Gideon Morris (c. 1756 – April 1798) was an early

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

settler and trans-Appalachian pioneer. He was a part of the

Watauga Association The Watauga Association (sometimes referred to as the Republic of Watauga) was a semi-autonomous government created in 1772 by frontier settlers living along the Watauga River in what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee. Although it lasted only a fe ...

and is most known for founding the city of

Morristown, Tennessee Morristown is a city in and the county seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Morristown also extends into Jefferson County on the western and southern ends. The city lies within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, Ridge and Valley regi ...

Biography

Gideon Morris was born in

Randolph County, North Carolina Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 144,171. Its county seat is Asheboro. Randolph County is included in the Greensboro- High Point, NC Metropolitan Statistica ...

around 1756. Records from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

state that Morris moved to the Watauga Settlement with an unspecified amount of siblings. In 1775, Morris signed the Watauga Petition to annex Watauga to North Carolina. Records also stated that Morris served in an expedition against Native Americans in the fall of 1775. In 1778 Gideon Morris appeared in court and swore an oath of allegiance. Lands were granted by the State of North Carolina to Morris in

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, Greene and Hawkins counties. He most likely settled on parts of these grants either in 1787 or 1791, which was included in Jefferson County and now in Hamblen County. The settlement founded by Morris has, as far as is known, always been called Morristown. No known records exist demonstrating land grants in the area to anyone aside from Gideon and his extended family. Jefferson County possesses a record of the results of the execution of Morris'

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, which includes property deeded to his son John Morris in 1817 for a 400-acre tract of land originally granted to Gideon by the state of North Carolina, and presumably comprising only a portion of the original grant due to the known size of the Morris family at that time. Morris lived on that tract of land until his death in 1798. Morris is buried in Morris Cemetery in Morristown, Tennessee. A

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

state historical marker stands near the cemetery to commemorate the founders of the town.

Legacy

Morris' settlement of Morristown would be included in the new state of

in 1796 and would be incorporated in 1855. The town became the county seat of the newly formed Hamblen County in 1870.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Gideon 18th-century births 1798 deaths People from Morristown, Tennessee People from North Carolina People from Randolph County, North Carolina People from pre-statehood Tennessee People from colonial North Carolina American pioneers