An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, WA. 1905, pages 384-385. CLARRENCE L. MORRIS is a representative citizen of Wasco county and is one of the earliest pioneers to the section where he now re-sides, Juniper flat. His labors here and in other portions of the state have made him well to do, and as he is now in the golden time of his life, he is entitled to the retirement that is so becoming to those who have toiled so hard for years previous. The home place is about five miles east from Victor and there Mr. Morris resides on -the old homestead, having sold the balance of the large estate that he used to handle. Clarrence L. Morris was born in Illinois, on January 6, 1837, the son of Preston and Adaliza (Miller) Morris, natives of Kentucky, as also were the father's parents, Bourbon county being the home place. The parents were married in Quincy, Illinois and the mother died when our subject was a lad of eight. He attended the district schools until 1850, when the father with his family, he having married in the meantime, started across the plains with horse teams to Oregon. They were in the same train with Samuel Brooks, Henry Williams, and others who are mentioned in this volume. In due time they landed in Linn county and there the father took a donation claim, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1863. Clarrence L. finished his schooling in Linn county and then started in life for himself. He rented land in the valley for three years, then came to this flat, where he remained three years and then returned to the valley for some time. Few settlers were here when he first came. In 1886, he came back and took as a homestead the place where he now resides and since then he has given his attention to farming and stock raising, and has been prosperous in his labors. On December 27, 1857, Mr. Morris married Miss Catherine Thomas, who was born in Nodaway county, Missouri. The wedding occurred at the home of her parents, Turpine T. and Nancy (Curl) Thomas, natives of Virginia and Indiana, respectively. They crossed the plains with ox teams in 1851, and had great hardship, owing to the hostility of the savages, who stole all their cattle and harassed them continually. When the cattle were stolen, all the wagons were abandoned but one or two to each family and the company had to walk. There were twenty or more young ladies in the camp and on one occasion an Indian chief came asking to purchase one of them. A would-be smart young man told him to take his pick and he could have her for twenty horses. The chief not doubting soon appeared with the twenty horses, and of course a row was precipitated, which resulted in all the cattle being stolen. The young man was banished from the train, which made its way amid the most trying hardships and deprivation to the end of their journey. Mrs. Morris was nine years of age at that time and well remembers how she used to cry from hunger and fatigue almost every day. Her father settled in the valley and in 1857 came to Eightmile creek. He died in Los Angeles, in 1872. The mother died in Waitsburg, Washington, in 1870. Mr. Morris has the following named brothers and sisters, Andrew B., Sarah J., Catherine, Nathaniel, Mrs. Josephine B. Marshall, and Mrs. Mary A. Powell who died in 1903. They all crossed the plains. Mrs. Morris has brothers and sisters, named be-low: Mrs. Caroline Shelton, Perry, Jasper, deceased; Marion, Newton, William, Mrs. Susan Bateman and Mrs. Lou Bilopps. The children born to our subject and his wife are mentioned below: Preston G., Milton M., William G., Harvey L., all on the flat; Callie, the wife of C. Bigbee, in Linn county; Mary E., wife of George Young, in Wasco county; Leonora, wife of John Nowlin, superintendent of schools in Pendleton. Marcia, wife of George Woodruff, on the flat; and Hattie A., the wife of James Davidson, also on the flat. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.