County of art: Greene County
Location of art: US-67, Hopewell Cemetery, 3 miles North of Carrollton
The standing statue of Daniel Morfoot on his own tombstone. Is is in frock coat and proper attire for the period. The artist is unknown.
Text:
DANIEL MORFOOT
Born in Yorkshire, England
October 14th, 1816
Died at the Old Homestead
Near Carrollton, Illinois
August 14th , 1907.
Aged 90 Years 10 Months.
"Daniel Morfoot, who was entitled to be classed as Greene county's oldest living pioneer and the wealthiest man within its borders, died at his home, two miles north of Carrollton, on Wednesday, August 14, after an illness which continued through several years, although he had been confined to his bed only a few weeks.
"The deceased was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1816, being the oldest of nine children. He came to Greene county with his parents, John and Elizabeth Morfoot, in 1821, who "entered" on a forty-acre tract, which is known as the old Morfoot homestead. It was on this farm that Daniel Morfoot died, having resided thereon continuously during the past eighty-six years. Green county had been organized only a short time before this family arrived within its borders. His father died in 1832, and he being the eldest son took upon himself the burdens of the father. His mother lived until 1874, when she, too, passed away. The children have, one by one, gone to their graves, and the death of Daniel leaves only one sister, Miss Caroline Morfoot, who made her home with her brother, to heir the immense Morfoot estate, which has grown from a forty-acre tract to 2500 acres of Greene county real estate. The estate is said to be worth fully $500,000.
"One of the commercial monuments left by Mr. Morfoot is the Greene County National bank building, which he erected in Carrollton two years ago. He was also a heavy contributor to the L. C. & W. railroad project, and those who remember back twenty years ago can recall the first engine on that line which was named "Daniel Morfoot" in his honor. His death removes one of the county's most prominent landmarks." ~ Find-A-Grave