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CAREY T. HORTON, M. D., of Shellsburg, is a native of Ohio, and was born in Highland County, April 16, 1829. His parents were Septimus and Wealthy (Foster) Horton. The former was born in Bedford County, Pa., and followed the occupation of farming; he died in Ohio in April, 1831, at a comparatively early age, being only in his thirty-sixth year. The mother was born in the same county in 1794, and survived her husband many years, dying in Bureau County, Ill., at the age of eighty-seven. She was a descendant of Samuel Foster, a Puritan, who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1638. The grandfather of our subject, on the father's side, was Samuel Horton, born in Delaware County, Pa. He was the son of Richard Horton, a son of Caleb, Jr., who was a son of Barnabas Horton, Jr., who was a son of Caleb, Sr.; he was the son of Barnabas, Sr., the son of Joseph. Barnabas, Sr., was born in Leicestershire, in 1600, and was the founder of the Horton family in America. With his family, consisting of his wife and two children, Barnabas Horton, Sr., emigrated to America in the good ship Swallow, landing at Hampton, Mass. He then moved to New Haven, Conn., thence to East Long Island in 1640. His father, Joseph Horton, was born in Leicestershire, England, in 1578. He was a son of William Horton, of Frith House, Bark Island, Halifax, who was a lineal descendant of Robert De Horton, who, the English records show, manumitted [i.e., to set free] slaves on the estate before or prior to the thirteenth century.Carey T. Horton was left fatherless when but two years of age. He was reared by his mother with tender, unremitting care until fourteen years of age, when he commenced to learn the trade of a wheelwright, but subsequently changed his occupation to that of a painter, but on account of failing health he was obliged to abandon that business. During his early life he received but a limited education, attending the common schools.
In 1852 Mr. Horton was united in marriage with Cynthia J. Fenner, born in Highland County, Ohio, and a daughter of Dorsey and Jane (Clarke) Fenner. In 1855 he left his native State and came to Iowa, his first location being at Marysville, Benton County, where he engaged in the mercantile business in a small way, and also dealt in real estate. In 1856 he moved to Geneva, which was then but a small town in Benton County, and there continued in the mercantile trade, but on account of the panic of 1857 he was obliged to close out his business. The following winter he was engaged in teaching school and at the same time read medicine. In the spring of 1858 he moved to Vinton, and continued his medical studies under the instruction of Dr. Joseph Smith. During the winter following he returned to Marysville and studied under Dr. U. Whiteis, and in the spring of 1860 was engaged in the practice of his profession at that place. In 1861 he enlisted under his country's banner, joining Co. D, 8th Iowa Vol. Inf., and after serving two months as a private, was detailed to act as Assistant Surgeon, and remained in the service three years, at the end of which time he was mustered out of service, and returned to Benton County, locating at Shellsburg, and here practiced medicine until 1875. He then removed to his farm, consisting of 200 acres, located on section 15, Benton Township, and gave his principal attention to stock-raising until the fall of 1885, when he rented it and returned to Shellsburg. In March, 1886, he purchased the Saturday Morning Call, of Shellsburg, which he edited about four months, when he sold it on account of ill-health.
Dr. and Mrs. Horton have been the parents of five children, three now living — Carey Q., residing in Austin, Tex., engaged in building iron bridges for the Kansas City Bridge & Iron Company; John W., also in Austin, assisting his brother; Mary T. is at home completing her education.
In politics Dr. Horton affiliates with the Republican party. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since nineteen years of age, and for several years has been a local preacher of that denomination. He has been for twenty-three years a member of the subordinate lodge in the I. O. O. F., and is also a member of the encampment. He is an active worker in the cause of temperance, and a strong prohibitionist.
A fine lithograph portrait of Mr. Horton is presented in connection with this sketch.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 249-250.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on January 28th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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