A river, a railroad, and resources brought George Morrison in the 1870s
Beautiful Bear Creek flows through the center of downtown Morrison. It provides water for Denver, Englewood, and Morrison, as well as towns upstream, and has been a primary attraction for residents and visitors alike. It has also been the source of much destruction. A wide bench carved by Bear Creek near the hogback first attracted George Morrison’s attention as a potential townsite. The creek also provided a passable route to move people and supplies into the goldfields to the west.
The town of Morrison got its start in 1872 when a group of Denver businessmen headed by Colorado Governor John Evans incorporated the Denver and South Park Railway. A narrow gauge railroad was built west from the Platte River to Mt. Morrison. The plan was to extend the line to South Park and the mining country. This spur brought work and wealth to our little community. The panic of 1873, crop losses in 1874-76, and a more practical route up the Platte Canyon ended the plans for extension, and the railroad stopped forever at Morrison. It was completed in 1874, and made scheduled runs until 1925, but was abandoned after the floods of 1933.
During its life, however, the railroad was Morrison’s lifeblood. It carried building stone and other products of Morrison’s quarries into Denver, brought tourists to the town and to nearby Red Rocks Park (then known as Garden of the Angels), and made Morrison a supply center for growing communities in the canyons and mountains to the west, as well as to the ranches east along the Bear Creek Valley.
Morrison History 
I’m wondering if my Grandfather William Morrison who lived for some time in Durango CO has anything to do with Morrison CO? I am trying to find relatives in that area my maiden name is Nancy Morrison, father Charles Morrison. My grandfather worked on the railroad for many years, he was born in Scotland . Nancy
Nancy– please forgive my delay in replying. Unfortunately, we’ve never heard of a William Morrison. We do have a Charles, but he is grandson of the town founder, George Morrison. His brother emigrated with him, but he was named David, and soon returned to Nova Scotia. According to family members, there may have been a third brother, but I don’t have a name.
The Morrisons are of Scottish descent, but ours came from Canada. I’m told that many Morrisons emigrated from Scotland in the 1820s. I trust you’ve checked Google; there’s lots of Morrison family info online.
Good luck with your search!
Best– Sally
Dear Nancy:
Good to make contact! I think we may have a connection, but it’ll take time to work out.
My grandfather, Alexander Stevenson, was born and died in Central Scotland. His older siblings emigrated to the US in the 1860s, and legend has it, travelled to Colorado in a covered wagon, and became one of the first families to settle in or around Denver. They started a coal mining company called the Clayton Coal Co., which had its office in downtown Denver.
In the 1950s, a friend of my mother’s went to Denver on a visit, and met a descendent of the emigrants from Scotland. Her name was Mary Morrison. The friend reported back that the family was quite wealthy, and the daughter (21 or so at the time) was driving a Cadillac!
My aunt May Stevenson’s middle name was Morrison, but I never quite understood why. I’ll try to find out from my cousin.
Best,
Anna McGregor Chisman
Interesting fact on migrations to Canada. Usually they came to America first and were turned away because America made rules that they had to read and write to be eligible for entry. People then went to Canada first and then sometimes migrated to America later.
What was in the Post Office site in 1930
Anna, how great to find out your connection…..let me know if you ever hear anything from your cousin its all very interesting…Nancy
Nancy: Thanks for your message! I’m about to go off to England for a month (hooray!), but will be back mid-August, and start planning a little visit to Colorado to do some on-site research. If you live in the area, perhaps we could talk or meet.
BTW, my mother’s name was Nancy (Agnes) Stevenson.
Best, Anna
Looking for any record of my 2nd great grandfather J.H. Lathrop and family. Owned land west of Indian Hills near North Turkey Creek. Married in Evergreen in 1887. Son Martin Elisha Lathrop was born in July 1888. Most available records for Martin list his birth place as Denver. But some records have his birthplace as Morrison. J.H. Lathrop relinquished his Homestead Land Grant on North Turkey Creek in 1888. I have lost track of him from here. He may have been back in Iowa by 1891. He came back to Colorado and went to Cripple Creek in 1894. These people have been extremly difficult to track. None of his 3 children appear in any birth indexes in Colorado or Iowa, though its absolute that they were born there. I was hoping there exists an old country doctor’s diary that list births he attended or some other unofficial list of births in 1888.
Looks like your best bet is the Foothills Genealogical Society. Link is at historicjeffco.org on the Resources page (scroll down). I found marriage of J.H. Lathrop and Zadie B. Ritchey on Sept 6, 1886, and he is in the 1885 county census. I will email details. — Sally
Edward– thanks for stopping by! Indian Hills is a little out of our immediate area, and the name Lathrop doesn,t ring a bell, but let me do some checking and get back to you. Unfortunately, our country doctor left us no records, but I will check our files and let you know if anything turns up.
