James M. Morgan, one of the very early pioneers of Butler county, comes from an old Southern family, of English descent. Mr. Morgan was born in Moore county, North Carolina, November 14, 1848, and is a son of James and Mary (Holland) Morgan, natives of North Carolina. Mary Holland was a daughter of Edmund Holland, and her mother bore the maiden name of Allen, and both were natives of England, who settled in North Carolina at a very early day, and were among the lead-

ing families of that State. The Morgans, Hollands and Allens were all very early settlers in the Southern colonies, and prominent people, many of whom were identified with the early movement for the independence of the Colonies, and later participated in the Revolutionary war and later were prominently identified with the Civil war. James M. Morgan, the subject of this sketch, is a member of the same Morgan family as the well known Confederate general of that name.

In the spring of 1869, James Morgan, the father of James M., whose name introduces this sketch, loaded his goods on the train at Greensboro, N. C., and came directly to Kansas City, Mo. After remaining there a year, he removed with his family to Junction City, Kans., and in the spring of 1871, drove from that point with a team and prairie schooner to Butler county and filed on a claim in Clifford township, which is now owned by R. J. Morgan. The Morgan family consisted of thirteen children, all of whom came to Kansas with their parents, except the elder. The father, who was well advanced in years when he came to this county, died in June, 1892, and the mother died in May, 1912.

James M. Morgan was about twenty-one years of age, when he first came to this State with his older brother, George. He filed on a claim of Government land in the southeast quarter of section 14, Milton township, Butler county, and in due time proved up on it. Mr. Morgan was married in 1877 to Miss Pauline Strasser, a native of New Jersey and daughter of Edward and Louise (Kurtz) Strasser, the former a native of Switzerland, and the latter of Germany. The father served seven years in the Swiss army and came to this country some time before the Civil war, settling in Philadelphia, Pa. He was a painter and worked at his trade in Philadelphia and New York until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment, serving for three years, and shortly after the close of the war came West and settled on Government land in Milton township, Butler county.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Morgan began life in their cozy stone house of four rooms, which Mr. Morgan had built on his claim in Milton township. This was an unusually spacious and comfortable residence for those days. Mr. Morgan is one of the successful farmers and stockmen of Milton township, and he has a fine farm of 160 acres, well adapted to the stock business. There is a quarry on the place from which Mr. Morgan has sold a large quantity of building stone of a very high grade.

To Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have been born the following children: Edward Allen, engaged in business at Topeka, Kans.; Arthur Louis, Harvey Oliver and John Albert, who constitute the firm of Morgan Bros., and are very extensive wheat raisers in Seward county, Kansas. Their farm was once the site of the town of Springfield, now extinct. It was a town of 400 population, with a water works system, and aspired to be the county seat of Seward county, but in the fight, came out second best, Liberal leading; and while Liberal is now a mere

county seat of the ordinary variety, Springfield is a fine, productive farm with its waving fields of wheat, contributing food to a hungry world. The other children born to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan are George Francis; Carl William, and Rose Elizabeth, all of whom reside at home. Mr. Morgan is a Democrat and a member of the Anti Horse Thief Association.

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