The History of Hendricks County (Chicago: Interstate Publishing, 1885)--Washington Township, pages 751-754
Morgan L. Smith, the subject of this sketch, was born in Orange County, N.Y., on the 21st of August, 1806. When he was six years old his father died, leaving a widow and a family of six children with limited means. By the force of circumstances, from an early age, he was thrown upon his own resources and laid the foundation of a character always well sustained for energy, industry, perseverance and integrity. He learned the trade of a ship-carpenter in the city of New York, but disliking the habit of drinking which he everywhere observed about him among the young mechanics, he left the city, and followed his business as a house-carpenter throughout Orange and the adjacent counties in the States of New York and New Jersey. While so doing he became acquainted with and affianced to the lady who afterward became his wife--Margaret, daughter of James Iliff, Esq., many years a magistrate of Sussex County, N.J.
On the 16th of October, 1832, having accumulated some means by his trade, he left Orange County for the West, for the purpose of investing them in lands. A journal of his travels shows that he came by the Hudson River, by railroad (for a short distance), by canal and stage, wherever any such conveyance afforded him means of progress, and making connecting gaps on foot. His route was to Buffalo substantially by the line now run by the New York Central Railroad, and thence by steamboat to the mouth of the Huron River, thence to Dayton, Ohio, and thence to Indianapolis over the line of the National Road, finally arriving at Hulse's tavern in Washington Township, Hendricks Co., Ind., on the 15th day of November. He remained in that vicinity until the 12th of August, 1833, when he started to return to New York on horseback. He traveled north, passing through Hamilton, Howard, Tipton, Cass, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph, Elkhart and other counties to the Ohio line and thence through Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York to his native place. He was much pleased with the lands in the northern part of the State and purchased several tracts intending to make his home in that part of the State. In February of 1834 he married the lady above named and on the 10th of June following they started West, in a neatly covered spring wagon, to make his home in the State of Indiana. Their route was south and west to Cumberland, Md., and thence to Indianapolis by the Cumberland (National) road. The travelers finally reached Hulse's on the 8th of July, 1834. Finding his brother-in-law financially embarrassed, and his lands already sold by the sheriff, the subject of this sketch changed his plans, and bought his brother-in-law's lands, and at once settled on the farm which he thenceforth occupied until his death.
He was a valuable acquisition to the locality in which he settled, and the community felt his influence from that time until his death. He was full of energy and perseverance, and never seemed to tire in pressing his undertakings to accomplishment. He erected a saw-mill on what was known as Little White Lick, a creek running through his farm. During the season when the stream furnished a sufficient supply of water, the mill knew no rest on the days devoted to labor. T hroughout the night the sound of its operations and the gleam of the fire on the open square of clay under the roof of the mill were familiar objects to the neighborhood, and told of the spirit of the man. By his energy, activity and prudence he was enabled to accumulate what, in those days, was a considerable fortune. But he never engaged in any manner of speculation. What he had, he had earned and could count every cent as honestly and fairly obtained. For many years prior to his death he was one of the heaviest taxpayers and probably the largest land-owner of the township. He was public spirited and gave liberally of his means for the support of schools and the church. In religion he was a Methodist, and for many years prior to his death he served as Steward in the Methodist church at Shiloh. For a number of years he served as Trustee for the Academy at Danville, while it was under the direction of the Methodist church. His house was always open and a welcome home for the itinerant Methodist preacher. In politics he was an Anti-Slavery Democrat until the formation of the Republican party, with which he always acted from that date. He never had any inclination for political life, and never sought office. The only political office he ever filled was Trustee of his township, to which place he was elected for a number of terms and was President of the Board of Trustees. In the midst of his labor he remembered the friends and associations of his youth, and made frequent visits to his native place. Thrice he wife his wife and the children then born of their marriage returned to his old home by private conveyances, before railroad routes were completed; and after railroad travel rendered the journey easy they made it frequently. He was an observing traveler and an intelligent reader of books and periodicals, so that he was a man of wide experience and good judgment, whose advice was often sought by those who knew him.
On the 20th of August, 1869, the day he completed his sixty-third year, he died, loved and respected in the community in which he had so long resided, and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, north of the city of Indianapolis. His resting place is marked by a suitable monument of blue Scotch granite. There were born of the marriage above named eight children, four of whom died in infancy and four of whom yet survive. The oldest, a daughter, married Colonel O.A. Bartholomew, and resides at Chariton, Iowa. There were three sons--Charles W., who resides in the city of Indianapolis and is engaged in the practice of law; Alpheus F. owns a large portion of the old farm and resides upon it; J. Fletcher is proprietor of a hotel at Leon, Iowa. His widow yet survives and enjoys a green old age dividing her time among her children.