BIOGRAPHY: Catharine (BAUM) MORRISON, 1784-1867, Mifflin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Jim Morrison <jrmorr AT telusplanet DOT net> USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Copyright 2005-2008. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/ ___________________________________________________________ Catharine was one of three sisters who came to what became Union Twp., Mifflin County in 1788 with their parents Frederick and Rosanna Baum and was four years old at that time. The fourth sister, Elizabeth, was born in Mifflin Co. in 1789. Frederick had purchased a farm of 260 acres that was part of an original grant of land warranted to William Brown in 1765. William Brown was one of the first settlers in the Kishacoquillas Valley. Prior to 1789, when Mifflin Co. was established, this area was part of Cumberland County. In 1790, Catharine's father Frederick died before the 1790 Census was taken and the family is shown on the Census as Widow Baum and four females. In the spring of 1791 the personal estate of Frederick Baum was sold at public vendu and shortly after that Rosanna married a man named Robert Scott who also lived in Union Township. Robert Scott is recorded in the 1800, 1810 and 1820 Census as living in Union Twp. Robert Scott made out his Will on April 2, 1823 and died sometime between then and May 7, 1823 when the Will was filed with the Mifflin County Court. Rosanna Scott is recorded in the 1830 and 1840 Census, still living in Union Twp. It is assumed Rosanna died between 1840 and 1850, however, to date no record has been found. In the publication "Families and Records before 1800," Raymond Bell notes that the wife of William Brown was a Mary Scott. He goes on to mention that Mary Scott had several brothers living in Mifflin Co. and one of them was a Robert Scott living in Union Twp. in 1798. On September 9, 1800, Catharine, being of the age to entitle her to nominate her own guardian, petitioned the Orphans Court of the County of Mifflin to have her step-father Robert Scott appointed to that position. The document recording this matter has her signature on it. In the context of time and the perspective thereof, John Adams was President of the United States and Thomas Jefferson was Vice President when this document was prepared. Three years later, in 1803, Catharine married William Morrison. Two of Catharine's sisters married men from Union Township. Christiana married Hugh Alexander and Elizabeth married Davis Gibboney. The Alexander and Gibboney families were both early settlers in Mifflin County. Her third sister, Magdalena married Henry Leinbach who was from Berks County, where Catharine was born. Alexander Gibboney lived just down the road from where the Morrison farm was located, a few miles to the northeast of Belleville, PA. He established both a farming operation and a woolen mill. The woolen mill was located on the west side of the Kishacoquillas Creek that runs through the area and during the Civil War manufactured thousands of blankets for the Union Army. Davis Gibboney was one of his sons and moved to Huntingdon Co. after marrying Elizabeth. The 1850 Census of Mifflin County shows Catharine, age 66, as head of the Morrison household in Union Township. Also living there were her sons; William, age 44, James, age 30, Ephraim, age 25 and Joseph H, age 22. Also living there were a Nancy Goodhart, age 30, and William H Goodhart, age 6. It is not known who the Goodharts were, perhaps a hired girl. The real estate value of the farm was listed as $10,000. The 1860 Census of Mifflin County shows Catharine, age 76, as head of the Morrison household in Union Township. Also living there were her sons William and Ephraim and his wife Rachel and their two small children, Louella and William, who both died at a young age in 1863 and 1861. Joseph Henderson Morrison, youngest son of Catharine was also living in the household and he was unmarried at that time. He later bought out the interest in the farm that his brother Ephraim owned. Ephraim moved to Reedsville where he operated a hotel. In her Will, dated April 16, 1866 Catharine wrote in part as follows; " I give and bequest to my daughters Rosanna intermarried with James Turner, Hannah intermarried with Dr. Ross, Jane intermarried with John Jackson, Penninah intermarried with Albert G. Gibboney and to my son Alexander each one hundred dollars and to my daughter Elizabeth's children who was intermarried with John Horrell ten dollars each, and to my son John B. the sum of four hundred dollars and my son Montgomery four hundred dollars and to my son James the sum of one thousand four hundred dollars, all the above mentioned legacies to be paid in one year after my decease as hereafter directed. I give and devise to my sons Ephraim and Joseph H. Morrison equal shares in my interest and undivided half part of a certain messauge tenement and tract of land situate in Union Township." She named Adolphus F. Gibboney as executor of her estate and her Will was witnessed by Joseph Haffly and N. B. Alexander.