Best regards– Sally
I am looking for any information on the Hillcrest Guest Ranch with was located in Morrison approximate in the year 1940 through 1969 and owned and operated by Thomas and Mabel Cavenaugh. They adopted my mother in 1944 and her name is Virginia Wright. I have heard many stories about this town although I don’t remember much about it when I was small and lived there. My understanding is that there is/was a museum that had pictures of my grandparents and the guest ranch. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for stopping by, Linda. I do have some information on that and will email it to you separately as it,s not online yet. It,s another item I probably should get online one of these days. The museum is gone for now, but we do still have the pictures, so i,ll have to get Hillcrest handled for you soon. –Sally
Hi there, my husband and I had the Thrifty Grocery Store. The building was owned by John Schneider. He owned the drug store on the corner.We were there in the 1950’s.
Our daughters attended the school that was built before Colorado became a state. I think the building is in sad repair now. The mayor at the time was Joe, but I cannot remember his last name. I used to fix his wife’s hair. Father O’malley (I think that was his name) was the priest of the home on the hill.
I knew Mabel Cavanaugh. One time when they were going to have a group of people ride out of town and have a cook out. Any way Mabel came to the store and needed to buy some pork chops for the cook out. I took the loin out of the meat case and attempted to cut the pork chops she needed. I must say they were not very neat, but I bet they tasted good.
My girls were girl scouts and one ot the badges they earned was for riding horses. We (the girls and I) rented the horses from the Hillcrest Stables and went off on our ride. During the ride, the horse Elaine (daughter) was riding decided to go back to the stables. So here we are Elailne’s horse heading back to the stables and me riding as fast as I could to catch her. I think it was a tie.
There was a young woman working for the Cavanaughs who would take a group of men out to hunt for deer. They (the men) usually stayed in camp (playing cards and drinking) while the young woman would go hunt and get the deer for the guys. Sounds about right. What do you think? I wonder if she could be your relative.
Our store had very large tree trunks in back and on the side to protect it from flood waters and debrie. The walls of the store still had the marks from the last big flood in 1936. On the west side of the store there was a little building attached to the store and Mrs Billings had a little what not shop. She also taught my girls how to do needle work.
One time we had a fellow come into town soliciting sexual favors. Mrs. Billings called the Marshal to come and arrest him. We had his trial in Golden later.
We had an ice house for ice for the people from Denver and around who came on the week ends. The fellow who took care of it for us was mentaly incapacitated. He could not see to well either, but could tell what the coins were by the feel of them. We sold picnic supplies and 3.2 beer. Lots of people came then. When the week end came to a close it was bumper to bumper of cars with the people going home after a good time in the foothills.
We had three bars. Bear Creek Bar on the other side of Bear Creek, Tabor’s Bar in the middle of the block. The fellow who owned that one used to drink so much during the day that he would go home drunk every night. I can’t think of the other one unless it was Amos. he is the one we bought the business from.
Don was in Dallas selling Frosty Frozen Foods because when summer was over we did not have as much business. He sold many freezers and food to people in and around Morrison and up on the grapevine road.
I wish we had kept the old cash register. It was really neat, but we bought a National Cash register. We also had a walk in cooler, were we kept the beer and milk. We kept it running with quarters all the time.
We had customers in Indian Hills and I would deliver their groceries. One night when coming back from Indian Hills my lights on the panel truck went out. Boy it sure gets black. Anyway I stood out in the middle of the road hoping to get help. Good thing they did see me and stop in time. I had a fuse they put in for me and away I went back to Morrison.
We used to eat at the Standard Service station owned by the Heldabrands. When they retired and sold the station they moved to Tempe, Arizona.
There also was a quanset hut over by the river where we would eat sometimes. I don’t remember who owned it.
The Friedmans owned and delivered the butane gas to people. Later they also built a washateria next to our store. The building that had been there was washed away with the 1936 flood. It has been told that when the water was so high in the drug store that when the fountain was floating about it broke the front window and the fountain went out with the water. Bill Schneider told that story. Our daughters played the piano in a Christmas play at the community center. That is also where we had Church. There was also another church. I think it was the Church of the pille of fire,
Many mor stories,but that is all for now.
Thank you so much! Yes the young woman was my mom. She would wear her hair in braids all the time.She would take hunters up on the mountains all the time. The nameSchneider sounds so familiar. Do you have any pictures of the guest ranch?
I live at the hillcrest guest ranch now! If anyone has pictures I would LOVE TO SEE THEM.
I’ve been here about 8 years now and love it here. Great place to live and raise kids!
Thanks
Kerrieandnoah@gmail.com
Kenny hill 9704061288
Thanks, Kenny. I’ll have to see if we can dig out some pictures of the Hillcrest Guest Ranch. We do have a good story on the place from a former owner; I’ll see if I can post that soon.
