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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: MORGAN, Benjamin Stephen
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 26, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 447-449
BENJAMIN STEPHEN MORGAN, who is engaged in the practice of law at
Charleston, West Virginia, bears a name that has been linked with the history
of West Virginia since the earliest settlement. The name has been honorably
borne by pioneers in different. counties, whose descendants have filled
positions in both civic and military life, and all, down to the latest
generation, have been noted for the sturdy independence - that is
characteristic of Welchmen the world over.
Col. Morgan Morgan, the lineal ancestor of Benjamin Stephen Morgan, was born
in the Principality of Wales and received his education in London, England.
During the reign of William III he came to the col-ony of Delaware, and
during the reign of Queen Anne was a resident of Christiana, Delaware, moving
from there to the colony of Virginia, prior to 1726 settling near
Win-chester. He is credited with having made the first white settlement and
with having built the first church in the territory of West Virginia (in the
present county of Berkley). In "A History of Frederick County, Virginia"
(now comprising the counties of Hampshire, Berkley, Jefferson, Hardy and
Morgan in West Virginia and Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah and Frederick in
V;rginia) by Mr. T. K. Cartmell, and in Bishop Meade's "Old Churches,
Ministers and Families of Virginia," and also in "Rec-ords of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in Western Virginia and in West Virginia" by Bishop Geo. W.
Peterkin, we find such an account and record of the public and private life
of Col. Morgan Morgan as unmistakably shows that he was a man of splendid
character and a high type of christian manhood. He married Catherine
Garretson and they had eight children born to them, namely: Morgan, Jr., Ann,
Zackwell, David, Charles, Henry, Evan and James. Morgan Morgan, Jr., became a
minister in the Protestant Episcopal church. Ann married a man named
Springer. Zackwell Morgan served with the rank of Colonel in the Continental
Army. James Morgan was a Captain in the Continental Army and was captured and
shot by a party of Tories at a place afterwards called Torytown, Berkley
County, Virginia.
David Morgan, third son of Morgan and Catherine (Garretson) Morgan, was born
in 1721 at Christiana, Delaware, and died in 1796 and was buried in the
family graveyard about one mile below the present town of Rivesville, Marion
County, West Virinia. He was a surveyor and with his brother Zackwell moved
to the valley of the Monbngahela. Zackwell settled where is now the old town
of Morgantown, a(ter whom the town was named. David settled near where is now
the town of Rivesville, Marion County. His name is mentioned in connection
with the Indian border warfare in "Wither's Border Warfare," and he is the
great-great-grandfather of Benjamin Stephen Morgan of Charleston.
In 1887 his descendants and relatives erected a monument to him on the spot
where he had the encounter with the Indians in 1779.
He was the father of the following chil-dren: Morgan, Evan, James, Zackwell,
Elizabeth, Stephen and Sara. Elizabeth married a Mr. Lowe and Sara married a
Mr. Burns.
Stephen H. Morgan, son of Zackwell Morgan, spent his entire life in what is
now West Virginia. He was for several terms elected to the State Legislature
of Virginia.
Smallwood G. Morgan, son of Stephen H. Morgan, and father of Benjamin Stephen
Morgan, was born in Marion County, West Virginia, and on February 9, 1911,
passed his ninety-first milestone. He has lived a long and busy life, his
business interests mainly agricultural, and during his active years he served
as a Justice of the Peace and in many public capacities where sound judgment
and enlightened views were necessary qualifications. He retains his
faculties to a remarkable degree and continues to be interested in all that
concerns local affairs in his county and also in the great outside world,
concerning which he is well informed.
