Benjamin Wistar Morris (sometimes spelled "Wister"; 1762–1825) was the founder of

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Wellsboro is a borough in and the county seat of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough was founded by Benjamin Wistar Morris. It is located northwest of Williamsport. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. Early in the ...

. Samuel Wells Morris, Morris' son, was a member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

. His grandson was Episcopal bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris II, and his great grandson was Benjamin Wistar Morris III, a noted architect. Morris was the son of Captain

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

and Rebecca ( Wistar) Morris. Benjamin Morris, an agent of the Pine Creek Land Company, settled in

Tioga County, Pennsylvania Tioga County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,045. Its county seat is Wellsboro. The county was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and later organized in 1812 ...

about 1805 with his wife

Mary Wells Morris Mary Wells Morris (September 4, 1764 – November 6, 1819) is the person after whom Wellsboro, Pennsylvania is named. She was born in Burlington County, New Jersey. She moved to Tioga County with her husband Benjamin, her son Samuel, and her daug ...

. Wellsboro may have been named in honor of Mary or a member of Mary's family. William Wells, Mary's brother, was a leader of the land company for whom Benjamin worked. At the time they settled in the county, the Morris'

log house A log house, or log building, is a structure built with horizontal logs interlocked at the corners by notching. Logs may be round, squared or hewn to other shapes, either handcrafted or milled. The term "log cabin" generally refers to a smal ...

was the only home in what is now the borough of Wellsboro.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Benjamin Wistar People from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania 1762 births 1825 deaths People from colonial Pennsylvania City founders