History of Morganza, (Washington County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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George Morgan, pioneer, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1742; son of Evan and Johanna (Byles) Morgan; grandson of David Morgan, and, on his mother's side, of a daughter of Randall Blackshaw, who came to America with William Penn; and a descendant from the Morgans of Llansawel and Tredegar, Wales. He was a merchant in Philadelphia, 1763-75; soldier in the American revolution, 1775-83; and an explorer and agriculturist, 1783-1810. In 1766 he made the journey from the mouth of the Kaskaskia to the mouth of the Mississippi, the first American to perform the feat. The Indians having looted his storehouses of goods valued at ?80,000, Sir William Johnson held a treaty with the savages at Fort Stanwix, Nov. 3, 1768, and they agreed to deed the territory of Indiana to George Morgan and his associates to recompense them for the loss, but after the Revolution Virginia claimed the territory by right of conquest, and congress decided in favor of the state. He was 1st lieutenant to Captain Cadwallader's company of volunteers in 1775, and on April 10, 1776, was made the first U.S. commissioner for Indian affairs, stationed at Fort Pitt. Before he left for the west the Delaware Indians assembled at his home, "Prospect," near Princeton, N.J., and conferred on him the name of the most venerated chief, "Taimenend," and when Colonel Morgan returned from Fort Pitt he recounted such wonderful legends of that chieftain that "Tammany" societies were formed in New York and New Jersey. He founded the first English colony in the province of Louisiana at New Madrid, Mo., built the first house with a shingle roof at Pittsburg, Pa., and was commissioned colonel in the Continental army, Jan. 8, 1777. He was the second of General Conway in his duel with General Cadwalader in July, 1778, although a firm friend of Washington, and he served General Conway only at the earnest request of his fellow officer, General Cadwalader. In 1779 congress authorized him to select three Indian youths to he educated at the College of New Jersey, and he took them from the Delaware tribe, and they resided at "Prospect." He removed to "Morganza," eighteen miles from Pittsburg, when in 1802 he planted the first vineyard west of the Alleghany mountains, and took with him the first coach and piano seen there. In 1806 Aaron Burr visited him at "Morganza," and disclosed to him his scheme for the partition of Louisiana. Colonel Morgan and his sons were so indignant that they advised with Gen. Presley Neville and the judges of the U.S. and district courts, and Colonel Morgan addressed a communication to President Jefferson informing him of Burr's intentions. On March 26, 1807, Jefferson wrote to Colonel Morgan in these words: "Yours was the first intimation I had of the plot, for which it is but justice to say you have deserved well of your country." The Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture presented him with a gold medal in 1786, and Thomas Pickering in forwarding it, said, "This is the first premium ever given to American agriculture." He was elected a member of the American Philosophical, society in 1786. He married Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Chevalier) Baynton, and they had three sons, John, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and one daughter, Ann, who married Gen. Presley Neville and their son Morgan Neville (1786-1839) was editor of the Pittsburg Gazette and author of Mike Tink, the Last of the Boatmen (1829). Colonel Morgan is the author of numerous articles on the science of agriculture. He died at Morganza, Penn., March 10, 1810.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Morganza, (Washington County) Pennsylvania

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