Lapeer-Macomb County MI Archives Biographies.....Paton, John H. 1854 - 
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Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

ELDER JOHN H. PATON. Our subject who is a resident of Almont, is a scholarly man
who has devoted himself largely to the study of Bible subjects and has himself
been the author of several important and popular theological works. Mr. Paton is
a native of Scotland, having been born in Galston, Ayrshire, April 7, 1843. He
is a son of David and Christian (Woodburn) Paton. His mother died when he was
only six years old, being a victim of Asiatic cholera. His father married again,
and coming to this country, located in Michigan, settling in Almont Township in
1852. He began farming in 1853, securing a one hundred and forty-acre tract of
land which had formerly been known as the Saulsbury farm, two miles east of the
village of Almont.

  From the time of his father's settlement on the farm above mentioned, our
subject lived and labored on the farm and gained a fair knowledge of
agricultural life. He received a good common-school education and at the age of
seventeen entered that best of all schools in which self-government and command
is attained, becoming a teacher in the Retherford district. In the fall and
summer he worked at home on the farm and attended school in the winter, and in
the summer of 1862 he engaged as a farm hand, but in August of that year he
enlisted in Company B, Twenty-second Michigan Infantry, under Capt. A. M.
Keeler, now of Richmond, this State. The first fall and winter of their service
they spent in Kentucky watching for and chasing John Morgan, the famous raider,
of that State, the regiment camping during the winter at Lexington. The summer
of 1863 our subject spent in provost duty at Nashville, Tenn., until September.
The regiment was then sent to the front in time for the battle of Chickamauga,
which took place September 19 and 20.

  Our subject was taken sick and was sent to the hospital at Chickamauga,
remaining there for about two weeks. Soon after rejoining his regiment he was
transferred to the United States Signal Corps and remained in Chattanooga that
winter; was connected with headquarters of the Fourteenth Army Corps on the
Atlanta campaign, and was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea. He was
also at the Grand Review at Washington, and was honorably discharged from
service July 10, 1865, at St. Louis Mo., having moved Westward with Sherman's
headquarters. Our subject returned to his father's home and made his plans to
become a farmer, the three years spent in the army having broken up his plan for
literary education.

  January 13, 1866, Elder Paton was married to Miss Sarah E. Wilson, a daughter
of John and Sarah (Cook) Wilson of St. Clair County, there born January 21,
1844. Her parents were born and reared in England. Our subject having previously
bought forty acres of land near Armada, Macomb County, moved there in March,
1866. The young couple there made their home for a year and a half, and then Mr.
Paton purchased forty acres in Almont Township. The winter that he was in Macomb
County he spent as a teacher, and after coming to Almont he taught for two
winters, devoting himself to farming during the summer.

  Our subject was first personally interested in religion when about fifteen
years of age. His father, while in Scotland, had been a member of a church of
New Testament Disciples, but there being no church of that kind here, our
subject joined the Baptists, and a number of his father's family did the same.
While teaching and living in Armada, he began preaching, and there and after
moving to Almont, held services in school-houses until he was ordained a
minister of the Baptist Church, October 19, 1870. He is now pastor of the Church
of Christ at Almont, but does not confine his labors here; he preaches at Peck,
Yale and elsewhere throughout the State, and also every alternate Sunday in
Washington Union Church in Macomb County. Eider Paton is a man to whom
stereotyped creed is galling. He believes in studying the Bible and living
according to one's best conscientious understanding of its teachings.

  Our subject has six children whose names are as follows: Henry W., George
Wilber, Nora E., David W., Chrissie E., and Annie E. They were all born in
Almont Township, with the exception of Henry W., who was born in Armada Township
November 1, 1866. In 1880 Elder Paton published a book of three hundred and
twenty-eight pages, entitled "Day Dawn," and in 1882 issued a revised edition.
The first edition had four thousand copies, the second three thousand, and sold
readily, and the third edition is now out, being revised and enlarged to four
hundred pages. Mr. Paton also gets out a semi-monthly magazine which has been
published since 1882. It is in pamphlet form and is entitled "The World's Hope."
In 1882 he got out a work of two hundred and twenty pages, the first edition
numbering two thousand. It was entitled "Moses and Christ," and the sales are
still going on.

  Mr. Paton is now President of the Larger Hope Publishing Company, which name
is suggestive of the liberality of his religious views, and of his large hope
for mankind.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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