Scott A Norton

NORTON

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/13/2010 at 16:39:12

Scott A Norton, a retired farmer and railroad man living at No 123 Tama street, Boone, Iowa, was born on October 12, 1846, in Lebanon, New York, and comes of a good old New England family. His paternal grandfather was Andrew Norton, a native of Massachusetts, where his ancestors located at a very early day. The Norton’s were well known for their patriotism and honor and participated in the country’s struggle for independence. Joseph A Norton, our subject’s father, was born in Massachusetts, but was quite small when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Madison county, New York, where he grew to manhood and was married to Miss Elizabeth Hoppin. She was born in that county and belonged to an old and highly esteemed New York family. Upon leaving the Empire state Joseph A Norton removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, and made his home in Chatham until our subject was eighteen years of age and then came to Boone county, Iowa. He died in Worth township, this county, in 1865, at the age of sixty-two years, and his wife passed away her in the spring of 1887. They had eleven children, six sons and five daughters of whom two sons served in the Civil war, these being Talcott and Freeman, who were both members of the Third Illinois Cavalry.
Scott A Norton was nine years of age when he left his native state and removed with the family to Chatham, Sangamon county, Illinois. There he attended the public schools and early became familiar with agricultural pursuits while assisting his father on the farm. I connection with general farming the father engaged in the raising of sheep. Removing to Boone county, Iowa they secured a farm on 160 acres in Worth township and later extended its boundaries until it comprised 320 acres. Our subject continued to assist in its cultivation until twenty-three years of age, when he entered the railroad service of the Northwestern as brakeman, running between Boone and Council Bluffs. Shortly afterward, however, he returned tot the farm but in 1879 became a railroad fireman and remained in the service of the company of about thirty-nine years, being pensioned five years ago. He is now living retired in Boone and is enjoying a well earned rest.
In this city on January 5, 1873, Mr Norton married Miss Mattie Ballard, a native of Hamilton county, Iowa and a daughter of John and Martha (Murphy) Ballard. Nine children blessed this union, namely: John an engineer on the Northwestern who married Coralie Paine and lives in Bone, Dana who married and died in Texas, Robert a resident of Boone, Bessie the wife of Daniel Fitzgerald of Boone, Emma and Lola both trained nurses, Grace who is teaching in the public school so Boone, Isabelle, the wife of Roy Wiltamuth, and Richard O an engineer of the Northwestern. The mother is a faithful member of the Seventh Day Adventist church, but Mr Norton is not connected with any religious organization. For the last few years he has been a socialist in politics. He is a man of earnest convictions who is not afraid to stand by what he believes to be right and in so doing command the respect of all who know him.

1914 Boone County History Book