Bio of Norton, Amzi Brainard Watts (b.1818) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Norton, Amzi Brainard Watts, (page 1279 ~ 1st of 2 biographies), of
Plainview, was born in Chenango county, New York, October 30, 1818. His
father, Amzi Norton, was of Connecticut origin, and though a blacksmith by
trade, was of a decidedly literary turn of mind, and established quite a
local celebrity as a poet. His poetical efforts were chiefly of a
religious character, and were put forth to further the Millerite cause, in
which Mr. Norton was a firm believer. Our subject's mother was nee Huldah
Barstow, whose lineage dates back to some of the old troopers of the
revolution. The family removed to Tioga county, New York, while Amzi was
yet a child, and here he spent his youth and received a common-school
education. At the age of fourteen he became a clerk in John Stedman's
store, at Richford. He afterward bought out Stedman and ran the store for
a time alone, then sold out and accepted the management of a store at West
Dryden, New York, then a year each in West Virgil and New Jersey. His next
move was westward, to McHenry county, Illinois, where in 1847 he and
Josiah Dwight opened a general store at Woodstock. Here he continued in
business until the spring of 1857, when he came to Wabasha county and
opened a store in Plainview, in conjunction with William Kimbedy. In 1859
he built the store now occupied by Cornwell & Son for a hardware store,
and took his brother in as partner. He was deputy postmaster under
postmaster Yale, and postmaster four years under President Johnson's
administration. He went out of the mercantile business in 1870, and has
since devoted the most of his attention to the collection business and the
official duties of justice of the peace, which position he has filled
almost continuously for the past twenty years. Mr. Norton has been thrice
married, his first wife being a Miss Clara Church, of Castile, New York,
by whom he had two children, namely, Clarabelle (Mrs. E. A. Pomeroy), of
Plainview, and Edith. In 1864 Miss Sarah Sanchfield became his second
wife, by whom he had one child, Grant, a student in the Rochester
Commercial School.

A. B. W. Norton, (page 984 ~ 2nd of 2 biographies), known in Plainview and
country around as Squire Norton, from his protracted service as justice of
the peace, was born October 30, 1818, in the town of Guilford, Chenango
county, of Connecticut parents, being descended from grandparents of old
revolutionary fame. He enjoyed the privileges of a common school
education, and started in business at the age of fourteen years. At
Richford, Tioga county, New York, in the county clerks's office, he
commenced assisting his former teacher in transcribing the records.
Following this he experienced a series of changes for ten years, and then
went to Brooklyn, New York, as clerk in the employ of Freeman & Co., and
from there, after a short term, to Sussex county, New Jersey, at the
solicitation of his uncle, to spend Christmas. In 1846 he was for a time
in Pleasant Valley, in the same state, and then through the
instrumentality of his friend Fisher, a New York bookkeeper, when clerking
in that city. In 1847 he, with his brother, settled in Woodstock, McHenry
county, Illinois, and continued here in business for ten years. On July 4,
1857, he came, in company with Wm. Kimberly, to Plainview, Wabasha county,
Minnesota, and settled on a quarter-section (160) acres of land, in what
is known as section 6. His two children, daughters by his wife whom he
lost in Woodstock, followed him about a year after, and one is now keeping
house for her father, and the other, married to E. A. Pomeroy, resides
opposite on property presented to her by the judge. In 1860 Mr. Norton was
elected as town clerk against William Stone, and he immediately set about
straightening the records. In 1859 he built the first substantial building
in the village, that now occupied as a hardware store by C. C. Corner &
Son, who purchased from one Hunt on the corner of Broadway and Washington
street. In 1868, by appointment of the board of supervisors, he again
served as town clerk and as justice of the peace, was elected next year,
which office he has held with credit to the present time. During Lincoln's
administration, by Postmaster-General Blair, he was appointed postmaster
of Plainview, Minnesota, April 18, 1864, and continued to hold the
position until 1868. Prior to this he was for some time deputy-postmaster.
The squire is a man much liked for his impartial administration of justice
and general square dealing.
Revolutionary War
War of Rebellion (Civil War)