This is for the family of William John Morgan (1866-1941) and his wife, Clara Belle Dodge (1884-1943), whom I have the privilege and honor of knowing and associating with.
For years, I have been
doing genealogy research in Canada as well as in the United States. Genealogy
research in Canada has been more of a challenge because of the lack of digital
records as well as not quite knowing where to look for available records. This
is a post that has been many, many years in the making.
William John Morgan
first appears in the United States in the 1900 Census in Leadville, Colorado
(taken June 8, 1900). According to this census, he was single, 33 years old
born in December of 1866 and was from Canada. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1888
and was a naturalized citizen (although no citizenship record has ever been
found). He was a druggist by profession.
His first mention in Buena Vista is in
February of 1904. According to the local newspapers, he worked as a bridge
painter on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and left that job in April of
that year. He was also known as Jack Morgan, according to some of the newspaper
articles I found. During 1904 and 1905, he had a wood contract, meaning that he
provided wood and lumber. In February of 1905, the following article was
published in the Colorado Republican: ‘W.J.
Morgan left Sunday last for his old home, Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. It has
been several years since Mr. Morgan visited his mother. Mr. Morgan will soon
return as he has one or two large wood contracts to look after.’ He returned to
Buena Vista around the end of March.
Another
newspaper article, this one also from the Colorado Republican, from
February 1904, reads: ‘Buena Vista was last week honored by two of Canada’s
handsome young ladies, Misses G. Stictlan and C. Armitage. The young ladies
were en route to California and stopped off to visit W.J. Morgan.’
In September of 1905, he was an Agent
of the Canon Steam Laundry. The newspaper advertisement is below.
In
October of 1905, he was running a pool hall, which was later bought out. In
November of 1905, he constructed an ice skating rink across the street from the
courthouse. The Colorado Republican from November 9, 1905
relates: ‘ICE RINK MEETS FAVOR – A great deal of interest is being manifested
in the new ice skating rink that W.J. Morgan is going to make opposite the
court house on the south side of Main Street. Jack expects to begin the work of
laying the embankment around a space 150x200 feet before the ground freezes,
and as soon as frost sets in will lay over the surface a heavy covering of
newspapers, which will keep the ice from melting up from the bottom in case of
a thawing spell at any time. Two big arc lights will be placed advantageously
in the field and a warm shelter house will be built at the north end of the
pond. Already Dr. MacLennan has received a letter from Salida, inquiring
whether or not Buena Vista will put out an ice hockey team. This should be done
by all means, and give the boys in the south end a game.’ I honestly don't know
how long this ice skating rink was around for.
By
1906, he had to let go of his wood contract (due to lack of manpower) and had
taken up a ranch near Buena Vista. In December of that year, he married Clara
Belle Dodge, and they went to Silver City, New Mexico (as a side note - New
Mexico was a U.S. Territory until January of 1912 when it became the 47th
State; similar to Canadian Territories being admitted as Provinces). They came
back to Buena Vista by 1910, where they are listed in the Census (taken April
23, 1910). William was 43, Clara was 25, and their son, William Hiram Morgan,
was 1 & 5/12 years old (he was born in Silver City, New Mexico in November
of 1908 - later records say 1909). William went back to Canada shortly after
this and applied for a 160-acre homestead near Wilkie, Saskatchewan. He applied
for his homestead on July 13, 1910. His homestead lists his place of birth as
Kincardine, Ontario. On June 10, 1911, his wife and two children arrived on the
homestead, traveling from Colorado and entering Canada on June 7, 1911, at
Emerson, Manitoba. Her son, William Hiram, was now 2 & 1/2 years old, and
their daughter, Mary Anne, was 7 months old (she was born November 1910 on her
family’s farm in Buena Vista).
The
1911 Canadian Census was taken on June 1, 1911. In the 1911 Census, I seem to
have found a John Morgan at the place where he was listed on his homestead:
Township 14 North, Range 18 West of the 3rd Principal Meridian.
However, some of the facts are different. He was born in February of 1871 and
was single. It is possible that someone else (perhaps a neighbor) answered the
census for him. Looking at the date of arrival for Clara and their children, if
they had arrived at the homestead in Wilkie just a few weeks earlier, they
would have been enumerated in the 1911 Canadian Census as well (and I would
have found them several years earlier).
While
at Wilkie, William opened and ran a livery stable. The Wilkie Press from October 7, 1915 reports: 'W.J. Morgan has
established a checking office in connection with his livery business at the
Wilkie Feed Barn, for the convenience of customers. Any customer who wishes to
leave ropes, buggy whips, etc., in care of the barn proprietor may do so free
of charge, the proprietor being responsible for the safe keeping of such
belongings. Numbered checks will be handed to customers leaving articles at the
office and when these checks are handed in again the articles may be redeemed.