Smallwood G. Morgan has been twice married, first to Oliza Thorn, and second
to Mrs. Anary (Windsor) Wilson, the latter of whom was the widow of Thomas
Wilson. The first wife, Oliza Thorn, was born in 1822. in Monongalia County,
now West Virginia, and died there in 1866. She was a daughter of Benjamin and
Mary (Magruder) Thorn, who moved from Frederick County, Virginia, to the
Monongahela Valley. He was a large planter and slave holder prior to the
Civil War. Six children were born to this marriage and four of these survive,
namely: Margaret, who is the wife of A. S. Wisman, residing on a farm in
Grant District, Monongalia County, and they have five children; Sherrard,
who is a farmer in Grant District; Benjamin S.; and Eugenie, who is the widow
of W. C. Fisher, who was a farmer and merchant. He is survived by three
children and they live with their mother near Fairmont, Marion County, West
Virginia.
Benjamin S. Morgan was born in 1854 in Marion County, Virginia, but was
reared in Monongalia County. He attended the University at West Virginia and
graduated with the class of 1878, in the classical course and military
training school, and later from the law department of the same institution,
securing his degree with the class of 1883. Prior to the completion of his
law course, however, he had been prominent in educational work and had been
superintendent of the public schools of Morgantown from 1878 until 1881and
county superintendent of Monongalia County from 1881 till 1885, having been
twice elected.
In 1884 he was elected State Superintendent of Free Schools, having been
nominated on the Democratic ticket. He was renominated and elected in 1888,
receiving each time the largest vote cast for any state officer. His work as
State Superintendent was along broad and constructive lines. While County
Superintendent of Monon-galia County, he prepared and published at his own
expense an outlined course of study for use in the country schools of his
county. Acting on the fundamental principle that the teacher must first
possess the qualities you desire to put into your schools, he sought to
improve the teachers' county in-titutes held annually and the State Nor-mal
Schools. At conveniently accessible points, throughout the state, special
graded institutes, provided with a corps of instructors of national
reputation, were held each year by him under the auspices of the Peabody
Education Fund. County institute
work, so far as practicable, was graded, thus enabling teachers to secure
better results in the short time given to this work.
A state teacher's reading circle was established and the building up of
public school libraries encouraged. He also se-cured the enactment of a law
providing for the preparation by the State Superintendent of a graded course
of study for all ungraded country schools. To this measure he had given much
attention.
An Act was also secured for the establishment of a State Reform School for
boys.
Taking "The Unification of the Educa-tional System of the State" as a
rallying sentiment, he advocated the extension of the Graded and High School
work, and with the co-operation of the West Virginia University, graduates of
a number of high schools were admitted to the University on their diploma.
As President of the six State Normal Schools, he was present at the
forty-eighth commencement exercises and delivered the diplomas to the
graduates.
Mr. Morgan's attention and labors cov-ered a wide field during his term. He
was president of the State Educational Associa-tion and prepared the annual
program, also published and edited the West Virginia School Journal during
the eight years. He superintended the preparation of the State's educational
exhibit for the World's Colum-bian Fair at Chicago in 1893 and in this
connection with Mr. J. F. Cork prepared the first History of Education in
West Virginia. Ex-officio he was a member of the State Board of Public Works,
the Printing Com-mission and the Board of the School Fund.
He declined to be a candidate for a third term and at the close of his second
term, again began the practice of law. Charleston has profited by securing
Mr. Morgan as a citizen for his interest has been easily se-cured in
promoting every public spirited movement and every enterprise of determined
value to his section. He has served in the City Council. While being a good
business man and enjoying his profession.
he is at the same time a man of scholarly and literary tastes.
Mr. Morgan was married at Wheeling, W. Va., to Miss Annie Thoburn, who was
born and educated at Wheeling, and is a daughter of John and Jane (Miller)
Tho-burn, both of whom were born in Belfast, Ireland, coming to Wheeling in
early life. The father of Mrs. Morgan was killed in a railroad accident,
while still in the prime of life. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have two children
John Thoburn and Benjamin Ste-phen. The older son was born November 25, 1889,
and after graduating from the Charleston High School, entered the engineering
department of the West Virginia University at Morgantown. Benjamin Ste-phen,
the second son, was born October 27, 1901, and is a student in the public
schools. Mrs. Morgan was reared in the United Presbyterian church, while Mr.
Morgan was brought up in the Methodist faith.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
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