Thomas Z. Morrow
Encyclopedia
Thomas Zanzinger Morrow (September 3, 1836 August 25, 1913) was a lawyer
, judge, and politician from Kentucky
. He was one of twenty-eight men who founded the Kentucky Republican Party
. His brother-in-law, William O. Bradley, was elected governor of Kentucky
in 1895, and his son, Edwin P. Morrow
was elected to that same office in 1919.
Morrow actively campaigned for Abraham Lincoln
for president
in 1860
, and served in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly
. During the Civil War
, he raised and commanded the 32nd Kentucky Infantry Regiment
of the Union Army
, which was in active service from 1862 to 1863. After the war, he remained active with the Republican Party, and was its nominee for governor in 1883, losing to J. Proctor Knott
. He served seventeen years as a circuit court judge
for Kentucky's 8th district. He died August 25, 1913 after a long illness.
September 3, 1836.Ward, p. 221 He was one of six children born to Alexander S. and Margaret (Boyd) Morrow. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Scotland
to Pennsylvania
before the Revolutionary War
. One branch of the family migrated to the American Midwest
; from this branch came Jeremiah Morrow
, U.S. Senator
and governor of Ohio.
Alexander Morrow relocated to Paris, Kentucky
before coming to Flemingsburg. In 1848, the family moved to Danville, Kentucky
where Alexander found work as a merchant and hotel keeper. Thomas Morrow matriculated to Centre College
and graduated in 1855. Among his fellow graduates that year were future Missouri governor Thomas Theodore Crittenden
, future Kentucky governor
John Y. Brown, and future Kentucky congressman
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
. Morrow then enrolled in the law school at Transylvania University
, graduating in 1856.
Following graduation, Morrow taught school for six months at Milledgeville in Lincoln County, Kentucky
. In 1857, he moved to Somerset, Kentucky
where he became the editor of a Democratic
newspaper for one year. After this, he opened his law practice, partnering with Joshua Fry Bell
. In 1858, he was elected county attorney
of Pulaski County
; he served until his resignation in 1861.
Morrow married Catherine Virginia Bradley on December 24, 1858. Bradley was a sister to William O. Bradley, who was elected the first Republican governor of Kentucky in 1895 and later served as a U. S. Senator. The couple had eight children—7 boys and 1 girl. Their youngest children were twin boys; one of these was Edwin P. Morrow
, who was elected governor of Kentucky in 1919.
. He was one of twenty-eight men who founded the Kentucky Republican Party
, and he actively campaigned for Abraham Lincoln
during the 1860 presidential election
. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives
in 1861 and served until 1863.
Morrow helped recruit part of the 32nd Kentucky Infantry
for the Union Army
, though three of his brothers enlisted in the Confederate Army
. The unit went into service on October 28, 1862, with Morrow as its lieutenant colonel
. They saw action at the Battle of Stanford
among other engagements. Morrow mustered out at Danville, Kentucky
on August 12, 1863.
in 1865, Morrow resigned the following year to accept an appointment as U.S. Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Eighth Collection District. He served in that capacity until 1869, and in 1870, he removed to Topeka, Kansas
and lived there for fourteen months before returning to Somerset and resuming his legal practice. He was a delegate and presidential elector
to the Republican National Convention
in 1876, and an alternate elector in 1880
.
At the Republican state convention in Lexington, held May 23, 1883, Morrow was chosen as the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky
. His opponent was popular six-term congressman J. Proctor Knott
. Morrow charged that the Democrats had, since the end of the Civil War, squandered the state's money and accomplished little. He cited as evidence that in 1865, the state's debt was $6 million and the state sinking fund
contained $9 million in resources, but by 1883, the sinking fund was exhausted with the state debt still standing at $400,000. He also attacked outgoing Democratic governor Luke P. Blackburn
for his liberal use of executive clemency. Morrow was no match for Knott's oratory nor the scathing press of Louisville Courier-Journal editor Henry Watterson
. Knott won the election by a vote of 133,615 to 89,181.
