Scio Related Articles

The following article was found in the Wellsville Daily Reporter of April 29, 1892, rescued and submitted for use here by Mary Rhodes.

Interesting Statistics

The following is an enumeration in district No. 2 of Scio, J. W. Thomas enumerator:

Number of inhabitants, 751; number over 80 years old - four viz: Wm L. Norton, 83, Peter O. Riley, 85, Clarasa Sprague 86, Lucy Potter 86.

Number over 70 years - 30; number of colored - 59; largest family in one house Mary Peterson -18; next largest J. R. Sherwood - 11.  Number of voters - 242.

Couple longest married, Mr. and Mrs. Wm L. Norton who were married in 1832 at Grafton, Windom Co., Vt..  Wm L. Norton was born Apr 15^th, 1809, at Easton, Wash Co., NY. He has passed his 83^rd milestone, his wife Esther E. Durnelle will be 79 years old in May.  They moved to Allegany in March 1833 and to the town of Scio in 1834 (April 14^th) where they have since resided.  Six children were born to them, Ebenezer J. who has served 20 years as Justice of Peace and is on his third term as Supervisor; Williem H., Lucius E., and Mrs. A. B. York of Allentown.  Mr. Norton has been a busy business man all his life and is now one of our wealthiest citizens and says he never collected a dollar yet by law, something perhaps no man in the county of his age can say.   The amount of business he has done has run into the thousands in the past fifty years.  No man stands better among his fellow citizens.

His benevolent acts are shown around him in every day life, his money nearly built Knights’ Creek church.

His great great grandfather, John Norton, came from England during the French & Indian Wars about 1854, and loaned the government money and took a part of Martha’s Vineyard as pay.  He had five sons and five daughters.