Garrett and Eunice Morford - Blackmar Cemetery, Hillsdale County, Michigan

Grave markers for Garret Morford Sr. and his wife Eunice (Wood) Morford.

Garret Morford Sr. 1788-1873 (1)

Garret Sr. MORFORD (1)

Born on Sept. 25, 1788 in New Jersey.  Died on April 15, 1873 in Moscow, Hillsdale County, Michigan.  Buried in the Blackmar Cemetery, Hillsdale County, Michigan.  Veteran War of 1812.  Married Eunice Wood (4/3/1792-12/23/1878) in Decatur, Otsego County, New York on Jan. 27, 1812.   Garret and Eunice had nine children.

         

2*       I         Joseph MORFORD

3*       II        William Lane MORFORD

4*       III       Mary MORFORD

5*       IV       Hannah MORFORD

6*       V        Thomas MORFORD

7*       VI       Garret T. Jr. MORFORD

8*       VII      Timothy MORFORD

9*       VIII     Horton MORFORD

10*     IX       Eunice MORFORD

After Garret and Eunice were married they moved to Allegany County, New York.  Moving next into Monroe County, New York and then again on into Somerset in Niagara County, New York as noted in the 1830 census.  Records indicate his daughter Hannah married George Bansill in April of 1835 while they were living there. 

In June of 1835 they left New York and came to the territory of Michigan through Canada, crossing the St. Lawrence River at Lewiston, near Niagara Falls, New York.  The family traveled to Michigan by means of a wagon with four horses and one yoke of oxen and lived and experienced all the hardships one would expect of early Pioneers. 

Garret was offered new government land to homestead in the Michigan Territory as an added benefit for his services as a veteran.

Garret secured this grant from the government and was awarded a 100-acre tract of land on March 22, 1837 in Moscow Township, in what was originally Genesee County, but later would become Hillsdale County.  March 22, 2012 will mark the 175th anniversary of this event.  This land is located in the Northwest corner of Section 22, near the corner of Moreland and Dennings Roads in that county.   The original rock and mortar foundation to the homestead is still visible today.  The land is now used agriculturally.

Garret took possession of this parcel of land less than two months after Michigan had officially become a state, establishing the Garret Morford Sr. family as one of the first official property owners in State history. As a result, Garret Sr. should be considered the respective founding father of this historic Michigan Pioneer family, and also the reason why I am listing him in this history as the First Generation. 

It is noted in many public records, that after Moscow was officially founded in 1835, that Garret served the community as a public servant in several different capacities.

This original homestead property was then sold about 1847 to his son Garret Jr., who continued to develop the land, turning it into one of the nicest and most respected homesteads in the county through the late 1890's before his death. 

William Lane Morford, the brother of Garret Sr. and his family arrived at the same time, and for a short period from about 1835-1845 also homesteaded in Hillsdale County.  William Lane and his family moved further west into the southern part of Barry County, and became one of that counties first ever residents. 

Garret Sr. and Eunice were living with their daughter Mary Cutler at the time of their deaths.

Introduction

Welcome to the new Morfords of Michigan blog.

In a better effort to obtain and distribute genealogical info on my mothers side of my family I have created this blog today.  I'm a bit new to some of the new media social outlets.  But, to let the cat out of the bag early, my News Years Resolution is to become more tech savvy, thus I am now blogging. 

I have over ten years of research on two Morford brothers, who both were early Pioneers in Michigan that I have discovered. I continue to work almost daily on filling in missing branches and continued growth of these trees.

I have attached a link to the Morford Virtual Cemetery I have also created with photos and memorials to many deceased relatives and thier spouses.

More info and links will be added as I continue learn and grow this website.

To date I have found 1900 descendants of Garret Morford Sr. and 1100 descendants of William Lane Morford Sr.

If you discover a possible connection with your family tree please don't hesitate of contact me.