JOHN LAWTON 

John Lawton, merchant, Ashland, was born December 9, 1827, in Dover, Maine, a son of Seth and Lucy (Wood) Lawton, whose ancestry were of English origin. His father, who was born in October 1800, has been a farmer and butcher by trade, and is still living. He had six brothers and two sisters. His mother lived to the age of 102. Mr. Lawton, the subject of this sketch, was engaged upon the farm until he was of age. In the spring of 1851 he sailed from New York on the steamer Prometheus for the Isthmus of Panama, crossed the Isthmus upon a mule, and sailed thence on the steamer Gold Hunter for San Francisco. He landed in Sacramento June 12, being about two months on the journey. He proceeded at once to Beale’s Bar in Placer County, and mined there about two months, and then a short time on the Pinkham claim, and then at the Rhoades mine six months, and back to the old place again, and so on until 1859, when he purchased a half interest of W.W. Latham, making the firm of Latham & Lawton, general merchants, at a point known as Big Gulch. Their trade was good, amounting from $125,000 to $150,000 a year. Since 1867 Mr. Lawton has been sole proprietor. Across the street he has also a very pretty cottage with seventeen acres of land; in fact there are two houses on that place. He has made all his property since coming to California, and has the wisdom to be content with his lot in life. He has also made three trips to the East to visit his old home – 1862, 1866 and 1887. During his second visit he was gone one and a half years. He is a member of Granite Lodge, No. 62, I.O.O.F.; of Folsom Encampment, No. 24, and of Grand Canton, No. 1, P.M. of Sacramento. He was married in 1868 to Miss Mary Kittredge, a native of Dover, Maine. They have no children.