Joshua A. Morris, born in Ohio in 1856, was the first child of David Morris and Mary Harris. By the mid-1870s, the David Morris family had grown to twelve. Joshua Morris married into a pioneer family, the Hembrees, who crossed the plains on the Oregon Trail in 1843. With a growing family, Joshua erected this impressive home on 40 acres he acquired for $125. Joshua Morris remained in good health, became a Mason, and continued to engage in civic affairs.