Butte County
Biographies
IRA RIPLEY MORRISON
IRA RIPLEY MORRISON.--Not only is
Ira R. Morrison happy in the enjoyment of an agreeable popularity as an
efficient and obliging city clerk, but he is modestly proud of certain
associations of his family with the pioneer past. His father, John Morrison,
for example, originated and built the first logging chute in California made
from unmerchantable logs and trees, so that, when it
was greased, a span of horses could haul more than ten times the usual quantity
out of the chute, the team being hitched to the last log of the string.
John Morrison was a native of Ireland, who
came to the United States, to Wisconsin, and there engaged in lumbering in the
Green Bay region. In 1876 he came to Shasta County and settled in one or
another of the lumber regions, where he contracted in getting out logs. He was
particularly active at Cascade Mills, in the service of the Sierra Lumber
Company, with which he remained until 1886. Then he came to Forest Ranch, and
farmed until 1890. At that time he began to make lumber for himself; and he
built a saw-mill at Forest Ranch, sixteen miles north of Chico. Mrs. Morrison
was postmaster from 1885 to 1903, or until they removed to Stirling
City. He got out logs and manufactured lumber until all the available timber
was gone, when he dismantled the mill. In 1902 he entered the employee of the
Diamond Match Company as timber scaler, taking up his
headquarters in 1903 at Stirling City; and there he
resided until his death, in 1909. His enterprise and original methods did much to splendidly systematize the important work entrusted to
him. As has been said, he was the first to build a greased logging chute; and
now there is not a logging camp in California, Oregon or Nevada that does not
use the contrivance original with him.
Mrs. John Morrison was Miss Margaret
Loftus before her marriage, and her native heath was that of Ireland. She came
to Wisconsin with her parents, and there she married. She closed her eyes to
the scenes of this world in San Francisco. She was the mother of five children,
all of whom grew up, and four of whom are still living.
The third eldest child in the family, and
the only son living, Ira Morrison was brought up in Forest Ranch, educated at
the public school, and from a lad learned the lumbering business under his
father, becoming familiar with every department up to that of sawyer. He
remained with his father until 1899, when he went to San Francisco and entered Heald’s Business College, from which he graduated in 1900.
Having finished with particular credit, he came to Chico and became bookkeeper
for J. H. Sawtell, the largest grocer here, and the
forerunner of the Cornforth Grocery. Leaving that
concern in 1902, he engaged with the Sierra Lumber Company as head bookkeeper
at the mill, and soon became manager of their store at West Branch, then the
sawmill. When the Sierra Lumber Company sold out to the Diamond Match Company,
in 1906, he began the management of the sawmill on his
own account. He started with the Forest Ranch, which had timber that became
merchantable, rebuilt the mill, and sold his lumber to the Diamond Match
Company, hauling the same by teams to Chico. He bought adjoining timber, and so
continued until again all the available timber had been used up. Then he
dismantled the mill, and in 1908 returned to Chico.
Having a chance to buy an interest in J.
H. Lucas’s meat market, Mr. Morrison entered the butcher trade under the firm
name of Lucas and Morrison, and not only retailed, but wholesaled, shipping to
distant points. The partners went in for stock-raising, and bought and shipped
cattle. Their market was on Second Street, between Main and Broadway, and was
one of the well-known establishments of the town. In March, 1914, however, he
sold out his share to Mr. Lucas.
On December 1, 1914, Mr. Morrison was
appointed city clerk of Chico, and on April 12 of the following year he was
elected to that same office, for a four-year term. A true-blue Republican, Mr.
Morrison is a member of the Republican County Central Committee.
When Mr. Morrison married, he chose for
his wife Miss Maude Johnston, a native of Los Angeles, who was a graduate of
the Chico State Normal, and was for a while a teacher here. One child,
Margaret, has blessed their union. Always popular socially, and conspicuous for
his performance of civic duty, Mr. Morrison is a valued member of Chico Lodge,
B. P. O. Elks. As an Exempt Firemen, he is a member of Chico
Engine Company No. 2.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
30 July 2008.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages
994-995, Historic Record
Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies