Big Blue Grass Family

1893

Old Joe Morrison and Giant Wife, Sons and Daughters

"As a specimen of what Kentucky can do in the way of producing stalwart sons and daughters," said a proud native of the blue grass country, "I might mention the old Joe Morrison family of Bourbon county. Anybody of the present generation who ever lived in Kentucky will remember old Joe Morrison's family. The family consisted of Joe and his wife and six sons and three daughters. Joe stood 6 feet 4 in his stockings and weighed 210 pounds. His wife was the same height exactly, but she weighed 266 pounds. The oldest son, Tom, was also 6 feet 4, and he weighed 286 pounds. Jim topped his brother Tom by two inches in height, but he wasn't as heavy by 70 pounds. Their sister Sarah was a slim girl, weighing only 165 pounds, but she was taller than either Tom or Jim, for she stood 6 feet 6½ inches.

"But John was the big boy of the family. He only lacked an inch of being 7 feet high, and he weighed 300 pounds. Sister Mary was a midget of 6 feet 2 and only weighed 149 pounds. Elijah wasn't very tall either, being the same height as his sister Mary, but he was of pretty fair heft, tipping the scales at 212. Matthew was 6 feet 2 also and weighed 220, while Eli, standing 6 feet 4, weighed less than 200. The youngest girl, Martha, was 6 feet 3 and 160 pounds in weight. She undoubtedly would have been the giant of the family, for that was her height and weight at the age of 14, a few weeks before she died.

"When these measurements were taken, a few years ago, the family were all together, but since then old Joe and his wife have died, and the boys and girls are married and scattered about the state. I don't know what their progeny have done to keep up the family reputation as to size, but I'll bet on 'em to keep up the record." — Chicago Post.