"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chicago:
Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 1153.
 
JOHN MORLEY

     Closely identified with the farming interests of Marion county is John
Morley, who is pleasantly located about three miles northeast of Silverton,
where he is prosperously engaged in the pursuit of agriculture.  He is numbered
among the veteran farmers of the county who have labored with unceasing toil in
their chosen vocation, and are now enjoying comfortable competencies, acquired
chiefly by their own efforts.  Of good old Virginia stock, he was born May 9,
1823, in Jackson county, Ohio, a son of Moses Morley.
     Moses Morley, a native of Virginia, born about 1788, removed with his
parents, when a small boy, to Ohio, where he lived until after his marriage to
Catherine Wadkins, a native of Maryland, and the birth of several of his
children. In 1850, although then past the prime of manhood, he made an overland
trip to Oregon, crossing the plains with ox-teams, and settled near Sublimity,
Marion county. Two years later he sent for his wife, who crossed the plains to
join him, but their reunion was of brief duration, his death occurring the same
year, in 1852. His widow spent her remaining days with their son, John, the
subject of this sketch, passing away at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
She was the mother of thirteen children, John Morley being the only survivor of
the family.
     Obtaining his early education in the district schools, and remaining on the
old home farm in Ohio until twenty-one years of age, John Morley then left the
parental roof and began the battle of life for himself, working for wages the
first three years thereafter. In 1847, following the tide of immigration
westward, he and two boys by the name of Darst started for Oregon, crossing the
plains with an ox-team, and being four months on the road. They crossed the
Missouri river at St. Joseph May 5, and reached the Willamette valley September
5. Becoming a pioneer of Marion county, he took up a claim near Sublimity, about
three miles from the town, and after his marriage settled to housekeeping on
property still nearer that place, living there about eight years.  Removing to
Silverton in 1862, Mr. Morley turned his attention to the milling business,
operating a grist-mill there for eight years. In 1871 he bought a farm nearly
three miles northeast of Silverton, after which he purchased the farm which he
now owns and occupies. He has one hundred and forty-six acres of land, which he
devotes to stock-raising and general farming, twelve acres being planted to
hops.
     September 20, 1855, Mr. Morley was united in marriage with Senah E. Jones,
who was born in Missouri, and from that state crossed the plains in 1852,
accompanying her parents, Lewis and Polly Ann (McAlpin) Jones. She passed to the
higher life in 1886. To Mrs. Morley sixteen children were born, namely : George
W., who lives near Silverton; Jerome, living at home; Levi, deceased; Nettie,
wife of Philip Hicks, residing southwest of Silverton; Joshua M., of Silverton;
Mary Catharine, wife of John C. Warnock, residing near Silverton; Laura Alice,
wife of William S. Jack, of Silverton; Charles, residing near Silverton; Effie,
wife of John Hicks; Iva B., at home; Rosa, wife of Howard C. Whitlock ; Ella,
wife of Dennis C. McCleary; John L.; Roy; Rachel, and Ruth.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2010 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.