Carton Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 1026-1027

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.


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JOHN J. CARTON. This prominent attorney of Flint, belongs to the firm 
of Durand & Carton, and has practiced here for seven years. He was born 
in Clayton Township, this county, November 18, 1856, and is a son of 
John and Ann (Maguire) Carton, the father being one of the pioneer 
farmers of this county who came to Flint when the city had only three 
houses and was in the wild woods.

   The father was born in Ireland and came to the United States when a 
young man. His first settlement was in Brooklyn, N. Y., with his two 
brothers, William and Peter, and then he removed to Batavia, where they 
purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and in 1870 came West 
and made a home at Flint. Peter died soon and William went to 
California in 1879, and here John Carton was married and settled in 
Clayton Town-ship, in the house which he made his home until the spring 
of 1891, when he came to Flint. His good wife, who became the mother of 
thirteen children, reared nine of them and she still lives to cheer the 
home of her husband in his declining years. The children are Peter, 
Anna, John, Mae, Luke, Belle, Frank, Augustus and James, none of whom 
are married, and all of whom are members of St. Michael's Catholic 
Church.

   Our subject attended school first in the country and then studied in 
Flushing High School, and afterward spent two years in the High School 
at Flint. He taught for three terms and in the meantime read law, much 
of it by himself. For three years he kept the books of Niles & Cotcher, 
flourishing merchants of Flushing. In the fall of 1880 he was elected 
County Clerk on the Republican ticket, and so well did he serve the 
people that he was re-elected in 1882. During all this time he was 
reading law under the guidance of C. D. Long, now of the Supreme Court, 
and was admitted to the bar in August, 1884. He had already formed a 
partnership with Hon. George H. Durand which has continued until the 
present time.

   Mr. Carton is the present City Attorney, appointed by the council in 
the spring of 1890, but during the session of the Legislature of 1891 
the city charter was so amended as to make that office elective, and he 
was elected on the Republican ticket. He has not been an aspirant for 
any other political office but is an active worker and for six years 
has been a member of the County Committee, and for four years on the 
Executive of that committee. He has also been a member of the Ward 
Committee and a delegate to various conventions, and in 1891, was the 
Chairman of the City Convention.

   This gentleman has been quite a traveler, having been in California 
and all through the West. The old homestead which he still owns, 
comprises one hundred acres and is devoted to general farming, and his 
city home is on Margaret Street. When thirteen years of age he left 
home and since that time has made his own way in the world and is now 
called a rising man and one of the most prosperous citizens of Flint. 
He is a stock-holder of the First National Bank and is interested in 
various enterprises. He is considered a versatile and forcible speaker 
and is always sought for as a stump speaker during campaigns. He is 
Worshipful Master in the Masonic lodge and Grand Marshal of the Grand 
Lodge of the State, besides belonging to the Flint Council, the Genesee 
Valley Commandery and the Order of the Maccabees, in which body he is 
the Great Financier, and Auditor of the Great Camp.



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