Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 235] one of New Castle's prominent, leading attorneys, and a large owner of real estate, was born in Meadville, Pa., and is a son of Levi L. and Nancy (McKnight) Morris, and a grandson of David and Ann Morris—his father's birthplace being near Cardigan, Wales. About the year 1800 our subject's grandparents emigrated from their native shores and settled first on a farm, near Utica, N. Y., remaining there until 1813, when they came to Crawford Co., Pa., and bought a farm near Meadville, where they spent the remainder of their years, and reared their family of children. David Morris was a volunteer in the War of 1812. He was of a very progressive nature, and provided liberally for his family of nine children, who all grew up to worthy men and women, respected members of the communities in which they spent their lives, and proud of their Welsh ancestry. David Morris and his noble wife both lived to a good old age, the husband dying at about eighty-five years of age. The children were named as follows: John; Levi Lewis; Richard; David; Elenor; Mary; Martha; Ann; and Jane.
Levi L. Morris received a good old-fashioned training in the schools of the day, learned the carpenter's trade, and settled at Meadville, Pa., where he became a contractor, and was engaged in the building industry, until his health failed and he went South to recuperate. Between the years 1836 and 1838, he took the contract for the Court Houses in Yazoo and Carroll Counties, Miss., and completed the work with entire satisfaction. He was taken sick with a fever at Carrollton, and died at the age of forty. His wife lived to be eighty-five years old, and was the mother of five children as follows: David S.; Mary J.; Phoebe E.; James L.; and John F.
David S. Morris attended the Allegheny College, from which he graduated in 1843, and then became a student in the law office of Hon. H. L. Richmond of Meadville, but instead of finishing his preparation for the practice of his profession, he became interested in manufacturing, and with Anthony Henderson, under the firm name of Henderson & Morris, built and conducted at Croton, Pa., the first window glass manufactory west of Pittsburg, in 1848. This company was re-organized under the name of Croton Glass Co., Limited, employing about 200 men; in 1854, our subject retired from that line of business, and sold all his interest in the plant. During this time, the company also ran a general store where Brown & Hamilton's store is now. In 1855, Mr. Morris was appointed by the government as mail agent to California, but soon decided to return and finish his legal studies; acting upon this determination, he was accordingly admitted to the bar in 1856 at New Castle, and since then has practiced alone, with the exception of three or four years in the eighties, when he was associated with Albert Harbison. His practice has been general, and has extended into every department of law and jurisprudence.
Outside of his profession, Mr. Morris has ever continued to take a very active interest in the progress of New Castle, and was one of the incorporators of the New Castle Iron Co., manufacturers of sheet iron, and retained the position of secretary for a long term of years. He is also a large stockholder of the New Castle Electric Light Company, and besides building himself a house at the corner of Grant and Beaver Streets, he has dealt extensively in real estate, and owns several tenements to-day. Our subject's politics are Democratic, as were his father's, and he is a stanch supporter of the cause of temperance. From 1876 to 1888 he was in the city council, serving eleven years as the president of the select council. He was school controller for one term in 1875.
He married Miss Lide A. Loy, daughter of Martin Loy, and to them were given two children, one of whom died in infancy. The surviving child, Anne L., married John M. Butz.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 14 May 2001