Prairie Creek Indiana Vigo County, Nov. 20, 1911 This sketch of family history was made by Dick T. Morgan November 20, 1911, as given him by his mother Frances Morgan. I arrived at mother's place Nov. 17, 1911. I am here this 20th day of November. I am on my way to Washington D.C. to attend my duties as a representative in Congress. From the recent congressional district of that state. My mother Frances Morgan was born March 15, 1822, in Riley township, Vigo county, Indiana. Her maiden name was Thompson. Her fathers name was David Thompson. Her grandfather's name was Aaron Thompson, who was born in Ohio or Virginia. Mother says "I think grandfather Thompson was born in Virginia but possibly in Ohio. Though I know his family came from Virginia. My grandfather lived and died in Sullivan County, on the Wabash river near Merom. He erected and kept a ferry across the Wabash known as Thompson's Ferry. He had large land possessions there. "My mother's name was Barbara Lutz, who I think was born in Germany. She could tell us children the German words for common things around the house. She lived in her childhood near Cincinnati, Ohio. My mother's first husbands name was John Ray from which nine children were born. Elias, William, Elizabeth, Isaac, John, James, Martin. John Ray was frozen to death. John Ray was a brother of Governor Ray, one of the early governor of the State of Indiana and Martin Ray became one of the prominent lawyers of the state. His home was at Shelbyville, Indiana where he raised a large family. Winfield Scott Ray an editor being one of his sons. Martin Ray was my half brother." "My father's name was David Thompson who was mother's second husband. I had but one full brother, Aaron Thompson who died in Iowa, when he was a young man. William Ray, father of John Ray my mothers first husband, drew a pension from the US government. I think John Ray also drew a pension but I am not certain about this." (What war was he in?) Mother says: "According to what my grandmother Rachel (Clark) Thompson told my aunt Cynthia (Thompson) Ray, ------- My aunt Cynthia Thompson told me my grandmother Rachel Thompson, who's maiden name was Clark, was a sister or niece of Benjamin Franklin, the philosopher, diplomat and patriot of the Revolutionary period." Mother says: "I am not certain that my grandmothers maiden name was Clark as she may have been a widow when she married grandfather Thompson." Mother says: "The Templeton family was in some way mixed up with our family in showing connections with Benjamin Franklin, but I can't remember just how it was." Mother says: "I united with the Christian Church at Prairie Creek (Middletown) Indiana in Sept 1851, under the preaching of Elder Joseph Wolf of Sullivan, Indiana and was baptized by him. That has been over 60 years ago. I was one of the charter members of that church. Valentine Morgan, husband of Frances Morgan, was born Jan 30, 1817 and died with ph___ fever, March 29, 1880, as shown by the record in the family bible which I have just inspected. Mother says: "Valentine Morgan was born in Bourbon County Ky. He came to Indiana with his father when he was about thirteen years old. His fathers name was Reece Jones Morgan and his mother's maiden name was Lucretia Crawford. Reece Jones Morgan was born in Virginia. Mother says:"I think the Jones in Reece Morgans name was the maiden name of Reece Morgans mother. Reece Morgans mothers name was Deborah." Mother says: "I know that Lucretia Crawford lived in Virginia in an early day and was on the frontier and experienced the danger from Indian depredations. Reece Jones Morgan had two brothers, David and John Morgan. I think John died early. David came to Indiana and settled near Bloomington, Indiana, where he raised a large family. Reece Jones Morgan had one sister Catherine who married a man by the name of Reville. She was known as Aunt Katie Reville. She remained in Kentucky where she reared a large family. I think her husbands name was Joseph Reville. I think they lived in Bourbon county. They were farmers. Aunt Katie was known for her good works - helping the needy. From the union of Reece Morgan and Lucretia Crawford was born Elizabeth, David, William, Deborah, Lucretia, Orson, and Valentine. David died young. I think in Park County. Elizabeth married Thomas Nesbit and lived to be quite old. She raised a large family, who lived in Sullivan County. All their children are dead but they have quite a number of grandchildren in Sullivan County, Indiana. (I knew Elizabeth and Thomas Nesbit well. She was known as Aunt Betsie. William Morgan left two sons and a daughter. All of whom are now dead. His sons names were (William)Riley and Lycurgus and daughter's name was Arminta. Lycurgus and Arminta left no children. Riley Morgan left one child, Professor Walter Morgan, a successful teacher of Chicago, Ill. Debra Morgan left no children. Lucretia married James Davis and left two children, Hardin and Eliza, who married Stephen Galpin who left probably three children. One, Harry Galpin, lives in Clinton, Indiana. Orson Morgan married Charlotte Ray, who's father was Samuel Ray, brother of Governor Ray. Orson Morgan raised large family of boys whose names were Icilius, Reece, Taylor, Valentine, Orson, (Joe)Adolphus, (Dutch) William and Lincoln. Orson many years lived about one mile south of Prairie Creek P.O. (Middletown) but about 1867, moved to Champaign County, Ill, where most of his boys lived. His sons Valentine, Orson, (Joe) and Lincoln lived at Jewett, Ill. Adalphus (Dutch) lived in Oklahoma. Valentine Morgan and Frances A.(Thompson) Morgan were married in Vigo County, January 20, 1842, when she was not quite 20 years old, and when he was about 25 years old. The marriage cceremony was performed by Rev. Asa Frakes, a pioneer Baptist preacher, who lived in Prairie Creek township. They were married in the home of Valentine's mother. There were five persons present as witnesses to the marriage. These were Mr. and Mrs. Bently, Mr. and Mrs. Orson Morgan and the minister. All these parties now (Nov. 20, 1911) are dead except Frances Morgan the then bride. Copied By Ross Morris Jun 1996 Transcribed from a microfilm of Dick T.'s handwritten pages