Charles Henry Morrill Charles Henry Morrill ( July 14 , 1843 – 1928 ) was a prominent American businessman who played an important role in the history of Nebraska . Morrill County , Nebraska is named after him . Biography . He was born in Concord , New Hampshire , the only child of Ephraim and Mahala ( Lampery ) Morrill . His mother died when he was twelve , and he spent the remainder of his childhood living with his aunt Susan Gay and attending a nearby school , the New London Academy . In the summer of 1862 he enlisted at New London as a musician in Company I , 11th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment . Three weeks later he married Harriet Zinnia Currier before leaving with his unit . He was present at many important battles , including the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Siege of Vicksburg and mustered out on June 4 , 1865 . He states in his autobiography that after the war , he " took Horace Greeley ' s advice " ( Go West , young man ) and in 1866 went west in a covered wagon to establish a homestead near Marion , Ohio . Due to poor weather and being an inexperienced farmer , his crops failed for several years in a row . He was so poor he was unable to afford coffee . However , the weather and his fortunes turned around , and by 1870 he was producing both decent crop and a valuable herd of cattle . In the spring of 1873 , he moved his family of five and one hundred head of cattle to Stromsburg , Nebraska . There , he ran a farm and helped run a small store " with 6 , 000 Pawnee Indians less than 25 miles away . " Business and politics . When his sons were old enough to help with the farm , Morrill started spending less time farming . In 1880 , Morrill became private secretary to Governor Albinus Nance . After Nance completed his term as Governor , they went into business together , forming the Bank of Stromsburg , Nebraska . He was afterwards President of the Lincoln ( Nebraska ) Land Company and also President of the South Platte Land Company , the Lancaster Land Company , and the Boston Investment Company . Morrill eventually began helping the Burlington Railroad explore the midwest territories to report on conditions and determine the best routes for the railroads . He made a considerable amount of money buying land where the railroad line would eventually come , and selling it once the railroad line was built . He went on many exploration parties through largely Indian - controlled territory and acquired a large collection of American Indian artifacts through trading . One of his guides was Colonel W . F . Cody , Buffalo Bill , who helped him explore the Yosemite Valley in Wyoming on behalf of the railroad . For many years afterward , Morrill was invited on a yearly hunting expedition that Cody organized for his friends . His exploration work helped Morrill to establish the location for what became Scottsbluff , Nebraska . Shortly thereafter , he laid out a tract of land for a town at the western edge of the state and named it after himself , thereby creating the town of Morrill , Nebraska . In the year 1908 , the Nebraska State Legislature divided Cheyenne County , and the part north of the division line was named Morrill County , Nebraska , in recognition of Charles Henry Morrill ' s contribution to the development of this part of the state . Connection with University of Nebraska . Charles Henry Morrill became a member of the Board of Regents of University of Nebraska in 1890 , and was President of the Board between 1893 - 1903 . Between 1890 and 1903 , enrollment at the University grew from 300 to 3000 . While a regent , he was a strong benefactor , donating Morrill Hall . He also contributed funds for paleontological research under Dr . Erwin Hinckly Barbour , establishing the Morrill Geological Yearly Expeditions . The Expeditions populated the University Museum with a wide array of dinosaur and mammoth bones , and their finds were published in the volumes of the Nebraska Geological Survey . A new type of early American Indian arrowhead was discovered by the Expeditions and named a Morrill Point . Mr . Morrill collected thousands of American Indian specimens in the course of his dealings with the local tribes , and these were donated to the University Museum . References . Morrill , Charles Henry . " The Morrills and Reminiscences . " Lincoln : University Publishing Co . , 1918 .