My grandfather was born in Trinidad,Co in March of 1916 his parents were Albert Michael Morrison and Agnes(Rovich) Morrison his brother worked in the coal mines in Gray Creek. Just wondering if there might be a connection thank you
They could be related. We lived in Morrison in 1950’s and had the Thrifty Grocery store. You might try emailing Sally White in morrison and see if she knows any thing about them. We were originally from Denver and when my husband Donald E Silver was selling realestate we bought the business. We have lots of good memories of Morrison.
i am trying to find where my great grandmother alponia jordan was buriedplease help if you can i am a reletive of the matthews jordan and lagrows
I have a very nice, mounted 8×10 studio portrait of George Morrison and his family and a number of candid’s of his son, Cowboy Pete Morrison, that I acquired from an estate sale 3-4 years ago in Hollywood. If you would be interested in seeing these, please forward an email and I can send you some scans to determine if they are dupes of images you already have or are something new that you would like to add to your collection. Thank you.
Hello, I just read your E-mail. I own Tony Rigatoni’s at 215 Bear creek ave. in Morrison. We are revitalizing our home/business after 23 years. We are going back in time to the golden days of Morrison past. I would be honored to make use of our place with any pictures or memorials that you would like to share. Reza
Hello Bill my name is Keith Campbell I’m an artist and working in Morrison Colorado
I would really love to see the photos of George Morrison and the family I’ve had a gallery at his house at the Cliff House since 2007 my email is scramble@scramblecampbell.com thank you so much looking forward to hearing from you
Hello very interested in your photos
Please email me at
scramble@scramblecampbell.com
Thanks
I will send your email on to my daughter and see if she would be interester.
I am a descendent of Carl Gottlieb Nahring who had a farm in Morrison. He lived in Denver since 1880- 1888 and owned a saloon called “Concordia Hall & Gardens”. He moved to Morrison with wife Hulda by 1900 census. Daughter Pauline teacher at little one room schoolhouse in Morrison (picture per Ken Schultz). 1900,1910, census shows family w/5 kids in Morrison on farm. He dies on farm 1928, leaving property to wife Hulda (Perlick) Nahring, and son Arthur W Nahring, daughter Pauline (Nahring) Heim all of Morrison, Oscar Paul Nahring (my grandfather) of Denver, Carl Nahring of Brush Co., daughter Gertrude (Nahring) Bevans of Morrison. He owned 32 acres and half of Harriman Lake listed in his probate records. Big family events- marriages, deaths, etc happened on the farm. Have old photo of Hulda’s birthday on farm with 40+ people in attendance. Happy to share anything of interest. Would love any info/photos/ of life during this time period in Morrison. Have some colorful stories from genealogybank.com website about some of my relatives there. Please direct me to any help possible. I visited Denver to research my family and need to return to Morrison. I am enchanted by your beautiful town and its people. Warmly,
Pat Nahring Williams
Can you tell me anything about a woman named Melissa Pearson and The Melissa Pearson House?
Ann Morgan
Hello, I’m Related to Thomas Lewis and his father Joel Lewis. Joels brother William Lewis lived at Rapid City, S.Dakota and was involved with Black Hills Gold rush which Thomas went up to for a few years. Brad Lewis is a Direct descent from Joel Lewis is on Ancestry. Thought you might like the Info. George Thomas
Abbo Lewis Blacksmith Shop, anything remain of it????
Dear George,
I am a member and researcher with the Foothills Genealogical Society, (Jefferson County, Colorado) as well as a descendant of the Abbo and Lewis families.
We would love to hear from you and maybe answer any questions you may have about our families?
Kind regards,
Gaye Buzbee Jacobs
gayejacobs@yahoo.com
Hello,
My Great Aunt was Sarah Ella Donovan, who was the wife of Thomas A. Lewis. Their children were Amy (Abbo) and Oscar. Any information you have on Sarah Ella would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Gaye– it’s nice to hear from you again. Actually, I’m not sure we have more information on Sarah Lewis, but I’ll see what I can find.
Samuel and Nora Hebrew and Frank and Julia Baker are our ancestors. Lots of Morrison history with these two families
Juanita Baker raccoon@scottsbluff.net
These are indeed two important families in Morrison’s history! Thanks for writing. Please keep in touch.
Kenny Hill, I will go and see my mom and look for her photo album that had pictures of her at the Hillcrest Guest Ranch. Tom and Mabel Cavanaugh adopted my mother when she was 13/14 yrs old. My mothers name was Virginia Wright.
My grandmother was a Hill and I was told that we are decedents of Zebulon Pike. The Hill family moved from Illinois to Nebraska and were Scottish. Is this true?
