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Ripley Co
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Judge Morgan White Cotton
JUDGE MORGAN WHITE COTTON - Judge Morgan White Cotton, probate judge of
Ripley County, Mo., and a man well and favorable known in this part of the State, was born
in Reynolds County, Mo., May 10, 1847, to the marriage of Isaac White Cotton and Christine
(Jeffrey) Cotton. Like many of the prominent citizens of this county, Isaac White Cotton
was a native of Tennessee, and there made his home until about 1840 when he came to Missouri.
Here he settled in the woods of Reynolds County, on Webb's Creek, and began improving and
clearing. Few settled here before he did, and he experienced all the hardships and privations
of the early pioneers. His entire life was spent tilling the soil, and he remained in
Reynolds County until his death in 1884, when fifty years of age. Previous to the Civil War
he was elected county assessor, and about the time of the breaking out of hostilities he
was holding the office of sheriff. He was in the first six months' service during the war.
Mrs. Cotton was afterward married to Miss Jeanette Davis, and after her death he married
again. Politically he was a strong Democrat, and fraternally a Mason. Judge Cotton was
one of a family of eight children born to his father's first marriage, and he spent his school
days in Reynolds County. During the latter part of the war he was in the Confederate service,
Col. Pollock's regiment, and was in the Missouri raid. He surrendered at Jacksonport, Ark.,
in June, 1865, and afterward commenced farming in Reynolds County, continuing that occupation
until 1870, when he became a minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. For two years he
followed his ministerial duties in Reynolds, Carter and Ripley Counties, and after that
located in Ripley County, Kelley Township, where he cultivated the soil. While there he
was justice of the peace, but at the end of four years he moved to west Missouri and Kansas,
where he worked at blacksmithing and wagon making for some time. Returning to Ripley County
he followed the same occupation for six years, and during that time was elected county
assessor, which position he held for two years. Later he was elected probate judge, held
the position four years, and received the nomination for the same office by the Democratic
party recently. In the year 1868 he was married to Miss Mary E. Webb, of Reynolds County,
but she died a short time afterward. His second marriage occurred in 1871 and his choice
was Miss Margaret E. Bell of Tennessee. They have four living children: Isac E., James M.,
Rosalee and Ella B. Judge Cotton joined the Missionary Baptist Church in 1869 and has been
deeply interested in church work since. He is a master mason, a K. of H. and in politics
a Democrat. Judge Cotton still carries on his farming interests and owns 140 acres near
town. He is now mayor of Doniphan, was constable, and has held other positions of trust and
honor.
Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
A REMINISCENT HISTORY OF THE OZARK REGION
COMPRISING A CONDENSED GENERAL HISTORY, A BRIEF DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF EACH
COUNTY, AND NUMEROUS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF SUCH
COUNTIES. pp 726-727
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. 1894.
File at: http://ftp.usgenweb.com/pub/usgenweb/mo/ripley/bios/cotton_morgan.htm
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb by:
Peggy Cannady pcannady6@gmail.com June 14, 2009
Author: Goodspeed Brothers (1894)
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