Postmaster at New Sharon, was born in Belmont County, Ohio, February 21, 1819, but at the time of his birth his parents were residents of Jefferson County, and were temporarily living in Belmont County, where the father was at the time teaching school. Mahlon received the best possible education afforded by the common schools of his day. He had intended entering Oberlin College, but was compelled to abandon the idea because of the lack of means. He engaged in the occupation of farming, and in 1845 married Penelope Williams, a native of Logan County, Ohio, and a daughter of Silas and Susana Williams. In the fall of 1850 they came to Iowa and settled in Jefferson County, where he followed farming for two years, and then came to this county, locating near Oskaloosa, where he engaged in farming, and also dealt largely in live-stock. He was at one time a very large landholder in this county, owning over 2,000 acres. In the years 1873-74-75, he owned in partnership with James Hurst a large number of cattle, and by reason of the decline in prices of live-stock, he lost the large and valuable property which he had worked so many years and so hard to accumulate: In 1884 Mr. Stanton located at New Sharon, and January 1, 1886, succeeded David Vail as Postmaster at that place. Mr. Stanton was for many years a member of the I. O. O. F. Politically he was early identified with the anti-slavery movement, and was one of the men assisting in the organization of the Republican party in this county, and he continued to be an active supporter of its principles until the close of the late Civil War, since which time he has affiliated with the National Greenback party. He represented this county in the General Assembly of Iowa at the extra session of 1861. Mr. Stanton was a longtime resident of the county, and established for himself a character upon which there is neither spot nor blemish.