Robert Morrisson was born October 19, 1786, in North Carolina, whither his parents had emigrated from Chester Co., Pa. He married Jane Price, and, in 1810, removed to Wayne Co., Indiana. Having made no purchase of land before his arrival, and having, consequently, not even a cabin of his own, he took temporary shelter in an outhouse made of logs, belonging to his brother-in-law, Jeremiah Cox, and not designed at all as a dwelling. He soon settled north of Middleboro, just within the bounds of the present township of Franklin.

He resided there a few years; but, unable to endure the hard labor of clearing a new farm, he sold his farm, and, with a few hundred dollars, made his second advent in the place where he spent the remainder of a long life. With a small stock of goods, he commenced the mercantile business on the corner of Main and North Front streets. His name is intimately associated with the history of Richmond. Being one of its earliest merchants, he rode on the tide of its growing commerce, and with his frugality, prudence, and business talent, accumulated a large estate, and retired from mercantile business before the town had attained a high degree of commercial importance.

When banking houses were established in Richmond, he invested largely in bank stocks, being the owner of one-third of the stock in the Citizens' Bank. He had also a connection with the branches of the State Banks, in Richmond. Though rich, he was a friend to the poor. With his declining years his benevolence seemed to increase. A portion of his income went to the relief of the needy and suffering. His alms being ostentatiously bestowed, their amount was not generally known. The war of the rebellion opened a new field for the exercise of Christian philanthropy; and probably no man in Richmond contributed more liberally than he.

Being a life-long member of the society of Friends, he was careful not to compromise his long-cherished peace principles. The crowning act of his life was the founding of a library, at a cost of $20,000, which he transferred as a gift to Wayne township, Richmond included, provision having been made for its perpetuation. It is placed under the control of a library committee, and kept by a competent lady librarian. He barely lived to see this splendid gift executed and the library building completed.

A life-size portrait painting of the donor was placed in the public reception room of the building, and paid for by contributions of citizens without his knowledge. The former township library has been merged in this, which is now probably the largest township library in the state. A few years before his death his general health began to fail; and he was prevented from mingling with his fellow-citizens, and from meeting with his friends in the house of worship.

In the latter part of the summer of 1865, he was seized with violent illness, which soon terminated his life. He died Sept. 12, 1865, aged nearly 79 years. A large number of friends, relatives, and citizens followed his remains to the Friends' Cemetery, (Now known as Ridge Cemetery) three miles east from Richmond. His wife died Aug. 17, 1849, aged nearly 63 years.

Robert Morrisson had three children: 1. Hannah, who died in 1828, at the age of 20, just after her return from Westtown, Pa., boarding-school. 2. Jonathan, who died in infancy. 3. James L., who succeeded to the estate and business of his father, as a partner in the banking firm of Morrisson, Blanchard & Co. He has two children: Robert, at the firm of Plummer & Morrisson, wholesale druggists; and Elizabeth Jane.

Source; History of Wayne County, Indiana; Andrew White Young; 1872

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