In 1884, Morrow served as chair of the Republican State Central Committee. He was elected circuit court
judge for Kentucky's 8th judicial district in 1886, winning by a margin of 862 votes. He retained this position for seventeen years. Also in 1886, he was chosen division commander of the C. A. Zachary post of the Grand Army of the Republic
in Somerset. He was a charter member of the First Presbyterian
Church of Somerset and was an elder there for many years. He was also a member of the Somerset Elks Lodge
and a charter member of the Somerset Odd Fellows Lodge
.
In 1908, the city of Somerset erected a park and fountain in the public square and added bronze plaques on pedestals surrounding the fountain to honor citizens who contributed to Pulaski County's development; one of these plaques is dedicated to Morrow. Morrow died at the home of his son, W. Boyd Morrow, on August 25, 1913 after a long illness. He was buried in the city cemetery in Somerset.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge, and politician from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. He was one of twenty-eight men who founded the Kentucky Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. His brother-in-law, William O. Bradley, was elected governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
in 1895, and his son, Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin Porch Morrow was an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Republican causes of his day, namely equal rights for African-Americans and the use of...
was elected to that same office in 1919.
Morrow actively campaigned for Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
for president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1860
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
, and served in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he raised and commanded the 32nd Kentucky Infantry Regiment
32nd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 32nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 32nd Kentucky Infantry was organized at Frankfort and Camp Burnside, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment in August 1862 under the command...
of the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, which was in active service from 1862 to 1863. After the war, he remained active with the Republican Party, and was its nominee for governor in 1883, losing to J. Proctor Knott
J. Proctor Knott
James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
. He served seventeen years as a circuit court judge
Kentucky Circuit Courts
The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.The Circuit Courts are trial courts with original jurisdiction in cases involving capital offenses, felonies, land disputes, contested probates of wills, and civil lawsuits in disputes with an...
for Kentucky's 8th district. He died August 25, 1913 after a long illness.
Early life
Thomas Morrow was born in Boyle County, KentuckyBoyle County, Kentucky
Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Danville. In 2000, its population was 28,432. It was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle , a U.S...
September 3, 1836.Ward, p. 221 He was one of six children born to Alexander S. and Margaret (Boyd) Morrow. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
before the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. One branch of the family migrated to the American Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
; from this branch came Jeremiah Morrow
Jeremiah Morrow
Jeremiah Morrow was a Democratic-Republican Party politician from Ohio. He served as the ninth Governor of Ohio, and the last Democratic-Republican to do so....
, U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and governor of Ohio.
Alexander Morrow relocated to Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
before coming to Flemingsburg. In 1848, the family moved to Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
where Alexander found work as a merchant and hotel keeper. Thomas Morrow matriculated to Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
and graduated in 1855. Among his fellow graduates that year were future Missouri governor Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden was a United States colonel during the American Civil War, and served as the 24th Governor of Missouri from 1881 to 1885.-Early life and education:...
, future Kentucky governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
John Y. Brown, and future Kentucky congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Kentucky, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, and a Member of the Knights Templar. He was the first cousin of Vice President of the United States John C. Breckinridge.He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from...
. Morrow then enrolled in the law school at Transylvania University
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
, graduating in 1856.
Following graduation, Morrow taught school for six months at Milledgeville in Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. In 1857, he moved to Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset, Kentucky
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
where he became the editor of a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
newspaper for one year. After this, he opened his law practice, partnering with Joshua Fry Bell
Joshua Fry Bell
Joshua Fry Bell was a Kentucky political figure.Bell was born in Danville, Kentucky, where he attended public schools and then Centre College, where he graduated in 1828...
. In 1858, he was elected county attorney
County attorney
A county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...
of Pulaski County
Pulaski County, Kentucky
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 63,063 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Somerset6. The county is named for Count Kazimierz Pułaski. Most of the county is a prohibition or dry county...
; he served until his resignation in 1861.
