Morgan County, Indiana in the early 1800 s was a very attractive place for new settlers. Word had spread that this rolling wooded countryside was ideal for a family to put down roots and stay for generations. Land was cheap and reasonably easy to get. The vistas from the hilltops could take the breath away from a weary traveler, and leave them with a feeling of home at last. One such family that came to Morgan County in the 1820 s was William Morgan, his wife and children.
    William, according to old newspaper clippings, was a veteran of the War of 1812 who had traveled from Tennessee. His family carved out a homestead in Clay Township where Centennial Road and Henderson Ford Road now intersect. William lived and died on this land, prospering, and building a home to stand for generations. On a knoll in the back of his property lies a small graveyard, named Morgan Cemetery. Wiffiam and his descendants and a veteran of the Civil War, William Kell, are laid to rest there. This cemetery has endured and outlasted several homes built on the property over the years.
    The land has long since passed out of the hands of the Morgan Family, being bought and sold several times in the recent past. For many years this cemetery has fallen into neglect and disgrace. Cattle were allowed to roam freely among the tombstones, damaging many and toppling others. When I first visited the cemetery in 1995, the cemetery could not be entered because of the bull in the pasture and the cattle in the cemetery. The cemetery was later fenced with wire, and the cattle were kept out. By 2002, the land had been sold again to the current owners, who have put an excellent wood and wire fence around the cemetery, ensuring that the fence will last for years. < style="font-family: arial;">.
    The cemetery is now in excellent condition, looking much the way it would have looked all those years ago, and we hope that it remains that way for another hundred years. This could not have been possible without the help and cooperation of all involved parties. The pioneers of Morgan County have earned and deserve the respect that is accorded to them by honoring the places that they are laid to rest. Gone but not forgotten should be more than just an epitaph on a tombstone-it should be the code that we use for all burials in Morgan County, Indiana.
< style="font-family: arial;"><>    Morgan Cemetery in Clay Township is the first completely restored cemetery in Morgan County, Indiana. In these troubling times, Morgan County has an opportunity to lead the way in paying the ultimate tribute to our cemeteries to quiet dignity and giving our our pioneer families and veterans by restoring all of veterans the salute they fought and died for.