Anthony Banning Norton (May 15, 1821 – December 31, 1893) was an American journalist, historian and state politician. He was the publisher of newspapers in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and a

Know Nothing The American Party, known as the Native American Party before 1855 and colloquially referred to as the Know Nothings, or the Know Nothing Party, was an Old Stock Americans, Old Stock Nativism in United States politics, nativist political movem ...

member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

. He later served as the postmaster of

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, and a

United States Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...

for

North Texas North Texas is a term used primarily by residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to refer to a geographic area of Texas, generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, Texas, Abilene, west of Paris, Texas, Par ...

. He was the author of three books.

Early life

Anthony Banning Norton was born on May 15, 1821, in

Mount Vernon, Ohio Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Kokosing River, northeast of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 16,956 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Th ...

. His parents, Daniel Sheldon Norton and Sarah Banning, were planters from Louisiana. His brother,

Daniel Sheldon Norton Daniel Sheldon Norton (April 12, 1829 – July 14, 1870) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the Minnesota State Senate and as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Life and career Norton was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio to Daniel Sheldon ...

, became a politician. Norton "graduated from

Kenyon College Kenyon College ( ) is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private instituti ...

in 1840" and studied the Law in Pennsylvania.

Career

Norton joined the Whig Party, and he published ''The True Whig and Chippewa War Club'', later known as ''Norton's Daily True Whig'', a newspaper in Mount Vernon from 1848 to 1855. Norton joined the

political party, and he served as a member of the

from 1855 to 1861. He was also an Adjutant General appointed by Governor

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

. He founded "''the Fort Worth Chief"'', the town’s first newspaper. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Norton was the publisher of another newspaper, ''Norton's Union Intelligencer''. He became the postmaster of

in 1875, and a

for

in 1879. He was the Republican nominee for Texas Governor in

1878 Events January * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War: Battle of Shipka Pass IV – Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Russo-Turkish War: ...

and

1884 Events January * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London to promote gradualist social progress. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera '' Princess Ida'', a satire on feminism, premières at the Savoy The ...

. Norton was the author of three books.

Personal life and death

Norton was married three times. With his first wife, H. Ellen Burr, he had two children. In 1857, he married H. Maria Neyland, and they had three children. In 1892, he married Mary Martin. Norton died on December 31, 1893, in Dallas, Texas.

Works

*''A History of Knox County, Ohio, from 1779 to 1862'' (1862) *''The Great Revolution of 1840, Reminiscences of the Log Cabin and Hard Cider Campaign'' (1888) *''Tippecanoe Songs of the Log Cabin Boys and Girls of 1840'' (1888)

References

1821 births 1893 deaths Law enforcement officials from Texas People from Mount Vernon, Ohio Politicians from Dallas Kenyon College alumni Editors of Ohio newspapers 19th-century American newspaper editors Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas Republicans Texas Know Nothings Texas postmasters 19th-century United States Marshals 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature {{texas-politician-stub