Morrow married Catherine Virginia Bradley on December 24, 1858. Bradley was a sister to William O. Bradley, who was elected the first Republican governor of Kentucky in 1895 and later served as a U. S. Senator. The couple had eight children—7 boys and 1 girl. Their youngest children were twin boys; one of these was Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin P. Morrow
Edwin Porch Morrow was an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Republican causes of his day, namely equal rights for African-Americans and the use of...
, who was elected governor of Kentucky in 1919.
Civil War
Morrow supported the Union cause during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was one of twenty-eight men who founded the Kentucky Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and he actively campaigned for Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
during the 1860 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
in 1861 and served until 1863.
Morrow helped recruit part of the 32nd Kentucky Infantry
32nd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 32nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 32nd Kentucky Infantry was organized at Frankfort and Camp Burnside, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment in August 1862 under the command...
for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, though three of his brothers enlisted in the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. The unit went into service on October 28, 1862, with Morrow as its lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. They saw action at the Battle of Stanford
Stanford, Kentucky
Stanford is a city in Lincoln County, Kentucky, United States. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,430 at the 2000 census...
among other engagements. Morrow mustered out at Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
on August 12, 1863.
Later political career
Elected to the Kentucky SenateKentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
in 1865, Morrow resigned the following year to accept an appointment as U.S. Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Eighth Collection District. He served in that capacity until 1869, and in 1870, he removed to Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
and lived there for fourteen months before returning to Somerset and resuming his legal practice. He was a delegate and presidential elector
United States Electoral College
The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1876, and an alternate elector in 1880
1880 Republican National Convention
The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880 at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and nominated James A. Garfield and Chester A...
.
At the Republican state convention in Lexington, held May 23, 1883, Morrow was chosen as the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
. His opponent was popular six-term congressman J. Proctor Knott
J. Proctor Knott
James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
. Morrow charged that the Democrats had, since the end of the Civil War, squandered the state's money and accomplished little. He cited as evidence that in 1865, the state's debt was $6 million and the state sinking fund
Sinking fund
A sinking fund is a fund established by a government agency or business for the purpose of reducing debt by repaying or purchasing outstanding loans and securities held against the entity. It helps keep the borrower liquid so it can repay the bondholder....
contained $9 million in resources, but by 1883, the sinking fund was exhausted with the state debt still standing at $400,000. He also attacked outgoing Democratic governor Luke P. Blackburn
Luke P. Blackburn
Luke Pryor Blackburn was a physician, philanthropist, and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He was elected the 28th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1879 to 1883. Until the election of Ernie Fletcher in 2003, Blackburn was the only physician to serve as governor of Kentucky...
for his liberal use of executive clemency. Morrow was no match for Knott's oratory nor the scathing press of Louisville Courier-Journal editor Henry Watterson
Henry Watterson
Henry Watterson was a United States journalist who founded the Louisville Courier-Journal.He also served part of one term in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat....
. Knott won the election by a vote of 133,615 to 89,181.
In 1884, Morrow served as chair of the Republican State Central Committee. He was elected circuit court
Kentucky Circuit Courts
The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.The Circuit Courts are trial courts with original jurisdiction in cases involving capital offenses, felonies, land disputes, contested probates of wills, and civil lawsuits in disputes with an...
judge for Kentucky's 8th judicial district in 1886, winning by a margin of 862 votes. He retained this position for seventeen years. Also in 1886, he was chosen division commander of the C. A. Zachary post of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
in Somerset. He was a charter member of the First Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
Church of Somerset and was an elder there for many years. He was also a member of the Somerset Elks Lodge
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
and a charter member of the Somerset Odd Fellows Lodge
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
.
In 1908, the city of Somerset erected a park and fountain in the public square and added bronze plaques on pedestals surrounding the fountain to honor citizens who contributed to Pulaski County's development; one of these plaques is dedicated to Morrow. Morrow died at the home of his son, W. Boyd Morrow, on August 25, 1913 after a long illness. He was buried in the city cemetery in Somerset.