Colusa Biographical Sketches.
CHAPTER XII.
J.B. STANTON.
Joseph Byron Stanton is a native of the Buckeye State, born there March 21, 1836. When he was two years of age, his parents moved to Hancock County, Illinois, where he lived till he was nineteen years of age, leading the laborious and industrious life of a farmer's boy. He now concluded to seek a new field for such labor as his hands could find, and for this purpose he set out for California, driving an ox-team across the plains. After months of toil, which served to inure him to danger and exposure in after life, he arrived at Oroville in October, 1855.
In these days the men who had come so far to find homes or mend their fortunes were nowise dainty in accepting any kind of employment. They took hold with a will of the first job that presented itself, as did young Stanton, who first worked as a laborer, then in the mines, or driving team for a few months. In January, 1856, he took up his home at Grand Island, in this county, and began farming for himself, which pursuit he followed for a number of years, and with success. He was married, in 1858, to Miss Margaret N. Tull, but her health failing after a short period of their married life, Mr. Stanton sold his farm, and, taking with him a wagon and team, he journeyed with his wife to the Mendocino County coast, where Mrs. Stanton's parents resided. Her illness becoming aggravated, her husband sought medical skill in San Francisco, where he was advised to return with her to the Sacramento Valley, its climate being regarded as most conducive to her restoration to health. He now returned to Colusa County, but the desired object of his journey was not realized, Mrs. Stanton dying of consumption a few weeks after her return, leaving him three children.
In the fall of 1866 Mr. Stanton was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Colusa County under I.N. Cain, which position he held until 1870, when he was elected Sheriff. He was re-elected in 1872 by a large and increased majority, evincing by his popular support how acceptable his conduct of the office had been to his fellow-citizens.
After his retirement from office, he became connected with an enterprise to establish telegraphic communication between this place and Calistoga, Napa County, and to other towns in Colusa County. While attending to business in this enterprise, he had occasion to cross Lake County, and became very much attracted by a magnificent strip of country known as Indian Valley. The telegraph line soon got into other hands and he, in company with a partner, bought a relinquishment from the claimant then settled in Indian Valley, of two thousand four hundred acres. This, after the government survey, they acquired title to, and divided, and Mr. Stanton, having married his second wife, Miss Mary Green, previous to his first election to the shrievalty, moved with his family on the land, and engaged in sheep-raising at a profit for nearly four years.
At the end of that time Mr. Stanton was again appointed Under-sheriff by D.H. Arnold, and remained with him until the expiration of his term. After that he secured the contract to provision the county hospital, at which occupation he spent seven years. He was then re-appointed to the office of Under-sheriff by his former subordinate, W.T. Beville, and in this office he is engaged at present writing. On account of his extended experience in the sheriff's office, J.B. Stanton is an almost invaluable man, and hence it was but natural that he should be regarded as a suitable incumbent for that office. He was again nominated, in the spring of 1890, for the position of Sheriff, and elected.
Besides owning a residence in Colusa, Mr. Stanton is the owner of other property in the county. As the fruits of his two marriages, Mr. Stanton is the father of fourteen children, nine of whom are living.
COLUSA COUNTY
ITS
HISTORY TRACED FROM A STATE OF NATURE
THROUGH THE EARLY PERIOD OF SET-
TLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT,
TO THE PRESENT DAY
WITH A
DESCRIPTION OF ITS RESOURCES, STATISTICAL
TABLES, ETC.
ALSO
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND
PROMINENT RESIDENTS
by Justus H. Rogers
Orland, California
1891
Page 343-465
Transcribed by: Linda Diane Jackson 6/30/2009
Colusa County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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