This arrangement should prove very convenient to those who care to take
advantage of it and the possibility of things being stolen or lost will be
entirely reduced.'
They
are all counted together in the 1916 & 1921 Canadian Census. The 1916
Canadian Census was a Census of the prairie provinces and was taken every ten
years from 1906 through 1946. This means that Clara and her children are listed
in Census records every five years instead of the regular 10-year intervals.
William’s homestead was granted in October of 1913. In 1917, William took out
an $800 mortgage on their homestead. In late 1922, the homestead was foreclosed
due to non-payment and abandonment. At this time, William disappears from
Saskatchewan and is not listed in the 1926 Canadian Census. Clara and their
daughter, Mary, are listed in this Census and living near Red Pheasant. Their
son, William Hiram, also isn’t found in this Census. It’s possible he is
working somewhere. The next Canadian Census to be released is the 1931 Census
(to be released next year - Canada has to wait 92 years before census records
are released), so we will wait and see what this Census will reveal to us.
Clara
later lived in Neilburg, Saskatchewan, with her daughter and son-in-law,
Clarence McNab. Clara would also return to Wilkie before living in Battleford
with her son and daughter-in-law, Ida Braunagel, before passing away in 1943.
Her son, William (also known as Bill), was in the Canadian Army, enlisting in
February of 1940 and listing his residence as Neilburg. On his
application, he states that he doesn’t know whether his father is alive. Bill
was discharged from the Army in September of 1942. Clara’s obituary from 1943
states that her husband passed away in 1941 but doesn’t give a date of location
for his death.
For
a number of years, this is where this part of the story ended. Now it is time
for the rest of the story. There is a William John Morgan that was born in
Kincardine, Ontario in 1868 (according to the 1871, 1881 & 1891 Canadian
Census). He was the oldest child of Hiram Morgan and Mary Simpson. Hiram Morgan
passed away in 1892, and there is no record of William John Morgan in
Kincardine after this time. The Colorado Republican newspaper
article from February 1905 makes the connection for William John Morgan to his
home of Kincardine and implies that his father was already deceased.
The
other Colorado Republican newspaper article from February 1904
gives another clue. They list the last names of two young ladies who visited
him in Buena Vista: ‘Stictlan’ and ‘Armitage’. William John Morgan had three
sisters: Margaret Emma; Mary Ann; and Elizabeth Morgan. His sister Elizabeth
married a man named James Armitage; yet another clue tying William John Morgan
to Kincardine. Speaking of marriage records, I found marriage records for all of
his sisters in Ontario but did not find any marriage record for William John
Morgan in Ontario.
Last
year, I found the death certificate of William Morgan in Toronto, Canada (on
ancestry.com). At first, I was surprised to have found it and almost dismissed
it, but I knew I needed to dig into the details. (I had searched for a death
record for William Morgan in Saskatchewan in 1941 but my search there came up
empty). William Morgan passed away on June 23, 1941, the son of Hiram Morgan
and Mary Simpson. His place of birth is Kincardine, Ontario. William is listed
as married, but his wife’s name is not listed, as that information was not
available. I also just obtained the 1940 National Registration Card for William
John Morgan living in Toronto, Canada (I requested this record at the end of
December and received it last week - much faster than the records I have
requested from the US National Archives). He was living at the House of
Providence and was retired and living on a pension. The Canadian Pension system
began in the 1920’s and appears to be similar to Social Security here in U.S.
From what I have found, Canada no longer has the pension applications available
from this time period. His death record lists his date of birth as March 28,
1866. The 1940 National Registration card lists his date of birth as March 28,
1868.
Two
years’ difference on two different records (this type of difference is common
in many records), but the 1866 year of birth lines up with the 1916 & 1921
Canadian Census for William John Morgan. The date of birth is very significant:
March 28. His wife, Clara, who was born in 1884, was also born on March 28. It
is possible that one reason William and Clara got married was because they
shared the same birthdate.
His
children are named William Hiram and Mary Anne. His son's middle name coming
from his father's name, and his daughter's name coming from his mother. Their
daughter Mary’s 1940 National Registration card lists her father’s place of
birth as Kincardine, also making another connection to William John Morgan. It
is very likely that after their homestead was foreclosed, William left his
family and made his way back to Ontario and lived and worked in Toronto. I
don’t know when Clara would have found out when he died or where he was living.
According to the House of Providence, William lived there from 1939 until his
death in 1941 and no relations are listed on his burial record.
From
what I have found and pieced together, it is very likely that William John
Morgan of Kincardine, Buena Vista, Wilkie and Toronto are all one and the same
person. Below are the documents I have found for William John Morgan from later
in life when he lived in Toronto.
1940 National Registration Facsimile
Burial Record