My great grandmother mother was a Morrison think her brother was William Morrison he married Charlotte Tardieu and they lived all their lives at Monas Island in Trinidad with their children I am trying to find out who Mary Jane Morrison (my grandmother mother ) parents were? Mary Jane married Eugenie Hamel-Smith they had three sons Philip, Sydney, charlie and two daughters Mequeleine ( my grand mother ) and Rosie. my grandmother Mrqueleine married Loraine Macdonald Hay Can you help?
I have found out who mary Jane Morrison parents were
They were William Morrison and Charlotte Morrison nee Tardieu
her brothers and sisters were Leah, Robert, charlotte, Lucy, Agatha, John, Patrick, Charles and Victor
My great grandmother was Martha Ann (Bergen) Greene, daughter of Thomas Cunningham Bergen and Judith Roe Fletcher. Her father, who founded what is now “Bergen Park” in 1859, eventually moved down Bear Creek to farm just south of Morrison in the early 1870’s. He was the first to dig a couple of ponds for irrigation and cultivate a fish business there. The two small ponds are yet on the T.E.V. Edelweiss outdoor Facility property. My great grandmother was married there on Hogback Ridge 11 June 1876 to Thomas Henry Greene. They eventually moved back to Hopkinton, RI in 1880 (his birthplace) to care for ailing family.
In 2008 my brother and I travelled to Bergen Park, Idaho Springs, and Morrison tracing the Bergen family sites. With the help of a 1928 photo album of my grandfather’s, who had taken his mother back to Colorado in 1928 to visit with her brother, William Henry Bergen (whom she hadn’t seen in 48 years) and four generations of his family there … my brother and I were able to locate Thomas C Bergen’s headstone in the Old Morrison Cemetery just above the town (and just below The Red Rocks Park). We also traveled up “Oh My God” Road, off the Virginia Canyon Rd out of Idaho Springs to Central City. It runs up through Gilson Gulch where my great grandmother,Martha Ann Bergen, spent two years running a boarding house for the Gilson’s while my great grandfather Thomas had staked and was mining two claims. Martha’s first child was born up there on Christmas Day 1877. In 1880 they sold their claims and went to Hopkinton, RI where they raised eight children and were both buried. My great grandmother lived until a week shy of her 100th birthday in 1956.
Rod Greene, Mystic, CT
Thanks, Rod. Sounds like you had a great trip! Thanks for sharing this info!
I used to have a cemetery section on this site that had info on Bergen’s and other headstones. In case you’re interested, there’s also a page on his monument at Historic Jeffco, and one with a bio at Morrison History.
Sally
My family is the Gilson Family from Gilson Gulch near Idaho Springs. You don’t hear many people that even know where it is Glad you family worked there
What did the Mt.Morrison county look like on a map? I really love Morrison history as a resident.
Willow Ridge Manor, now located in Morrison was originally a private home located on Old Kipling Rd. My grandfather, George Alexander Allen bought that house and renovated in 1915. The house sat north of the land he donated to build the 1st school on Bear Creek which was originally called the “Montana School”. My grandfather met my grandmother, Myrtle Griffith when she came to teach there in 1917 and they were wed in 1919. My father, Jack R. Allen was born in that house in 1924. They sold the property in 1929.
Linda Allen Riggs
My ancestors lived in and around early Morrison, Jeffco and Clear Creek Counties, including the Lewis, Abbo, Culver and Donovan families and several others. As a member of Foothills Genealogical Society, I am completing my own family tree, but I am also working on a personal project focusing on the burials at the Morrison Cemetery. If anyone would like to exchange or share information or photos, please contact me!
Gaye Buzbee Jacobs
gayejacobs@yahoo.com
Don Morrison, Karen Morrison and Sidney Morrison?
I am searching for information about Margaret Healy Smith and her husband, Jeremiah Smith. My grandmother, Nora Smith Hebrew, was their daughter.
Juanita Baker raccoon@scottsbluff.net
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I went to that school first thru 4thrd grade. There were 2 rooms down stairs one room was first 2nd 3rd, next room was 4th 5th 6th, and up stairs was 7th and 8th. This was 1948 49 & 50. my father owned the market on the corner across from the drugstore.
My great great grandfather was David Morrison and his Father was Geo Morrison and his Mother Lucy Black Morrison. His first wife was Etta Synder Morrison of Ohio. He had two children Earl Clarence Morrison and William Morrison. David Morrison was in many areas of Pennsylvania and Ohio and was a Oil Producer. Just wondering if anyone has any information as I am searching for information on Geo and Lucy Morrison.
Lots of wonderful information here, thanks so much!
Can anyone tell me how long the depot building was in place?
HistoricAerials web site seems to show it still existing in 1963.
I’m a railroad enthusiast, and would love to see pictures of the old depot and turntable area if they are available. Great to see the short section of track restored there.
Sincerely, Norm Acker