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The Morton family of Waushara County descends from Capt. Bryant Morton of Maine. Joseph Morton born in Dixmont, Maine, married Adeline Reed of Carmel, ME in 1831. To them was born 9 children, including my gr. grandfather, William Vance Reed Morton. They moved to Waushara Co. in 1850 and settled in Leon Twnshp where they farmed. Joseph and Adeline are buried in Burr-Oak Cemetery in Waushara Co, passing away in 1868 and 1892. William V.R. Morton married a Julia Crowell in Marion, WI. in 1862 and 3 children were born to them, my grandfather, William Ellsworth Morton, George Grant Morton and Mary Morton. Julia died from TB on 11 Aug. 1871 while they were living in Dakota Twnshp. William V.R. Morton was farming in that area.
Julia Crowell was born in NY in 1841 to Truman and Phoebe Crowell. Their lineage is tracked to Yarmouth, Mass. to John Crowell of England. Truman moved his family to Waushara Co. before 1860. He and his wife moved to Marquete Co. in about 1870 and both he and his wife are buried in East Cemetery, Westfield, WI.
Joseph Milliken was born in Maine. His lineage is traced to Hugh Milliken of Scotland. Joseph married a Mary Woods in 1833 in Maine and moved his family to Waushara Co. in about 1850. They had 6 children, including my gr grandfather James F. Milliken. Joseph and Mary are buried in Hilltop Cemetery, Saxville, WI. They settled in Saxville and Joseph was initially a farmer. He was also a Reverend and owned about 6 pieces of property in Waushara Co. His oldest son, Nathaniel Milliken had a merchantile store in Saxville and was also a Councilman, Postmaster and Sheriff. He married a Rebecca Thomas and they are both buried in Hilltop Cemetery. James F. Milliken joined Co. C. of the 16th Inf. Reg. of the 38th Division of Wisc. Volunteers in Mar. of 1864 and was discharged after the end of the Civil War as a Corporal. His brother, Joseph Milliken also enlisted in Co. A, 16th Inf. Regt. and died in the service in St. Louis in 1862 of some sort of illness. He is also buried in Hilltop Cemetery. James Milliken was primarily a farmer but is listed as a "Clerk" in his brothers store in one Census report. James Married a Charlotte V. Rugg in Saxville in 1867. To them 3 sons were born before leaving Waushara Co.
Charlotte V. Rugg was the daughter of Erastus Root Rugg and Lucy Hatch. The Ruggs are traced back to Lancaster, Mass. to Joseph Rugg of England. Erastus moved with his parents David Rugg and Eunice Gleason to Seward, Winnebago Co, Illinois in about 1840. Erastus and one brother Cyrus moved just north into Walworth Co., WI. where Charlotte was born in Bloomfield in 1847. Erastus then moved further north to Waushara Co. before 1860. He farmed in the Saxville area until about 1876.
James F. Milliken and wife traveled to Damascus, Clacamus Co. Ore. with her parents and some of her brothers and sisters in about 1876. They came by train to San Francisco and then by boat to Portland, OR. Charlotte, her parents and some of her siblings are all buried in the Damascus Cemetery. Charlotte gave birth to my grandmother, Grace Adel Milliken in 1877. Charlotte died less than a year later. Grace was raised by her grandparents while James struck out with his 3 sons to relocate near Sprague, Lincoln Co., WA. His brother William Tripp Milliken had also come West with them and he accompanied James to Washington. They farmed in the Sprague area for many years. James eventually brought his daughter to the Sprague area where she later married my grandfather, William Ellsworth Morton, in 1893 in Sprague. All 3 of James Millikens sons remained in Lincoln Co. and were very successful, farming, teaching and the insurance and real estate business.
William V.R. Morton moved to a small town of Lamont, WA. which is in Whitman Co. just over the county line from Sprague, WA. He brought his 3 children and his brother George Grant Morton to the area in about 1881. They farmed there for nearly 20 years. His sister Mary also came west about the same time and she met and married a John Ramsey in Whitman Co. and they farmed there for many years. Most of the farming in these areas are "Dry Land Wheat Farming"
William V.R. Mortons sister, Georgianna Morton had married a Andrew Harper in Waushara Co. in about 1868 and they also came west with the other Mortons in 1881. Andrew died in 1886 in Harrington, WA. (Near Sprague) and she then remarried to James F. Milliken in 1888. Her daughter from her first marriage, Fanny Harper, married one of James F. Millikens sons, William R. Milliken.
William V.R. Morton and his sons, along with his daughter Mary Ramsey and her husband John, re located to the Post Falls, Id. area in 1899. They all had farms in the area, except William V.R. lived with his oldest son, William Ellsworth. William V.R. Morton died in Post Falls, ID in 1902 and is buried in a cemetery in Lamont, WA. He never remarried.
After his death William Ellsworth and George Grant Morton relocated to an area about 15 miles S.W. of Sandpoint, Idaho. They farmed there and eventually the Railroad bought a right of way through their property and named it "Morton, Idaho". By 1910 there were about 160 people living in this small town named after my grandfather and his brother. I have a photo of the Railroad Station there. My grandfather then moved about 10 miles away to Cocalilla, Id. and farmed til his sudden unexpected death in 1914. My grandmother remarried a couple years later and she and her 9 children eventually moved to the No.East area of Washington near Usk, Dalkena, Newport and Ione, WA. This area is mostly wood products industry and mining. My father, Charles A. Morton worked in the wood products industry until he became a mechanic and moved to Spokane where I was raised.
I am sure there are still some distant relatives of the Mortons and Millikens in Waushara Co. as most of my gr. grandfathers sisters and brothers stayed in that area to my knowledge. James F. Milliken is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Sprague, WA. with a GAR headstone with his civil war unit inscribed on it. My grand father William Ellsworth Morton is buried in a grave right next to James Milliken. The Millikens and Mortons were best of friends both in Wisconsin and Washington and spent many years together as neighbors. William T. Milliken also relocated to the Morton, Id. area where he lived for many years next to George G. Morton.
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