The Morgan School has been around for more than 150 years, and it has had a great impact on the students who graduated there. This school has been here since 1870, but who made this Clinton High School possible?

The Morgan School was given to Clinton by Charles Morgan. A statue of this man is in front of the Abraham Pierson School. Charles was a quiet and introverted man, who was widely known for his kindness. He owned, built, controlled, and operated the only railroad in the US of more than 100 miles. He was impactful on the development of Texas by enlarging its railroads and building harbors. He spent a huge part of his life in the steamship business, railroads, and made a fortune from it. 

Charles was born on April 21, 1795, in Clinton. He always maintained a riveting interest in his hometown. Morgan wanted to do something for his town that he grew up in and loved so much, so he decided to build a school.  He wanted every child to have the opportunity for education because he didn’t get to have a great one. He wanted to give back to the community what gave him so much. According to Zip06, he left for New York City at age 14 in 1809 and made a fortune in this business and donated money as a gift to his hometown. 

Even though Charles’ gift to Clinton was a kind gesture, he had a complicated past. During his life, it was verified that he owned around 31 individuals in slavery between 1846 and 1861. Charles Morgan and the Development of Southern Transportation by James P. Baughman was a book that documented Morgan’s actions during the years of the Civil War. In this book the author wrote “Morgan was a more-than-casual slaveholder.” Baughman’s book revealed that Morgan owned at least three dozen enslaved people. The records from the Notarial Archives of Orleans Parish displayed that he enslaved individuals were between 2 and 50 years old. 

Even though Charles Morgan was not the best man, he did build our school, and helped us find out who we are today. When you hear his name, think of our Morgan community and how much we have evolved since his time.