, then located on Market Street, below [F]o[u]rth. The late James Keigwin, father of Col. James and Eph Keigwin was at that time the lessee of the Prison.

Tiring of the work Mr. Morgan next engaged in the hotel business running the stand now known as the Central Hotel for 12 years. During this period he also carried on the livery business where N. S. Matthews now conducts business. There were no railroads in those days between New Albany and this city, and this enterprising man established a stage line, which was open until the war, when the J. M. and I. bought the plank road between the two cities and built the first track. Mr. Morgan was thoroughly identified with the interests of the city. This the citizens recognized by electing him Marshal in 1849, he serving one year. Later in 1855 he was elected to the City Council from the Second Ward and served until 1857.

By this time he had, through industry and good management accumulated some property and owned a fine farm— the one now occupied by Charles Wilbur. To this he retired after serving his term in council, and lived the life of a farmer until 1875, when his years began to tell upon him and he returned to the city to run the Morgan House once more, thinking that it would give him more ease. The venerable gentleman was a well- known figure upon the streets, especially at the wharf, where he enjoyed his self on sunny days fishing and relating reminiscences, in which he was rich. Many a time has the writer of this article resorted to the kindly old man for information upon subjects relating to the early history of the city and county.

He was a very unostentatious man, and during his long and useful life made few enemies and many warm friends. Up to the last he delighted in the society of his fellow-men, especially of the young; indeed, he seemed to enter into the thoughts of young people with an unusual degree of understanding for one who had traveled so far on life's highway. His last hours were peaceful and he was perfectly reconciled to fall asleep, having made his peace with his Creator and fellow-man. In him another landmark has passed away, and a man who was a friend to all who knew him. Peace and sweet rest to his ashes.

The funeral of the late Sylvester P. Morgan took place Sunday at 2 o'clock from the late residence, and was carried out strictly in accordance with the wishes of the deceased, who before his death, requested that the burial should be as inexpensive and unostentatious as possible; that no flowers should be used at either the residence or the grave, and that Dr. W.H. Sheets, his life- long friend, should officiate at the service, while the grandchildren and sons-in-law should be pall-bearers, the only exception being John Mathews. At the hour set for the last sad rites a great number of friends assembled at the Morgan House, and listened to a tribute a life history of the deceased, by Dr. Sheets, who eloquently spoke of the good qualities and kindly heart of the old pioneer. After the services the remains were escorted to Walnut Ridge by an unusually large cortege and placed in the vault. The pall-bearers were: active— R.J. Berry, Chris Badger, Major Dewese, sons-in-law; Sylvester Runyan, Will Sutton grandsons and John Matthews, son of the late Judge Matthews, who was a close friend of the deceased. The honorary pall-beaters were Wm. Adams, Councilman W.H. Fogg, Col James Keigwin and Adam Spieth, Jr.

Sylvester Prickett Morgan, 1812-1895, photograph by Janet on Findagrave.com

From Findagrave.com

Sylvester Prickett Morgan

Birth: Jun. 27, 1812, Morgantown, Monongalia County, . . . Virginia, USA; Death: Feb. 22, 1895, Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, USA.

Mother: Dorothy Prickett Morgan; Birth 15 OCT 1777 • Pricketts Fort, Monongalia Co, Virginia, USA; Death 1853 • Monongalia Co, Virginia, USA, 

Family links: Parents: James Morgan (1769 - 1855); Spouse: Sarah B. Morgan Morgan (1818 - 1901); Children: Vera Ann Morgan Runyon (1836 - 1923), Mary Elizabeth Morgan Keigwin (1838 - 1860), Virginia Morgan Wilber (1840 - 1919), Josephine Morgan Keigwin Marks (1844 - 1929), Charles K. Morgan (1846 - 1863), Lizzie Helen Morgan Blue (1852 - 1902), Nina M Morgan Badger (1857 - 1922), Sallie B. Morgan Berry (1859 - 1933); Siblings: Druesilla Morgan Price (1795 - 1870), Sarah Morgan Price (1800 - 1884), Juliette Morgan Dawson (1814 - 1901).

Burial: Walnut Ridge Cemetery, Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, USA; Plot: Section C^[9]

Citations

1. ↑ Death of SP Morgan: Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace; History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City. Anon Publication: Jeffersonville Evening News February 1895 11 May 2014 URL: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35611376/person/18835276810/storyx/1?pg=32817&pgpl=pid
2. ↑ Prickett Fence, vol. 5, iss. 2, p. 26
3. ↑ Death of SP Morgan: Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace; History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City. Anon Publication: Jeffersonville Evening News February 1895 11 May 2014 URL: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35611376/person/18835276810/storyx/1?pg=32817&pgpl=pid
4. ↑ See obituary, below
5. ↑ Prickett Fence, vol. 5, iss. 2, pp. 26, 28.
6. ↑ Prickett Fence, vol. 5, iss. 2, p. 28,
7. ↑ Death of SP Morgan: Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace; History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City. Anon Publication: Jeffersonville Evening News February 1895 11 May 2014 URL: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35611376/person/18835276810/storyx/1?pg=32817&pgpl=pid
8. ↑ 1860 Census, Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana; Roll: M653_248; Page: 462; Image: 462; Family History Library Film: 803248 Ancestry.com. URL: http://search.ancestryheritagequest.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1860usfedcenancestry&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=sarah&gsfn_x=0&gsln=morgan&gsln_x=0&msbdy=1818&msbpn__ftp=Virginia%2c+USA&msbpn=49&msbpn_PInfo=5-%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c0%7c49%7c0%7c0%7 image 133 of 159, lines 22-33, SP Morgan household
9. ↑ Janet, maintained by Wade Davis, "Sylvester Prickett Morgan," Findagrave.com. Record added: Dec 20, 2010. URL: https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/%253C/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=63161299. Accessed 17 May 2017 by Patricia Prickett Hickin.

Acknowledgments

• This profile was created by Patricia Hickin

Sources

• Death of SP Morgan: Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace; History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City. Anon Publication: Jeffersonville Evening News February 1895 11 May 2014 URL: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35611376/person/18835276810/storyx/1?pg=32817&pgpl=pid

• Janet, maintained by Wade Davis, "Sylvester Prickett Morgan," Findagrave.com. Record added: Dec 20, 2010. URL: https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/%253C/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=63161299. Accessed 17 May 2017 by Patricia Prickett Hickin.

• Death of SP Morgan: Venerable With Age, Sylvester Morgan Dies Full of Hope and Peace; History of the Life of a Man Who Held the Esteem of the Whole City. Anon Publication: Jeffersonville Evening News February 1895 11 May 2014 URL: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35611376/person/18835276810/storyx/1?pg=32817&pgpl=pid

• 1860 Census, Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana; Roll: M653_248; Page: 462; Image: 462; Family History Library Film: 803248 Ancestry.com. URL: http://search.ancestryheritagequest.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1860usfedcenancestry&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=sarah&gsfn_x=0&gsln=morgan&gsln_x=0&msbdy=1818&msbpn__ftp=Virginia%2c+USA&msbpn=49&msbpn_PInfo=5-%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c0%7c49%7c0%7c0%7 image 133 of 159, lines 22-33, SP Morgan household

• Prickett Fence, vol. 5, iss. 2, p. 26

• Prickett Fence, vol. 5, iss. 2, p. 28