Representative Oliver Horton View All Years

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Oliver Horton

Carroll County

Born at Bedford, Pennsylvania, on the 12th of October, 1829. His father was also a native of the Keystone state but descended from the Horton's of Long Island, New York, while the mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Hamilton, was of Irish extraction. Oliver Horton was reared on the family homestead and in the acquirement of his education attended the district schools. Early trained to assist in the work of the fields, when he laid aside his text-books he worked as a farm hand in the vicinity of his home until he was eighteen. In 1847 he apprenticed himself to the iron worker's trade, continuing to follow that occupation for about fifteen years. When the call came for more troops in 1862 he responded and enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Amenable to military discipline, he early showed himself to be a leader and was promoted from first sergeant to second lieutenant, then to first lieutenant and was finally made captain, with which rank he was mustered out.. After the close of hostilities he came to Iowa, in October, 1865, and settled in Jackson county. In the spring of 1869 he located on a farm south of Carrollton in Carroll county and in 1876 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 20, Richland township. In connection with the cultivation of his fields, which are almost entirely planted to corn and oats, Captain Horton raises hogs and some cattle. He is one of the successful and substantial agriculturists of the township, and the owner of a well improved and highly cultivated farm. In 1849 Captain Horton and Miss Louisa Grove were united in marriage. In matters of religion the family was reared in the faith of the United Brethren church. Fraternally Captain Horton is affiliated with Glidden Lodge, No. 93, I. O. O. F., in which he passed through all of the chairs, and had taken the degrees of the Grand Lodge. His political allegiance he has always given to the democratic party, and represented his district in both the Twenty-second and Twenty-third sessions of the state legislature. He has always taken a prominent and helpful interest in political affairs and for six years was a member of the board of supervisors, while he also has the distinction of having been secretary of the school board of Richland Township for twenty four successive years.

House District 55