Allen J. Payton (March 7, 1861–March 1, 1917) was an American farmer and politician. He represented
Spencer County in the
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...
.
Early life and education
Allen J. Payton was born in Indiana March 7, 1861.
Career and life
Payton worked as a farmer. He operated a farm in
Luce Township, Indiana in 1880. On June 3, 1881, he married Anna Stevenson. The couple would go on to have five children.
Life in politics
Payton ran for the
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...
, to represent
Spencer County, in the
1888 election, running against Benjamin B. Brown. Payton won the election after an investigation into voter fraud.
Later life
Around 1900, Payton served on a committee to place historical markers at select sites in Spencer County where
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
or his family resided or spent time.
By 1910, Payton was serving on the board of the Independent Telephone Association.
Payton died in
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
on March 1, 1917.
Legacy
A collection of Payton's letters are held in the collection of the
Indiana State Library
The Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau is a public library building, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest public library in the state of Indiana, housing over 60,000 manuscripts. Established in 1934, the library has gather ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payton, Allen J.
1917 deaths
1860s births
Farmers from Indiana
Members of the Indiana House of Representatives
People from Rockport, Indiana