Samuel W. Thornton (Oct. 23, 1832 in

Madison County, Ohio Madison County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,824. Its county seat is London. The county is named for James Madison, President of the United States and was es ...

– July 20, 1917 in

Kearney, Nebraska Kearney is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 in the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birt ...

) was a prominent farmer, businessman, soldier, and politician. He was elected to serve one term in the

Nebraska State Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...

(1887), representing Buffalo County.

Early years

Samuel W. Thornton was the son of Abner and Esther Strain Thornton. His father was a member of a large Scots-Irish and devoutly Presbyterian family that had migrated to

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

over opposition to slavery During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Samuel joined the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

, fighting with Company C, 8th Regiment, Iowa Infantry. He participated in several of the bloodiest battles of the war, including the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

Battle of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

, and

Battle of Memphis The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately North of the city of Memphis, Tennessee on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. ...

, where he was shot in the thigh and hospitalized until the end of the war. Returning home to

Washington County, Iowa Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,565. The county seat is Washington. Washington County is included in the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Washingto ...

, he was hailed as a war hero and served in a series of elected positions: city collector, marshal, assessor, and one term as Deputy Sheriff. He also conducted the

1870 census The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census. It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1, 1870, to August 23, 1871. The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African-American popul ...

of Washington County, Iowa.

Buffalo County, Nebraska

In 1874 Samuel and his family moved to Buffalo County, Nebraska, a sparsely settled frontier land where farming was difficult and time-consuming. For the first few years, the farm teetered on ruin; however, by the end of the decade, Samuel began having tremendous success, and his reputation amongst local farmers grew accordingly. He served on various committees of the Buffalo County Agricultural and Mechanical Society. In 1883, the County Board named the area around Samuel Thornton's homestead as

Thornton Township, Buffalo County, Nebraska Thornton Township is one of twenty-six townships in Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 181 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate placed the township's population at 178. In 1883 the Buffalo County Board of Directors named t ...

, in honor of his military service. This honor was followed by his being elected to the state legislature (1887). For the last thirty years of his life, Samuel remained in Buffalo County. While he continued farming, he expanded his business interests into the grocery business and utilities. He also stayed close with his fellow Civil War veterans, serving as post chaplain and speaking at the unveiling of the Civil War Soldiers’ Monument, Kearney, Nebraska, on October 25, 1910. Pictures of Samuel Thornton's old homestead can be located at the Nebraska Historical Society,

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

.Source Collection: Butcher, Solomon D.; Reproduction Number: RG2608.PH:000000-003283

Family

Samuel W. Thornton married Sarah Larimer on September 14, 1854, and had eight children: Eva, William, Charles, Mary Etta, Harry Lyle, Mabel, Kate, and Lillie. William would later serve as president, Board of Directors, Union Valley Telephone Company. Samuel later married Dallastine Hopkins. Samuel was a cousin of Military Reconstruction Judge

James Johnston Thornton James Johnston Thornton (November 24, 1816, in Highland County, Ohio – February 29, 1884 Guadalupe County, Texas) was a prominent military reconstruction judge, land developer, and quartermaster of the Union Army. He was also the uncle of fame ...

of Seguin, Texas, and the Thorntons of Logansport:

William Patton Thornton Dr. William Patton Thornton (February 6, 1817 – October 10, 1883) was a physician, educator, author, and politician. Education and career Thorton graduated from Kemper's Medical College in St. Louis and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelp ...

, Judge

William Wheeler Thornton William Wheeler Thornton (June 27, 1851 - January 31, 1932) was an Indiana lawyer, Attorney General, judge, and author. He was born in Logansport, Indiana, to John Allen and Elizabeth B. Thomas Thornton, members of respectable farming families. ...

, and

Sir Henry Worth Thornton Sir Henry Worth Thornton, KBE (November 6, 1871 – March 14, 1933) was a businessman. Thornton served as general superintendent of the Long Island Rail Road from 1911 to 1914, general manager of the Great Eastern Railway in England from 1914 to ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Samuel Members of the Nebraska House of Representatives People from Madison County, Ohio People from Buffalo County, Nebraska 1832 births 1917 deaths 19th-century American politicians