The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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Spencer, Tioga county, New York, October 1, 1819.  He moved from that state to Clayton county, Iowa, in the year 1854, where he resided until the year 1879 when he settled in Smith county, Kansas.  From that county he came to Norton county in 1887.  Mr. Emery's life has been spent on the farm.  About the year 1870 he was ordained as a minister of the Baptist church. 

R. D. Emery came here with his father in 1877.  He is one of our popular teachers and has been a member of the board of teachers' examiners for several years. 

Wm. Plusky was born in Prussia in 1831.  He came to America in 1844.  He was married in Green county, Indiana in 1864, moved to Iowa in 1875, to Norton county March 4, 1879 and took up land five miles north of Norton where he has resided continuously ever since.  Mr. Plusky's only child, Mary, married Orville T. Reed in September 1881.  Orville came here from Iowa in 1878 and took a homestead four miles north of Norton.  He moved into town in 1886 and has been janitor of the court house since 1889. 

Eric Johnson was born in Wisconsin about forty years ago; he came to Norton county in 1873 and settled three miles northwest of Norton.  He enjoys the distinction of having made the first timber culture proof in the county.  He married Belle Cunningham April 24, 1880.  She was one of the early teachers of this county and was well known to the early settlers.  Eric was constable of Center township one term and was deputy sheriff for a time.  He left here in 1889 and lives in Golden, Colorado.  They have four daughters. 

John Brown came here from Iowa in 1878 and took land four miles northwest of Norton.  He married the eldest daughter of Sam Witt in 1885 and left here the same year for Nebraska and has since settled in Missouri. 

Jacob Dodson came here from Fremont county, Iowa, in the spring of 1874 and took land four miles northeast of Norton.  He remained here until the spring of 1893 when he sold his farm to George W. Blaine and moved to Gretna, Phillips county. 

His eldest son Gilbert lives in Garfield township. 

John Norman came here from Iowa in the fall of 1877 and took land four miles northwest of Norton.  He has resided here ever since. 

His eldest son, William, married Kate Morrison.  He owns a good farm two miles west of Norton.  His second son, James, married Minnie Shaw.  They live three miles west of Norton. 

Richard A. Mather was born in Knox county, Illinois, April 6, 1850.  He came to Norton county, in the fall of 1878.  He was married to Mary Norman September, 18, 1878.  They have three children. 

Dick, as he is commonly called, settled on a homestead two miles west of Norton and has been prominent in politics since 1880.  He was constable of Center township for several years, was twice a candidate for sheriff, before republican conventions but failed to get the nomination, was under-sheriff for several years. 

He has been a populist since 1890 and is the leader of his party in this county. 

Hymen Morrison came here from Illinois in 1850. He bought the Port Cook land two miles west of Norton, which he owns yet.  In February, 1893, he returned to McComb, Illinois. 

His son Andy came here in 1880 and remaned (sic) until 1889.  He lives at Portland, Oregon at this time. 

Reuben Rawley [Rowley] was born in Crawford county. Pennsylvania, October 19, 1836.  In 1840 his parents moved to Wisconsin and settled at Milwaukee.  In

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