Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 402
CHARLES W. NORTON, the present Mayor of Wilton, Iowa, has become widely known as one of the foremost citizens of Muscatine County, as well as one of the most successful breeders of fine stock in this part of the State. He is a native of the town of Westfield, Medina Co., Ohio. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to 1623, and the branch of which our subject is a member, is descended from one of three brothers who emigrated from their Scottish home in the early Colonial days of our country. Birdsey B. Norton, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut, in 1807, and in his youth was a school-mate of the famous devine, Henry Ward Beecher. The paternal grandfather, Capt. Miles Norton, was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and removed to Ohio, settling on the Western Reserve when his son Birdsey was about fourteen years of age, and there resided until his death. On that old homestead Birdsey Norton still lives, now eighty-one years of age, and there his son, the subject of this sketch, was born. He and his wife were the parents of six children, five sons and a daughter, four of whom are yet living : Samuel E., a prominent merchant of Nevada, Mo.; Charles W.; George B., who is engaged in merchandising in Arizona Territory ; and David L., the youngest, who is engaged in farming on the old homestead in Ohio.

Charles W. Norton was reared to agricultural pursuits. His early education was attained at the public schools, and he was later, for two years, a student of Baldwin University. He entered that institution with the intention of taking a full course, but engaged in teaching for the purpose of securing the means to pay his way through college, and after continuing at that occupation for two years, gave up the project he had entertained of graduating, and accepted a position in the store of an uncle, S. E. Norton, at Phelps, Ontario Co., N. Y. There he remained for about two years, when his health failing on account of the close confinement in the store, he decided to return to the West. Previous to going to New York he had obtained a land warrant of a Revolutionary soldier, and had located 120 acres of land in Crawford County, Iowa, the location of which involved a journey on horseback of over 4,000 miles. This land he now sold, realizing $1,000, with which, together with the money he had saved from his earnings, he purchased 260 acres of land at Center Grove, Muscatine County. This was in 1863. That land formed the nucleus of his present splendid stock farm of about 800 acres.

Our subject has ever evinced a fondness for stock, and since he was three years of age, at which time his grandmother gave him his first sheep, he has been the owner of stock. When he came to Iowa to locate he brought with him a carload of fine sheep, a part of which he sold, placing the remainder upon his farm, and this formed the foundation of his present valuable flock. He obtained his first important information of the value of the Short-horn Durham breed of cattle from Mr. Sheldon, of Geneva, N. Y., the famous breeder of this noted breed of cattle. In 1870 he began with three of those animals, and has gradually increased and improved his stock until he has now one of the finest herds to be found in the State, numbering about a hundred head. Of his imported cattle might be mentioned "Golden Drop, the 4th." This cow was bred by A. Campbell, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and sold for $1,900. Our subject has sold several of her calves at prices varying from $400 to $500 each. Another, called "Simplicity," was imported in 1887 by Luther Adams, of Boston, Mass., and for this animal he paid $1,200, she being the choice of a herd of forty, and is a most beautiful cow. "Prince Charlie" was imported in 1887, at the same time as the one just mentioned, and for him Mr. Norton gave $1,000. In the summer of 1888 our subject took a trip to England, where he purchased several fine English-shire horses, in Lancashire; one is called "Lancashire Hero," and took several first prizes before he was imported. He was foaled in 1887, and at the age of one year weighed 1,400 pounds. The other called " Honest Tom, Jr.," is two years old ; the sire of his dam, also named "Honest Tom," has taken six first prizes at the English Royal Show. Our subject spent about three months in England, visiting numerous fairs, and had an excellent opportunity for securing the best stock attainable. While in that country he also purchased a number of the famous sheep known as Shropshire Downs, which are superior for mutton and medium wool, wieghing from 250 to 300 pounds when full grown. His flock numbers about 200 fine sheep. Our subject has a beautiful farm of about 800 acres, which is now under the immediate supervision of his eldest son, Oakley G., who is associated with his father in business, and resides at the farm.

On the 30th of July, 1859, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Collier, a native of Westfield, Medina Co., Ohio, and a daughter of George and Hettie ( Steel ) Collier. They have five children : Oakley G., who married Leona Persons ; James C., who is now a student of the Iowa State University ; Birdsey Lee, Florence E., and Charles W. They lost one son, John H., who died in infancy. In March, 1888, our subject purchased a beautiful home in Wilton, and accompanied by his family, removed to that city. He is one of the representative men of Muscatine County, and is numbered among its progressive and enterprising citizens. In politics he is a Republican, and cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He and his wife are members of the Congregational Church. The Norton Normal, a scientific academy at Wilton, which is under the auspices of the Congregational Church, was named in honor of Mr. Norton, who was one of its founders, and contributed freely to its establishment. The success to which he has attained in his business career has been due to his own efforts, as he has made his way unaided through life. Cordial and genial in disposition, fair and honorable in his dealings, he has ever had the respect and confidence of all.

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