Tuscola-Saint Clair-Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Norton, Charles L. 1827 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 5, 2007, 7:59 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) CHARLES L. NORTON. After having actively devoted his younger years to agricultural pursuits, Mr. Norton is now living retired in Caro, surrounded by the comforts which his arduous exertions have brought to him and enjoying the high esteem of the residents of the city. As a soldier in the late war he deserves and receives the respect of all who love their country, and as a citizen he is public-spirited and interested in any measure originated in behalf of the community. Although he has resided in Caro only since 1887, he has made his home in this State ever since attaining to his majority and is consequently identified with its development. Mr. Norton is descended from sturdy patriotic ancestry. His father Daniel H., was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his grandfather Seeba, was a valiant defender of the commonwealth during the Revolutionary War. Two of our subject's brothers were in the Civil War; Alexander B., served three years and seventeen days, being in active service the most of the time but fortunately escaping uninjured. He now, with his wife and child, makes his home in Clare, Mich. Another brother, Daniel L., was also in the army, serving faithfully in the defense of the stars and stripes; he is now deceased, and is survived by a son and daughter. The father of our subject was a farmer by vocation and upon attaining to maturity he was united in marriage with Miss Phebe Fish, who like himself was a native of Vermont. While Daniel and Phebe Norton were residing in Wayne County, N. Y., there was born unto them August 2, 1829, a son whom they named Charles L., and who is the subject of this biographical notice. The excellent educational advantages which the parents obtained for their son were taken advantage of, and Mr. Norton is now a well-educated and well-informed man. He attended school until he was eighteen years of age, at which time he commenced to work on his own account. However, he did not leave home and begin the battle of life alone until three years later, when having become of age, he resolved to seek his fortune in the great West. Accordingly in 1850 he came to Michigan and located in St. Clair County, where he was employed by the month in the lumber woods. For about two years he was thus engaged, in the meantime hoarding his savings and pre-empting forty acres of Government land. This he proceeded to clear of its forest growth and prepare for active cultivation. The personal work which Mr. Norton had undertaken was interrupted by the Civil War, which was raging then throughout the land. On March 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, First Regiment United States Sharpshooters and experienced his first battle at the siege of Yorktown. With his regiment he participated in the Peninsular campaign and was in front of Richmond. The last engagement in which he took part was the battle of Malvern Hills, after which he was taken ill with typhoid fever and sent to the Episcopal Hospital at Philadelphia in June, 1862. From there he was honorably discharged in March, 1863, for physical disability, but since that time he has never regained his former health. Upon his return to Romeo, this State, where he had enlisted, Mr. Norton found himself unable to work on account of his enfeebled condition, and he drifted from place to place. On September 27, 1865, he was married to Miss Mary Mosher, of Otisville, Genesee County, and of this union one child has been born, Daniel A., who is now a farmer residing on section 2, Indianfields Township. Mrs. Norton was born in Sterling, Ontario, Canada, January 6, 1845, and is the daughter of Adams and Susan (Rosebush) Mosher, the father a native of Rochester, N. Y., and the mother of Canada. Mrs. Norton spent her girlhood in Canada, whence she accompanied her parents to this State at the age of eighteen and located in Oakland County. Afterward the family removed to Lapeer County, where various members still reside. Prior to enlisting in the United States service our subject sold his land, and after his marriage he settled in Genesee County, where he was employed as a laborer. Mr. Norton also resided for a time in Huron County, where he entered one hundred and twenty acres and devoted his attention closely to its improvement. After farming there seven years he removed to Missaukee County, where he purchased eighty acres and spent another seven years in its cultivation. Upon removing to this county he sold that farm and invested his money in property in Caro. As a compensation for his services he received a pension from the Government, and thus in his declining years he can enjoy comforts which in his feeble health are necessary to him. Politically he casts his ballot for the candidates of the Republican party, but is not an active politician, and socially he and his estimable wife are welcome guests in the finest circles of the community. A lithographic portrait of Mr. Norton accompanies this sketch. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/tuscola/bios/norton440gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb