J. P. Morris - Family Histories - Coleman County, Texas

Joseph Phillip Morris was the son of August S. Morris, born August 12, 1811 in township Hofflurrga, Germany. August was a polished gentleman of English ancestry, well educated and with pronounced political views. He decided to leave Germany and go to a country of freedom. On December 1, 1844, August S. Morris married Adelhaid Stumph; they sailed to America October, 1845, landing in Galveston, December 3, 1845. They settled in Indianola for a year, but made Hockheim, their home.

On January 12, 1849, Joseph Phillip was born to August and Adelhaid, second child of seven. On his twelfth birthday, August gave Joe a horse, saddle and bridle. This, he said, was the brightest day in his life. At this time, Joe told his parents he was going to buy land and cattle when he grew up and be a rancher. It was a dream he never forgot and which he made come true. Joe’s early education was in the home and at a primary Lutheran school just a few yards from his home. When Joe was sixteen he attended Covey’s Co-educational College at Concrete. He had saved some money over the years, so he bought a few head of Longhorns. By the time Joe was twenty he was thinking of establishing a home of his own. His holding and cattle had increased to the extent he felt he could support a family. He had properties located in DeWitt and Lavaca counties. Joe married Martha Miranda Pinchem, born October 21, 1852 at Prairie Lea, Texas, daughter of William B. and Nancy Ann Baker Pinchem, in a ceremony on October 17, 1872. They had seven children; Mattie B., Josephine Mae, Claude A. (see Press Morris and Thomason-Hughes), and Mary Inez (see R.L. Dunman), born in DeWitt County. (Vida, Press D. [see Press Morris] and Nannie Weida [see E.L. Knox] were born in Coleman.)

Joe accumulated 26,000 acres of land, running about 800 head of cattle in 1880, 1400 head in 1882, 3,000 head in 1883 when he knew he would have to move since the prospects for expansion were not there. During his numerous cattle drives north, Joe kept coming back to the beautiful Jim Ned Creek Valley in Central West Texas. It had living water, the small streams and gullies had water and made this area the ideal place to make his home and build a large ranch.

In the spring of 1884, Joe went to the flourishing young city and county of Coleman. After looking around and making inquiries, he found the old Clay Mann Ranch of 14,000 acres northeast of town was for sale. It was owned by J. D. Davidson, president of the First National Bank. At $3.50 an acre, Joe closed the deal and his dream was coming true.

Joe sent his youngest brother, Henry Morris, to Coleman with his cattle in 1885. He was foreman until 1887. Henry was rather wild and not successful as foreman of the ranch. He had had some experience on a small scale, taking care of cattle, but on a big ranch he was very inept. Also, he was a compulsive gambler and drinker. A Negro cowboy named Moat Wright was sent to Coleman with the cattle. One night Moat and Henry went to Camp Colorado and got into a poker game. The two got mad and had an argument which resulted in Henry killing Moat. Henry was no-billed by the grand jury. Moat was buried at Camp Colorado.

Joe began to sell his land as soon as he moved his cattle, and by 1888, he began preparations to move his family to Coleman. They arrived by train August 1888. The depot was on the north side of the track about a mile west of the present station. They took a hack from the depot to the Peyton Hotel, located on the southwest corner of the present 100 block on east Pecan Street. They stayed there several weeks until Mr. Morris bought a house on the south side of town about ten blocks from the courthouse. The property is presently owned by Doris Miller, granddaughter of J.P. Morris.

When Joe arrived in Coleman, he fired his brother Henry and hired David Miskell of Camp Colorado as his foreman. Mr. Miskell moved his family to the headquarters and stayed with Mr. Morris until 1893, when it became clear that Claude and Cora Miskell were in love. Joe did not approve so he fired Miskell. Mr. Morris bought out farmers and small ranchers who, because of drought or other reasons wanted to sell. He began to improve his Longhorn herd. He wanted to breed for more and better meat. His first move was to buy ten registered Durham bulls. This improved his herd, but he was not satisfied. He had always admired the Hereford, so he bought twenty registered Hereford bulls. He was pleased with the results, so he stuck to the Hereford.

In January, 1899, when the first really cold weather came, Joe butchered his hogs. Of course, much of the work had to be done outside in the cold. As a result, Mrs. Morris and Mattie B. took pneumonia. Martha Morris passed away on February 10, 1899. Mattie B. was so ill she knew nothing of the death of her mother until weeks later. Joe was left with two small children, Weida and Press, and he put Mattie B. the oldest child in charge of the children.

Mattie B. married John Andrew Bedford Miller (see Miller), a young lawyer from Louisiana. They lived with Joe and she continued to take care of Press and Weida.

Joe was still adding land to his holdings and improving his cattle. After many years of hard labor, Joe and his sons, Claude and Press, finally achieved his goal; fast growing, early maturity, smooth calves and better beef for the best commercial Hereford herd in Texas. The cattle buyers knew the Morris herd and would buy the calf crop at top prices, sight unseen. He was the first cattleman in Central West Texas to sell his calves without the cows. He also pioneered in selling his calves by the pound, a custom that continues to the present time.

On April 14, 1904, Joe married Mrs. Betty Robbins Lindsey. As a condition of marriage, Mr. Morris purchased the J.B. Coleman place, the present day home of Charles and Martha Taylor, at the west end of College Boulevard. Mrs. Morris became “Mother Betty” to Joe’s children. Mr. Morris continued to be active in the ranches, but Claude, his son, was foreman until the land was divided in 1920. Joe expanded his interests and became President of the First National Bank for many years. A few years before his death, Mr. Morris donated funds for the Morris Wing at the Overall Memorial Hospital. He died at his home November, 1937, buried in Coleman. At the time of his death he was a director of the Coleman County State Bank, a Methodist and a Mason.