Myron Norton (1822–1886), was an American attorney, and an officer in the
1st Regiment of New York Volunteers, fighting in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, and remained in California afterward to become active in both San Francisco and Los Angeles legal circles and politics. He drafted California's first state constitution.
Early life
Norton was born in
Bennington, Vermont
Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous t ...
, on September 23, 1822, and studied at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
.
[
]
Military
The day after he graduated from Harvard, he joined the Army and served under General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
in the Mexican War. He then joined Jonathan D. Stevenson's 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers, with which he came to California.[''An Illustrated History of Southern California,'' Lewis Publishing Company]
/ref> He was a lieutenant.[Donald C. Biggs, ''Conquer and Colonize,'' San Rafael:Presidio Press (1977) ]
In 1850–51, the settlers were fearful of an Agua Caliente Indian "insurrection" under Chief Antonio Garra, so "Regulars and volunteers were accordingly mustered to guard against this danger." The Los Angeles volunteers were commanded by General Joshua Bean
Joshua H. Bean (c. 1818 – November 7, 1852) was an American political figure.
Joshua Bean was born c. 1818 in Mason County, Kentucky to Phantly Roy Bean (November 21, 1804 – June 13, 1844) and his wife Anna Gore. His paternal grandparents ...
, with Norton as colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
and chief of staff. In a letter written to Governor John McDougall, Bean commended Norton for his bravery.
Later, Norton was second in command of the first legal militia organization in the state, the First California Guard,[ where he was commissioned a ]first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
on July 23, 1853.[California Military Museum]
/ref>
In their requisition for arms the company requested that seventy-five rifles and accouterments be sent to them immediately, as there were very few arms in the Los Angeles area except what was held by bands of organized villains of the worst type. The members preferred rifles as part of the time they would be engaged in cavalry routine, especially when dealing with gangs of robbers or raiding bands of Indians.
Norton was one of the organizers and was elected chairman of a "large number of citizens assembled at the Montgomery House" on December 7, 1857, to demand protection by the U.S. Army from a feared invasion of Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...
fighters through the Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass (; Spanish: ''Puerto del Cajón'' or ''Paso del Cajón'') is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andr ...
in the wake of what was called the Mountain Meadows massacre
The Mountain Meadows Massacre (September 7–11, 1857) was a series of attacks during the Utah War that resulted in the mass murder of at least 120 members of the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train. The massacre occurred in the southern U ...
, a Mormon attack in Southern Utah
Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...
upon an emigrant wagon train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...
in September of that year.
Legal and political
In 1849, Norton was in San Francisco, where he was the county's first justice of the peace and then police magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
. He also had a law office in the Laffan Building.[
In a ]vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
-type trial in San Francisco, Norton was appointed to be defense attorney for a group of men called The Hounds, who were charged with serious crimes resulting from a rampage against Chilean immigrants.[
As soon as news arrived from Washington, D.C., that Congress had failed to pass a bill authorizing territorial status for newly conquered California, Norton and Kimball H. Dimmick convened a committee in San Jose that nevertheless issued a call for a state constitutional convention.][ In March 1849 he was on a committee in San Francisco that urged the drafting of a state constitution instead of a ]territorial
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
one. In a California-wide election for delegates, Norton received the second-highest number of votes, after Edward Gilbert. When work began in Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
, Norton, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, wrote the first draft of the constitution.[
Norton resettled in Los Angeles and in 1851 was elected a judge of the Superior Court. On May 4, 1852, he was elected to the Common Council, the city's governing body. He served until May 3, 1853, and he was again elected in a special election on December 27, 1856, for a term ending May 6, 1857.][''Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials,1850-1938,'' compiled under direction of Municipal Reference Library, City Hall, Los Angeles (March 1938, reprinted 1966). "Prepared ... as a report on Project No. SA 3123-5703-6077-8121-9900 conducted under the auspices of the ]Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
."
Death
He died on April 16, 1886, and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Myron
California lawyers
1886 deaths
1822 births
Harvard University alumni
Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
19th-century American lawyers
People from Bennington, Vermont