My Genealogy Hound

HON. SAMUEL W. THORNTON, one of the oldest settlers of Thornton township, was born in Madison county, Ohio, October 23, 1832. His father, Abner Thornton, was born in North Carolina in the year 1800 and was of Scotch-Irish extraction. He emigrated with his parents in early childhood to Highland county, Ohio, where the family resided for several years, when they removed to Madison county. The senior Mr. Thornton was a school-teacher for a quarter of a century and was a man noted for his intelligence and good judgment. He was a man of exemplary habits and was strictly honest in all his dealings with his fellow-men. He joined the Presbyterian church in his early boyhood days and served as deacon during the major portion of his life. He died in September, 1864, respected and loved by all who knew him. Samuel Strain, the maternal grandfather of the subject of our sketch, was a native of Highland county, Ohio, was a most zealous Presbyterian and a man of extraordinary influence in the community where he lived. He was married four times and was the father of twenty-two children. His first wife was Nancy Watts, by whom he had four children; his second wife was Elizabeth Miller, who bore him seven children; his third was Martha Wilson, who also bore him seven children; the fourth and last was Nancy Johnston, by whom he had four children. A hewed log house erected by Mr. Strain, in Highland county, Ohio, in 1808, is still standing in a good state of preservation. The subject of our sketch was married September 14, 1854, to Miss Sarah A., daughter of Thomas and Mary (Bryson) Larimer. Both parents were natives of Pennsylvania, the father having been born in Fayette county, September 7, 1802, and the mother in Fayette county, September 23, 1805. Thomas Larimer was a farmer by occupation and a prominent and influential man in the community in which he lived. He held various local offices, but never aspired to political honors. He was a devoted member of the Presbyterian church for fifty years and never knew that he had an enemy in his life. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. S. W. Thornton, were Andrew and Elizabeth (Porter) Bryson, both natives of Ireland. They were driven from their native land, however, during the religious revolution in the time of Charles I. Immediately after marriage, Mr. Thornton engaged in farming in Fayette county, Ohio, until 1859, when he emigrated to Washington, Washington county, Iowa, where he resumed his chosen occupation, about three miles from the county seat. In August, 1861, he responded to the bugle call of his country by enlisting in Company C, Eighth regiment, Iowa infantry. He participated in various skirmishes in Missouri in 1861-2. In the spring of 1862 his regiment was ordered up the Tennessee river as far as Pittsburg Landing, where it arrived in time to take part in the terrible battle of Shiloh. It was here on the eve of April 6, 1862, that Mr. Thornton was taken prisoner. He was first taken to Memphis, Tenn., later to Mobile, Ala., and finally to Macon, Ga., where he was paroled and sent home to await exchange. He soon re-entered the service and participated in the siege of Vicksburg, and in Forrest’s raid on the city of Memphis. Here, on the twenty-first of August, he was shot in the thigh and wounded so badly that he was confined to the hospital until February 6, 1865, when he was discharged. He returned home on crutches, which he was obliged to use for sometime afterwards. After his return from the service, he filled acceptably several public positions of honor and trust. He served as city collector, assessor and marshal of Washington, and one term as deputy sheriff. He also took the census of Washington county, Iowa, in 1870, receiving the appointment without previous knowledge. He immigrated to Buffalo county, Nebr., in June, 1874, and took a homestead and timber claim in what has since been called Thornton township. The country was wild and exceedingly barren, there being no settlement in the immediate vicinity at that time. Wild game was quite plenty, deer and antelope being frequently seen on the surrounding bluffs. No grass of any consequence grew, except in the “draws.” Mr. Thornton was obliged to cut all the grass, for two years, that grew in the “draws” within a radius of two miles, in order to procure enough hay to feed his stock during the winter. In July, 1874, the grasshoppers made their first appearance and destroyed everything that was green. The next year the few discouraged settlers succeeded in raising a fine crop, considering the extreme newness of the country. In the summer of 1876, however, when the growing crop gave every promise of an abundant yield, and when the few scattering settlers had renewed their courage in the hope of gathering a rich harvest in the autumn, behold, the festive grasshoppers rose in black clouds in the distant horizon and descended wherever a green blade of anything was visible, and before night of the same day not a vestige of anything green could be seen. Fortunately this was the last year of the grasshoppers. Since then there has been unexcelled prosperity. Mr. Thornton now has four hundred and eighty acres of splendid land adapted to producing anything usually grown in this section of the country. He has been experimenting for twelve years in raising tame grasses and has a reputation for raising more tame grass than any other farmer in the country.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton have reared a family of eight children, namely — Eva J., born June 5, 1855, wife of John Swenson; William D., born February 24, 1858, married to Fanny Borders; Charles A., born November 28, 1860, drowned at the age of sixteen in Loup river; Mary E., born September 6, 1865, wife of T. R. Lionberger; Harry L., born October 3, 1867; Mabel C., born February 9, 1870, wife of Albert S. Lionberger of Hancock county, Ill.; Kate D., born October 28, 1872; and Lillie B., born November 10, 1877.

Mr. Thornton was elected in the fall of 1886 to represent Buffalo county in the State legislature and took an active part in the discussion of various important measures which passed during the session. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are both consistent members of the Congregational church and Mr. Thornton is also an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic.