The Morrow Migration
The Atlantic Crossing
The story begins in Northern Ireland in the 1830s. Faced with limited opportunities, the Morrow family made the difficult decision to emigrate. The Atlantic crossing was a perilous journey of weeks, confined to the steerage of a sailing ship. They arrived first in Canada, seeking a foothold in the New World.
Technical Div.
A technical reconstruction of the steerage passage route from Belfast to the Canadian ports.
The Atlantic Crossing (1830s)
To the Territory
Hearing rumors of fertile land to the south, the family moved again, this time to the Wisconsin Territory. It was 1836—twelve years before statehood. They traveled by wagon and waterway, finally settling in what would become Jefferson County.
The land was wild, an oak savanna that required backbreaking labor to clear.
The Pioneer Class
The Morrows were true pioneers. They built their first homes from the timber they cleared and broke the sod for the first crops. Their names—James, Thomas, Silas—appear on the earliest plat maps of the region. They helped establish the schools and churches that formed the backbone of the developing community.
Technical Div.
A cross-section of the standard log cabin architecture used by the Morrows in Jefferson County (circa 1836).