Charles A. Morrison

The following biography was taken from A History of the Famous Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan and Columbia Valleys, by Lindley M. Hull, 1929, pp. 120-121:

CHARLES A. MORRISON, a well remembered pioneer of the Wenatchee country, is a native of Virginia, as were his parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Morrison. In 1853, when our subject was five years of age, the family removed to the Territory of Minnesota, at which time that country was in the first stages of development. When 19 years old, young Mr. Morrison pushed out into the world for himself. He followed railroading for years when he entered the saw mill business, which was destined to claim his attention for forty years. He spent several years in Texas, operating a mill of large capacity. In 1879, he was married to Miss Bertha Schaeffer, of Missouri. To this marriage the following named children have been born:

1. Richard (deceased),
2. Dorothy M (Mrs. P. F. Scheble),
3. Mary E (Mrs. Harry Jones),
4. Fred W,
5. Ray R,
6. Bertha H (Mrs. Gunther Carlberg), and
7. Mont W

The Morrisons came to Washington Territory in 1885, locating on Pleasant Prairie, where Mr. Morrison established a saw mill. In 1892 he put a steam mill on upper Squilchuck Creek and entered into contract to furnish lumber to Woods Brothers, a firm doing heavy construction work for the Great Northern Railway. After discharging this contract, he continued in the lumbering business, and gradually built up a substantial fruit box manufactuary. In practical mechanics Mr. Morrison had few equals as was evidenced by the remarkable efficient operations of his milling machinery, and his capacity for work was prodigious. Since the year 1912 Mr. Morrison has been in Florida.

From An Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele, published by Western Historical Publishing Company of Spokane, 1904; pp. 789-790, comes the following:

CHARLES A. MORRISON was a pioneer in the saw mill business in the Wenatchee country and since the day of his landing here has continued in that important industry which his skill and energy have made a first-class success. He is the owner of a fine plant in the town of Wenatchee, which has both been a good success from his standpoint and also a great benefit to the valley. He was the pioneer in this industry in this section. Mr. Morrison owns a good block of lots where his mill stands, besides other property.

Charles A. Morrison was born in Virginia on January 5, 1848, the son of Benjamin R. Morrison and Mary M. (Brown), also natives of Virginia. They are now living with our subject, aged eighty-two and seventy-five respectively. The father comes from an old Virginia family and is of Scotch-Irish extraction. The mother is of German-English descent. When our subject was five years of age, he came with his parents to Minnesota and there received his education and remaned with his father until nineteen. After that he followed railroading for four years and then turned his attention to sawmilling and in that industry has been engaged since. In 1885 Mr. Morrison came to the state of Washington, locating on Pleasant Prairie. There he operated a mill until 1891, when he located in Wenatchee. He purchased a water mill that had never made a success and freighted a large engine and boiler from Coulee City, which was an arduous undertaking, as in many places they were obliged to use block and tackle to get over the bad places. When it was installed he at once began to do a good business and has continued until the present. For a time he did work in the surrounding hills, but is now located in Wenatchee as stated.

On September 4, 1879, Mr. Morrison married Mrs. Bertha Schaeffer, daughter of Gustav and Dorothy Wendel, natives of Germany. The wedding occurred in Alexandria, Missouri. Mrs. Morrison has the following brothers and sisters in Minnesota:

1. Gustav,
2. Frederick,
3. Theodore,
4. Louisa Tegner,
5. Emma Briest, and
6. Lena Kranik

To Mr. and Mrs. Morrison there have been born the following children:

1. Benjamin R,
2. Dorothy M,
3. Mary E,
4. Fred W,
5. Ray R,
6. Bertha H, and
7. Mont W, all at home.