John Albert Morris

John Albert Morris (July 29, 1836 – May 25, 1895) was an American businessman widely known as the "Lottery King" and a prominent figure in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. A native of New Jersey, he benefited from a large inheritance and added substantially to his fortune through a majority interest in the Louisiana State Lottery Company.[1]

John Albert Morris
BornJuly 29, 1836
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMay 25, 1895 (1895-05-26) (aged 58)
Kerrville, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeMetairie Cemetery, New Orleans
Occupation(s)Businessman, Lottery operator, Racetrack owner, Racehorse owner/breeder
Board member ofLouisiana State Lottery Company, Morris Park Racecourse
Spouse
Cora Hennen
​
​
(m. 1857)​
ChildrenFrancis Morris, Alfred Hennen, Dave Hennen, Isabel Morris-Ledyard
Parent(s)Francis Morris /
Mary Elizabeth Valentine
HonorsMorris Park, Bronx
John A. Morris Handicap at Saratoga Race Course

Early life

Morris was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 29, 1836. He was the son of Francis Morris and Mary Elizabeth Valentine. As a boy, he traveled to England, under the charge of Richard Ten Broeck, when he put Prior and other horses on the English turf.[1]

Thoroughbred racing

His father was also involved in horse racing, and notably owned Ruthless, the winner of the 1867 Belmont and Travers Stakes.[2] Morris inherited his father's 25,000-acre (100 km2) ranch in Gillespie County, Texas, fourteen miles (23 km) from the town of Kerrville, where he established a horse breeding operation.[3]

John Morris owned a large racing stable in the United States and another in Europe. With Leonard W. Jerome as his minority partner, in 1889 he opened Morris Park Racecourse in what was then Westchester County, New York.[4] The racetrack hosted the Belmont Stakes from 1890 through 1904 as well as the Preakness Stakes in 1890.[5] A few days before he died in May 1895, he leased the racecourse, with an option to purchase, to the Westchester Racing Association.

Properties

At one point in time, Morris owned nine "superbly equipped establishments in America and Europe," including in New Orleans, Louisiana, Throggs Neck, New York, three properties in Boston, Massachusetts, Bar Harbor, Maine, Gillespie County, Texas, and in Hanover, Germany.[1] The Morris heirs later sold the property to real estate developers in 1905.

Personal life

In 1857, he married Cora Hennen (1838–1922), the daughter of Alfred Hennen, a wealthy and prominent judge in New Orleans. The couple had four children:

John Albert Morris suffered a stroke and died, at age 59, in 1895 while at his Texas Ranch.[1] His remains were sent by train to New Orleans where he was interred in the Metairie Cemetery.[7]

At the time of his death, his wealth was estimated at between $25,000,000 and $30,000,000.[1]

Legacy

The neighborhood of Morris Park in the Bronx, New York, a large part of which covers the site of Morris Park Racecourse, is named in his memory.

References
  1. "DEATH OF JOHN A. MORRIS; The Founder and Chief Owner of the Louisiana Lottery. A FAMOUS OWNER OF RACE HORSES Story of His Manipulation of the Great Lottery Fraud Until Bribery Ceased to Keep It Alive". The New York Times. 27 May 1895. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. "JOHN A. MORRIS. LOTTERY KING; HISTORY OF THE GREAT LOUISIANA GAMBLING CONCERN. Florida Had Best Beware Before Giving Him a Foothold. Within Its Borders -- How He Obtained Control of the Greatest Incorporated Swindle that Ever Disgraced a State -- Millions of Profit on a Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Investment". The New York Times. 11 February 1894. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  3. DiBrino, Nicholas. The History of the Morris Park Racecourse and the Morris Family (1977) The Bronx County Historical Society Archived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine ISBN 0-941980-27-8
  4. [Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "New York Times - July 28, 1893". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  5. "BIG RACING FIRM DISSOLVED.; John A. Morris Retires -- Younger Morrises to Retain a Small Stable". The New York Times. 15 November 1894. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  6. "LEWIS CASS LEDYARD MARRIES MRS. MORRIS; Their Engagement, Made Three Weeks Ago, Not Announced. FEW AT THE QUIET WEDDING The Bride Was the Wife of Thurlow Weed Barnes -- Dave Hennen Morris a Brother". The New York Times. 7 June 1906. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  7. "Atlanta Constitution - May 30, 1895". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
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