DR. G. W. MORRISON.

Dr. G. S. Morrison was the pioneer of the northeastern portion of Cass county, which was embraced, in his lifetime, under the name of Lura township, and in which there were probably not more than a score of families at the time of his death in 1863. His wife, after whom the township was christened, died four years later. In August, 1853, Dr. Morrison came from Bureau county, Ill., and entered a large tract of land about a mile southwest of where Anita now stands. Upon it he erected a large double log cabin, and, with his wife, proceeded to make himself at home. He dropped his professional practice almost entirely and did what he could to develop the country, building roads and bridges and ably assisting in civil organization. In order to support himself and wife in this wild country of their choice he became what, in ancient times, would have been called "a mighty hunter." As a sample of his achievements, during the winter of 1855-6 he killed in the neighborhood of one hundred and fifty deer. In the preceding winter Dr. Morrison, Peter Kanawyer, R. D. McGeehon and J. R. Kirk spent about two months in staking out a road and bridging the streams for a distance of about forty miles, from Dalmanutha, Guthrie county, to the Nishnabotna river, about two miles from Indiantown. At that time all such work was done by the settlers without pay, as the taxes were not sufficient to make such improvements. In May, 1855, the Western Stage Company put a line of four-horse coaches from Des Moines to Council Bluffs, the new road built by the citizens of Cass county named above became a section of its system and Morrison's Grove and his log house constituted a regular station of it. The deoctor and his good wife opened a sort of a hotel, and were such popular personages that Morrison's Station became noted from one side of the State to the other.

From "Compendium and History of Cass County, Iowa." Chicago: Henry and Taylor & Co., 1906, pg. 151.