Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers. "An Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties") Spokane, WA: Western Historical Publishing Co., 1905. p. 879. JOSEPH L. MORROW The subject of this sketch is a prominent farmer and stock raiser residing in South Warner valley, two miles south from Adel postoffice. No resident of Warner valley stands higher in the estimation of his fellow settlers than does Mr. Morrow, chiefly on account of the leading part he has taken on behalf of the people of Warner valley against the Warner Valley Stock Company in the far-famed land contest that has occupied the attention of the citizens of the valley for the past nineteen years. The case was brought about and is kept in progress through the effort of the aforementioned stock company to procure the lands of the valley under the Swamp Land act, and have it set aside for use only as grazing land. In reality the land, in order to be made productive, requires irrigation, and in consequence the settlers have constructed the Deep creek and Twenty-Mile creek irrigation ditches with which they irrigate their farms. Notwithstanding this fact, me efforts on the part of the Warner Valley Stock Company have been persistent to deprive the settlers of their land, and the fight has been one of the bitterest in the history of the state. Mr. Morrow has from the first been the champion of the settlers cause, and in their interest he has made three trips to Washington, D. C., and six to the Oregon state capital, for all of which strenuous effort his fellow citizens give him due honor and credit. Joseph L. Morrow is a native of Chariton county, Missouri, born July 2, 1834, but was reared in Macon county, Missouri. His father was the Rev. Jesse S. Morrow, a Baptist minister and a farmer born in Kentucky, and an early pioneer of Missouri. He died on March 2, 1855, in Macon county, Missouri. Mr. Morrow's mother was Henrietta (Williams) Morrow, also a native of Kentucky, who died in Platte county, Missouri, in 1838. Mr. Morrow has one brother, John S. Morrow, a resident of Macon county, Missouri; and one sister, Esther A. Morrow, of Texas. One brother and two sisters, William W. Morrow, Mrs. Rebecca Summers and Mrs. Elizabeth Green, are deceased. Although he never enjoyed the opportunity of attending school, Mr. Morrow acquired a good common school education by home study, both in the state of his birth and after coming west. In the spring of 1854 he started west with Tom Goram's train of ox teams, he having hired to Mr. Goram at twenty dollars per month as driver of three yoke of oxen. The train started on April 12 and arrived at Nevada City, California, August 19, 1854, our subject having walked the major part of the distance. While en route the train was annoyed to some extent by the hostile tribes, and in one fight Mr. Morrow was shot in the leg with an arrow, though not critically wounded. After arriving at Nevada City he engaged in working in the mines, later going to the Forest City mines, where he mined until 1858, when he went to Sonoma county, California. He was there married, July 2, 1858, to Sibbrina Ahart, a native of Roane county, Tennessee, born June 21, 1835. Mrs. Morrow's parents both died during her childhood, and she crossed the plains with a brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. James Cook, and two brothers, James Ahart, of Amador county, California, and Spencer Ahart, of Sonoma county, California. She has another sister Mrs. Hanna Puckett, of Douglas county, Oregon. Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Morrow removed to Big River Mills, where Mr. Morrow was engaged in the sawmill business until the autumn of 1859, when they returned to Nevada county. Here our subject again engaged in mining until the fall of 1865, when he emigrated to Douglas county, Oregon, and entered the business of farming and mining on Myrtle creek. In 1881 he removed to Fort Bidwell, California, and there made his home for four years. In the year 1881, while on a horse-hunting expedition, Mr. Morrow passed through the Warner valley, and was so favorably impressed with the country that in 1885 he brought his family to reside here, settling on the ranch where they now live. He has taken an active interest in the welfare and development of the country from the day of his arrival and has always been one of the most nearly indispensable citizens of the valley. Mr. Morrow now owns three hundred and twenty acres of good hay land but represents six hundred and forty acres, one quarter-section of which belonged to a son, now deceased, and the remaining one hundred and sixty acres being the property of a minor grandson. He has some stock, but having leased his land, Mr. Morrow is now living a life of semi-retirement. To Mr. and Mrs. Morrow have been born six children, named as follows: John W., born in Mendocino county, California, April 21, 1859, and died July 25, 1889; Joseph A., born in Nevada county, California, April 2, 1861; Nancy J. Bennett and Jesse B. Morrow, twins, born in Sacramento county, California, May 16, 1863; Mrs. Sarah E. Neisham, born January 24, 1869, in Douglas county, Oregon, and died in Chico, California, August 5, 1892; and Mrs. Mary E. Cooper, born July 21, 1872, in Douglas county, Oregon. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in March 2011 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.