Female

April 13, 1787

December 24, 1866

Springfield, VT

Youngstown, OH
Mesopotamia, OH

Robert Montgomery (June 21, 1814)
John Stark Edwards (February 28, 1807)

Louisa Maria Morris was born on April 13th, 1787 to General Lewis R. Morris and Mary Dwight in Springfield, VT. Her father held a family lineage of military tradition during colonial and revolutionary times, while her mother represented the history of the Dwight, Edwards, Pierpont, and Hooker families. Louisa was educated and trained by her family specifically by her grandmother, and by her father and step-mother. Much of her childhood is not recorded, but there are letters from her father that told her to behave and act properly, to be happy, and the love he had for her. Edwards family letters indicate their feeling that she was an intelligent, beautiful, and adaptable woman who would be a perfect wife for John Stark Edward, who was her mother's first cousin. Edwards’ sister Sally wrote about ...Louisa, “Oh Starks she is an inestimable jewel.”

Edwards and Louisa married on February 28, 1807 and moved to Mesopotamia, Ohio where Edwards was developing land he received from his father. Frontier life was difficult, and Louisa was forced to adapt. Having to create a lot of the clothing, she became an expert spinner of wool. She continued to educate herself, reading through her husband's entire law library. She assisted Edwards in the Recorder’s Office where she wrote records for Trumbull county. At the same time, she maintained their homestead and reared three children primarily by herself. Edwards traveled frequently as he was one of the few lawyers in the area. He was called into action during the War of 1812. The following year he became ill while traveling and died.

Louisa married Robert Montgomery on June 21, 1814. Shortly after her marriage to Montgomery her two oldest sons died. Her youngest son, Louisa, and Montgomery moved to a 440-acre estate closer to a more developed area in Youngstown, Ohio. In Youngstown, Louisa gave birth to two more daughters, and once again operated a farm, maintained a homestead, and cared for her children. Though Montgomery was away on travel, Louisa thrived in Youngstown. She developed a farm that was worth thousands of dollars. She was the first in Youngstown to create carpets, and through her kindness became well-respected and loved in the community as young people in Youngstown called her “Aunt Louisa.” Louisa lived out the rest of her days in Youngstown. Montgomery died January 31st, 1858 and she died on December 24th, 1866.
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Dwight, Benjamin W. (Benjamin Woodbridge), The history of the descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass. 1816-1889 accessed at https://archive.org/details/historydescenda01dwiggoog/page/226/mode/2up?q=louisa+morris February 20, 2024

Edwards, Louisa M. A Pioneer Home Maker, 1787-1866: A Sketch of the Life of Louisa Maria Montgomery. Bloomington: Indiana University Library, 1903. Accessed in Google Books 24 May at https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Pioneer_Home_Maker_1787_1866/G5NuAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.