Thomas Thornton (25 January 1831 – 23 November 1897) was an Irish-born American farmer and politician who served as a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

Biography

Thornton was born in

County Mayo, Ireland County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council ...

. He settled in

Cato, Wisconsin Cato is a town in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,616 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Cato, Cato Falls, Clarks Mills, Grimms, Madsen, and North Grimms are located within the town. A Manit ...

in 1851 and worked as a farmer.

Political career

Thornton was a member of the Assembly during the 1864, 1877 and 1878 sessions. Other positions he held include Treasurer and member of the school board of Cato. He was a member of the

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public educa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Thomas 1831 births 1897 deaths Politicians from County Mayo Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) People from Cato, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly City and town treasurers in the United States School board members in Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians