Morganville came from two adjoining, separate towns that were founded in the late 1800s. Morgan City was established and 1870 and was one of the first towns platted in the county. It was first established as Della, with its first store and Post Office opening in 1871.
The name Morgan came from Captain Ebenezer “Rattler” Morgan, a ship captain who hailed from Groton, Connecticut. Morgan began working on a whaling ship at just 12 years old (he was orphaned at a young age) and worked his way up.
In 1865, he completed the most profitable whaling voyage of the time, earning $100,000 in 15 months. The voyage brought in $150,000 worth of cargo, with the captains earning two-thirds of the haul. The other third was split among the crew. (That’s $1.9 million and $2.9 million, respectively, today.)
He landed in Kansas in 1869, at 52 years old. With his money, he purchased land in many states, including New York, the Boston area, and an entire railroad in Tennessee. In Kansas, he bought several tracts of land, including four blocks in what would become Morgan City, and multiple farms between Clay Center and Clifton.
At one time, he owned more land, buildings, or shares in Clay County than any other person or entity.
Morgan City consisted of three streets north and south and six streets east and west.
In 1887, the neighboring town of Silver, named for two of its founders, William and Lucinda Silver, was also established.
By 1902, a cemetery was platted and listed the town, including both cities’ boundaries, was listed as Morganville.
The Rock Island and Union Pacific Railroads also passed through the city limits.
Allegedly, there was no official voting system to choose the town’s name; therefore, Morgan City and Silver technically still exist.
Though Morgan’s name was used, he never lived in the area. In addition, William Silver is generally credited for having founded the town.
Morgan returned to Connecticut, where he died in 1890 of Bright’s disease (kidney disease). His estate was estimated to be around $2 million. (Nearly $70.3 million today.)
Among his real estate investments, Morgan also worked as a Baptist minister and donated toward the Baptist translation of the Bible.
