Ritson Morris and Elmwood Plantation
Seabrook, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Virginia native Ritson Morris (1798-1849) came to Texas about 1827. He settled first in Nacogdoches, where he married Minerva Edwards in 1829. One year later, following the birth of their first child, the Morrises moved to this area, where Minerva's father, Amos Edwards, had settled in Stephen F. Austin's colony. Morris received a Mexican land grant and established a 3,000-acre plantation he named Elmwood. He raised livestock and crops, and the family lived in a modest log house. It was later replaced by a large two-story structure that remained on the site until about 1885. Minerva Morris' brother, Ashmore Edwards, built a home nearby. In 1832 and 1835, Morris participated in skirmishes against the Mexican army at Anahuac, precedents to the Texas Revolution of 1836. Morris sent his family to New Orleans for safety during the revolution, but they later returned and continued to live on the plantation for many years. Ritson Morris contracted tuberculosis and died on September 21, 1849. He was buried in the family cemetery on Elmwood Plantation. Many of his descendants continue to live in southeast Harris County.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Virginia-born Ritson Morris reached Texas around 1827, married into the Edwards family, and settled near his father-in-law's grant in Stephen F. Austin's colony. On a 3,000-acre Mexican land grant he built the Elmwood plantation, raising crops and livestock and joining the 1832 and 1835 skirmishes at Anahuac that helped ignite the Texas Revolution. His family sheltered in New Orleans during the war, then returned to farm the land for generations.
Why it matters
Morris embodies the Anglo colonists of Mexican Texas whose grievances at Anahuac became early sparks of the Texas Revolution, and whose descendants rooted a lasting community in southeast Harris County.
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Related people
- · Ritson Morris
- · Minerva Edwards
- · Amos Edwards
- · Ashmore Edwards
Related events
- · Anahuac Disturbances
- · Texas Revolution
Themes & tags
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