THOMAS BARTON was born in Brown county, Illinois, October 15, 1839. His father, Thomas, was born in Kentucky, in 1809, and died in Brown county in 1878, aged seventy years. His father was David Barton, who was born in Maryland, and taken to Kentucky when but a lad. He was a teamster when a young man, and later a landholder. His wife was Elizabeth Marsh. They reared five children, Thomas being the second child. The mother of these children died, and the father married again and had five more children. The mother of our subject was named Clarissa Ingles, of Bourbon county, Kentucky, daughter of James Ingles, a large planter and distiller, largely engaged in the manufacture of Bourbon whisky. Thomas came direct to Brown county upon reaching Illinois in 1835. He brought his wife and daughter with him. He bought eighty acres of land at the Government price. They began life in a log cabin. They received their Government deed in 1837, and Mr. Barton was appointed Justice of the Peace. Sixteen children were born to them, many of them dying in infancy, but six of them growing to adult age; three of them are now living. The father and mother now rest in the Huffman graveyard.

Thomas had very limited school advantages, barely learning to read and write. He left his home at twenty-one, and enlisted August 8, 1862, in the Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry, Company D. He was very soon promoted to be Second Sergeant. He was on duty and at his post every day during his term of nearly three years. He received slight wounds in his left hand and right shoulder, both flesh wounds. He was mustered out at Camp Harker on June 8, and discharged at Camp Butler in Illinois, June 17. He returned to civil life in Brown county in broken health, and paid large doctor bills for six months.

He was married April 30, 1866, to Matilda, daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Briggle) Fry, both of Ohio, coming to Illinois in 1840. He died on the farm in middle age, and left his widow with eight children. His wife survived him and died when about sixty years old. Mrs. Thomas Barton died October 24, 1890, leaving eight children: Charles W., farmer of this county; Nina, prepared at Rushville Normal School for teaching; Edna has had the same advantages; Idalla and Charlotte are prepared to teach; Lawrence Arthur is at home, going to school; James Edgar is a rugged farmer lad, and Jessie H., a bright lass for her years. Mr. Barton is giving his children a good education, and inculcating habits of honesty and industry.

Mr. Barton voted for Lincoln and Grant, but has since been a reformer. Religiously he is free, and does his own thinking for himself, regardless of consequences. He was a candidate for the State Senate in 1888, and for Congress in 1800, on the reform ticket, and is the People's party candidate for the State Senate. He began life barefooted, and owns now 390 acres of good farming land, worth $40 an acre. He built his barns in 1884, and his house which he lives in was built on the ruin of the first. He does a diversified farming, mostly grain. He also raises a number of cattle and sheep, and yearly turns off from forty to fifty hogs.