Judge Ira Norton
Judge Ira Norton was the twelfth child of Lt. Miles Norton, and his
third wife, Anne Agard Norton. He was born at Goshen CT, on Oct 6, 1783 and emigrated to Great Valley, Cattaraugus County,
New York where he was one of the earliest settlers.
He is found in the Cattaraugus County census
of 1820, which lists Heads of Families.
In 1807, he located in Franklinville,
and in 1816 he located on farm in Peth. He was appointed associate judge
of the Court of Common Pleas in 1820. He had previously served as a supervisor
and a Justice of the Peace.
The first meeting of what would later become the Presbyterian Church
of Great Valley was held at his home. He was a deacon of that chuch and
firmly opposed to the use of intoxicating liquors. He was the first person
in Great Valley to have a "raising" without furnishing liquor to his helpers.
The raising of his own residence was the first "dry raising" in the town.
He lived in Great Valley for half a century and saw the unbroken forests
give place to fertile fields and pleasant homes. He died in 1866, "full
of years and full of honors" at the age of 83. He married, while in Goshen,
Lucy Perkins.
Of their fourteen children, nine grew to maturity. One of them, the
Honorable Nelson I Norton, was justice of the peace for 20 years, supervisor,
member of state assembly, presidential elector and member of Congress.
Nelson is buried in the Hinsdale Cemetery in Maplehurst.