This history of Morris is a bit difficult to track down, but before it was known as Morris, it was Morris Station, a railroad whistle stop. A post office at Morris Station existed from 1860-1950, at which time the name was changed to Morris. There is no consensus as to the hamlet’s namesake, but Ken Krakow, in Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origin, suggests it was possibly James Morris, the son of an early railroad agent.
Morris is located off US Highway 82 on Morris Road. It’s southeast of Georgetown, the only incorporated settlement in Quitman County, which as of 2020 was Georgia’s second least populous with just 2235 residents.
This is the AR Gary store. My Grandfather (AR Gary) ran a couple of portable type steam sawmills in the area. He had the store for the sawmill workers that lived nearby. My Father, Jack Gary Sr. Grew up in Morris and frequently worked in/around the store. It closed in the early 60’s. There were 4-5 stores at this location, along with a small railroad depot and RR siding for shipping lumber & timber. I’m told it was a happening place on Saturday afternoons.
Morris is named for Robert G Morris, the first station agent at Morris Station, name after him because he owned the land where it was built. He served in the state legislature 1859-1860. He was later the sheriff, then the postmaster in nearby Georgetown, and appointed Quitman County judge in 1888.